How Often Should You Wash Your Bra
Laundry has got to be one of the most hated chores of all.
And it’s not exactly environmentally friendly either. Last year, we all became dramatically more aware of how laundering releases microplastics into our waters. One paper showed that microfibers are responsible for 85% of shoreline pollution across the globe.
For some (hello, me!), this was just the reason needed to relax a little bit on how often we wash certain garments. But taking a chill pill on the washing jeans and sweaters is one thing. What about bras?
How often should you wash your bras? Is there a rule? (Of course, there’s a rule!) Is there any wiggle room? (You betcha!)
How Often Should You Wash Your Bra? The Perfect Practice: Every Single Wear
So, the hardcore rule is that it’s best to wash your bra after every wear. Yep: Every. Single. Wear.
If this is something you already do, hat tip to you. But we have a feeling this rule is deliberately overzealous to frighten those of us who maybe wash our bra once every two weeks.
What’s the rationale for this high frequency? Well, it’s two-fold:
- Hygiene: Bras are worn flush to the skin, which gives them every opportunity to absorb oil, sweat, and cosmetic residue. If left too long, bras can become a breeding ground for bacteria, which can cause odor and skin irritations.
- Bra Longevity: Bras are (often) delicate garments with complex construction. Their exposure to sweat and oil can damage their delicate fabrics and break down the elastic. Plus, let’s face it, bras are expensive. So washing them regularly is thought to be one way to prolong their lifespan.
Of course, we’ll get into the “right” and “wrong” ways to wash a bra. Washing is a bit of a double-edged sword: Do it right, and you can preserve your bra. Do it wrong and you can expedite its demise.
The Realistic Guideline: Wash Your Dirty Bra Every Two or Three Wears
It feels much more realistic to recommend that you wash your bra every two or three wears as a general rule.
If you have a few bras in rotation, this will be more manageable and sync up better with your laundry routine. This reinforces the idea that bra-shopping should practice. Now, we get it: Buying 2-4 bras a year can be a whopping great expenditure. So we recommend a couple twice a year to break up the expense and to keep bras ‘rotating,’ rather than expiring all at the same time.
Get in the habit of doing this and observing careful laundry practices, and you can rest assured that your bra, and your body, are cared for.
The Common Sense Caveats
Every rule has exceptions, right? These are mostly common sense but let’s spell them out for those of us who love explicit guidelines:
Hotter Day? Wash Your Bras More
If you’re sweating more than usual, you might not want to stretch out to 3 wears.
A “Wear” Is Wearing the Same Bra for a Full Day
If you wear a bra for a few hours only (say for evening dinner), you don’t have to count this as a “full wear.”
Sports Bras Are Different
Hot yoga, running, HIIT? These activities are a whole different ball game. Wash your sweaty sports bra every day. Yep, that means if you work out every day, you need a few sports bras in rotation.
How to Wash Bras
Part of any advice about how often to wash a garment is how to wash that garment. The purpose of washing is to keep a garment clean and to preserve it. But, obviously, washing can itself be a destructive process depending on how you do it.
When it comes to bras, there are purists who demand all bras be hand-washed. And then there are the ‘life’s too short’ thinkers who believe you can just toss it in the machine. Let’s explore the 'how' of washing your bras:
Handwashing
Handwashing is the gentlest way to wash something. But you don’t need to hand wash every bra. It really depends on how it’s made and what it’s made of. Some bras (like Knix) are designed to be machine washed, but others absolutely must be hand washed.
We expect you have a mix of bra styles in your lingerie drawer. For those delicate silk/lace undergarments, we absolutely recommend hand washing. But for most everyday or performance underwear, the machine will do (though you can, of course, hand-wash if you prefer).
Personally, I find handwashing bras a lot easier than machine washing. At the end of the day, I simply fill the bathroom sink and let the bra soak for a bit, then I gently press the excess moisture out and let it dry overnight. This means my bras don’t pile up in the laundry hamper waiting for my weekly laundry, and it also means I always have my favorite bra at hand (let’s face it, there will always be one bra that’s your favorite.)
A Note About Using Gentle Detergent
You may notice that your lingerie store sells specialty detergent or lingerie wash for washing bras and lingerie. The key to look for is an alcohol-free, gentle detergent. Some of our favorites include:
- Soak Wash: Manufactured in Toronto, Soak is an eco-friendly, rinse-free wash that cleans beautifully and is ideal for hand or machine washing your bras.
- The Laundress: The Laundress’ Delicate Wash is ideal for lingerie and other items labeled “dry clean.” This gentle detergent formula removes perspiration, body oils, and stains while cleaning and preserving fabrics.
If you’re dealing with stains, you should still have a gentle approach. Do not be tempted to increase the temperature of your wash, and instead, think about repeating the soaking steps in the hand washing section above. A soft, clean toothbrush and a little spot treatment with your detergent can also help loosen a stain without pulling the delicate fibers.
Machine Washing
So, it’s okay to wash certain bras in a washing machine, including your favourite Knix bras. But that doesn’t mean that a machine wash can’t still damage bras.
There are some small tips to help your bra better withstand the tug-of-war that machine washing can become:
- Fasten bras before you wash: Those hooks can grab onto anything else in the machine, and then it can mean your bra goes for an intense joyride. Keeping them fastened helps your bra not get tugged too much.
- Use a mesh bag or lingerie bag: Mesh bags are great for smaller or delicate items in the machine. They keep them from getting entangled and stretched around larger garments or linens. You can also tuck your bras inside a pillowcase if you don’t have a mesh bag.
- Select the gentle cycle: You probably already sort your laundry into whites and colors. Consider also sorting them be weight, putting lighter, more delicate fabrics and garments on a cold water gentle cycle (or delicate cycle), and reserving the hotter cycles for heavier items like bedding and bath linens.
Let Your Bra Air Dry
It’s not just washing that can be hard on clothing; the dryer can be destructive too. The same pulling and stretching can happen in dryers. But more than that, the extreme heat of dryers can break down fabrics (especially elastic.)
No matter how you washed your bra, we recommend you air-dry it, preferably lying flat (avoid the hang dry unless you have gently pressed most of the moisture out.) This especially means don’t hang it by one of the straps, which can cause additional stretching, especially if the bra is very wet.
How to Store Your Bras
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.
You can also go full-on Marie Kondo and buy drawer dividers so everything is spaced out and Instragam-worthy!
Ever wonder what to do with old bras? We've got you covered.
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.