How to Care for a Bra

A woman's bra is an important piece of her wardrobe. It gives her breasts shape and contour, while keeping them young looking and perky. Bras should be snug, but comfortable. When you finally find the right bra for you, you want it to last as long as possible. For this reason, you must know how to properly care for your bra to make sure it lasts as long as it can. There are certain steps you must take to properly care for your bra.

Things You'll Need

• Sink
• Water
• Liquid laundry detergent

Instructions

1. Purchase a bra that fits well enough to wear on the largest clasp. Most bras, unless they are sports bras or front closure bras, give you the choice of 3 or 4 clasps in the back. Make sure you choose a bra that allows you to have a comfortable fit with the largest clasp. Then, after time, when the elastic begins to wear, you can slowly move to the smallest clasp.

2. Fill a sink with cold water and a couple of tablespoons of liquid laundry detergent. You should always handwash your bras. They are extremely delicate and way too expensive to replace all the time. Cold water is also best because it will uphold the bra's material better than warm or hot.

3. Let your bra soak for about 5 minutes in the soapy water. This allows the soap molecules to fully soak into every fiber of your bra. You won't get a completely clean bra if you skip this part.

4. Gently rub all parts of the bra with your fingers in the soapy water. This is the handwashing part. Don't forget the shoulder straps and the material that surrounds your back. This is a great place for bacteria and skin cells to hang.

5. Drain the sink and fill back up with cold water once again. This is how you will rinse your bra. Let the soapy bra sit in the clean sink water for five minutes. If you want you can twirl it around a couple of times, but this really isn't necessary.

6. Gently squeeze out the excess water and hang to dry. It may take hours for your bra to dry, but it will maintain the shape and integrity of your bra if you hang it. Shower curtain rods work great for bra hanging.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear rubber gloves when you wash your bras to prevent dry skin and cracking on your hands.

• It is easiest to wash and dry several bras at once. It saves time and energy.

• Don't put your bra into the dryer. The heat is awful on elastic. You will have to buy new bras twice a year if you place them into the dryer.