How Often Should You Change Your Bra
How many “wears” do you give a bra before it’s time to go into the laundry? The answer isn’t straightforward, though many of us wonder what the “best practice” is.
Many women drag out wearing a bra for weeks before laundering (especially if it's their beloved wireless bras from Knix.) And it can depend on the season and how active you’ve been. After all, if you’ve been sitting in an air-conditioned office all day, how dirty can your bra be?
Wash Your Bra Every 2-3 Wears, Use Common Sense
How often should you wash your bras? The general answer is that it’s a good idea to wash your bra every 2-3 wears.
Now, there are some caveats to this answer: If you wear a bra for a single evening, is that really a “wear”? Or, what happens when the mercury rises and you’re coming home positively damp from the muggy weather?
Well, that’s where your common sense comes in. There are definitely days when your bra needs to go straight in the laundry. And there are other occasions when you can extend beyond those three days.
And - important - if we’re talking about sports bras—well, you should wash them after every wear.
How Bras Get Dirty
It’s easy to see why we might think bras need washing less often. After all, they’re mostly protected from scuffs and spills by our outer layers. And while most of us wouldn’t dream of not changing our underwear daily, bras just seem a little less iffy.
However, there are plenty of ways for bras to get dirty nonetheless:
- Sweat: If you experience boob sweat, this will be obvious to you. But even those who don’t perspire a lot still sweat. While sweat is nothing to be ashamed of, when it dries, it can leave a stale smell.
- Oil: Everybody’s skin produces oil. You’ll often notice it most on the neck of tees and shirts. But fabrics that sit close to the skin will particularly be exposed to skin oil. Oil and sweat can combine to make a happy breeding ground for yeast and bacteria.
- Lotions: Don’t forget the products you apply to your skin too. While it’s good to keep skin moisturized, the residue from lotions can cause dirt and grime to accumulate on your bra and clothing.
- Perfume: Many women love a spritz of their favorite scent on their chest or décolleté. But those fragrances can contain oils and chemicals that also build up.
Note: Sports Bras Are Even More Prone to Dirt
You may not wear a sports bra for as long; it’s possible you just wear them for your workout, though many of us wear a sports bra as an everyday bra too. However, sports bras do tend to be more susceptible to dirt due to two things:
- You sweat more when you’re wearing them. If you’re wearing them to work out in, you’re certainly working up more of a sweat. But even if you’re wearing them as an everyday bra, a sports bra has greater surface area than a regular bra) so they’re more likely to absorb more oil and sweat.
- They’re designed to wick moisture. It’s those moisture-wicking properties that make athletic bras so great for working out in, but it also means they are designed to absorb more of that odor- and irritation-causing moisture.
Why Washing Your Bras is Essential
These all sound like pretty benign realities. And the problem isn’t so much that you sweat or produce oil or use perfume as what can happen when these things build up and form dirt and grime.
Then, your bra (and your skin) can become a breeding ground for bacteria. This can cause some things you’ll definitely want to avoid, like:
Skin Irritation and Infection
Yeast infections don’t just happen in your vagina. Sweat and bacteria can create a perfect environment for this kind of infection, which can, in turn, cause skin irritation and chafing.
Odor
Stale sweat, stale perfume, oily residue from moisturizers don’t exactly make a sweet-smelling cocktail.
Shorter Lifespan for Your Bra
Wearing a dirty bra isn’t just a problem for you; it hurts your bra too. All that oil and dirt can also wreak havoc on your bra and shorten its lifespan.
Other Ways to Prolong Your Bra’s Lifespan
So, changing your bra every 2-3 wears and washing it makes sense; for you and your bra.
Most bras last 6-12 months, depending on how many you have in rotation. Given their expense, it makes sense to try to prolong your bra’s lifespan. Here are some other ways to do that:
Hand Wash or Machine Wash Your Bras and Dry Them Carefully to Maintain Bra’s Support
Washing your bra is a bit of a double-edged sword: Don’t do it, and your bra’s lifespan could shorten. But do it wrong, and you could also shorten your bra’s lifespan. What’s a girl to do?! Be gentle!
How to wash a bra? Some bras can be safely washed in the washing machine (hello, Knix!), while others require a gentle hand wash. No matter what the washing instructions, think about how you can protect your bra.
Mesh laundry bags, for example, will prevent your bra from getting entangled in other garments and getting stretched too much when machine washing. Gentle detergent can also help prolong lingerie’s life.
Dryer machines can also cause damage to the fabrics and elastic of your bra. Instead, opt for air drying. If possible, dry your bras flat (avoid a hang dry, especially not dangling from a shoulder strap). This helps preserve their shape.
Carefully Storage Your Bras to Protect Delicate Fabrics
After all that careful laundering, you’re not just going to shove your bras in a jam-packed drawer, are you?
Bras love space, and the best way to store your bras is laying them flat and front-facing in a drawer. Avoid folding them or bending molded cups. You can nest bras into each other to help preserve their shape (this will also give you a bra drawer Marie Kondo would be proud of—win/win!)
Rotate Your Bras
Ideally, you have more than a few bras that you wear in rotation (and you love them all). This will mean you change bras more often and will result in all your bras lasting a little longer as you’ll be wearing each one a little less often. It also gets you in a good habit of switching and keeping them clean.
When it Is Time for a New Bra
All good things come to an end, and that includes your trusted bras, even when you’ve faithfully cared for them.
When it’s time for a bra replacement, it’s a good time for a new fitting to make sure you’re wearing the correct size. You can measure yourself with a tape measure or even try a virtual fitting. You might also want to try out different styles or colors. A little novelty might make it easier to move on ;)
Written by Jane Flanagan — Updated on March 1, 2022.
We hope you found this post informative — but remember: we’re not doctors and this post is not medical advice! While all posts are fact-checked and well researched, we always recommend you chat with your doctor about any questions or concerns you might have regarding a medical condition. We’re here to support and educate, but never with the aim of disregarding professional medical advice you’ve been given. Phew, now that that’s out of the way, you can go on living unapologetically free.