How to Care for Slips

Slips are no longer a wardrobe staple for most women. They're often only worn for special occasions. We may have our slips a very long time so it makes sense to know how to take care of them. With the proper care, a slip should last for many years.

Things You'll Need

• Cold water hand wash detergent
• Bleach for colored clothes
• Tea
• Elastic
• Hem tape

Instructions

Caring for Your Slips

1. Wash slips carefully on a delicate/lingerie setting in the washer in cold water. Hand washing is best, though. Be sure to use a laundry detergent made for cold water washing. A lingerie garment bag is a great little item if you do want to machine wash slips. It keeps your lingerie from wrapping around the agitator in the wash and it also keeps it from being knotted up in other clothes and torn.

2. Use colorfast bleach: When slips become grayed or a dingy yellow, try using a colorfast bleach, even for white slips. Colorfast bleaches are much gentler and safer for delicate items. Just wash as usual on delicate cycle. If the slip is not a dark color that may run, use warm water this time only to help it get cleaner.

3. Use a different method if your slip doesn't come clean. Try dying it a darker color. A white slip can become a bit darker and still work for everything but sheer white fabrics. Use a very strong hot tea to soak it in and check it until it's a shade darker than you would like. It will lighten up when it dries.

4. Improvise: Did you ever need a full slip or a camisole and all you have is a half slip? In a pinch you can pull a half slip up over your bra and use it like a camisole. You can also try to pin it underneath your bra to make it longer.

5. Weigh down your slip: When your slip rides up badly you can sew a heavier fabric along the bottom hem. Try using felt. It gives weight but it will still fall nicely. In a pinch you can try wearing the slip inside out. Sometimes the fabric isn't as slick on the other side and it will do the trick.

6. Use elastic: If your full slip is tattered at the top make a half slip out of it. A little elastic is all you'll need. Likewise, you can salvage just the top by cutting and hemming the bottom. Shorten a slip that is too long for your wardrobe with a simple hem. Using hemming tape makes really quick work of it but realize you may have to replace it sooner than you would stitching.

7. Store your slips in drawers where they can lay nicely and not be crushed. If you have several, and you don't wear them often, wrap them in tissue paper and then place them in your drawer.

Tips & Warnings

• Hand washing slips and all lingerie in cold water hand washing detergent is best.

• Use a lingerie bag if you have top machine wash. This will keep your slips and other delicate items from being damaged.