One of the best ways a woman can express her own style and personality is through fashion. Different clothing styles are worn to show others what you are doing and how you happen to feel at a particular moment. Lingerie is something altogether different since it isn’t worn on their own (most of the time) but they are very special for most women because different lingerie pieces can be fun, flirty and can make anyone feel ultra-feminine at any time.
The average woman owns 9-10 bras at any given time. While she may not use them all on a regular basis, it’s still important to take very good care of them in order to keep them looking beautiful and giving them a longer life. Bra prices vary depending on the brand and style but on average, a woman will pay around $42 per bra. When it comes to other lingerie, like slips, baby dolls and teddies and bustiers, the average price can quickly rise well beyond that of bras. If you were to add up the price of all of your lingerie, each piece should be treated like an investment piece that should last longer than a couple of washes. To make sure your delicates are well taken care of, it’s important to know how to properly clean and store them.
Cleaning
The best way to keep delicates looking their best is by washing them properly. The biggest problem that most women have is fading color, worn out fabric and embellishments falling out. While most lingerie tags recommend dry cleaning, it’s just too expensive to dry clean lingerie each time. Not only that, but sometimes dry cleaning can also ruin delicate pieces like bras and bustiers.
Believe it or not, it is possible to wash lingerie either by hand or a washing machine.
Wash by Hand
Use lukewarm water with a small amount of delicate washing liquid (there are some brands made specifically for ultra-delicate clothing). Gently rub and swirl the lingerie in the water with your hand and make sure to never rub the garment against itself (this friction wears down the fabric).
Machine Wash
Although many people get nervous using a washing machine for lingerie, it’s possible to use special wash bags that will protect clothing, panties and bras while washing on a delicate cycle. If you happen to have an older washing machine model, one without a delicate cycle, it’s recommended to hand wash instead.
To properly dry bras, shape them and lay them flat on a towel. As for slips and baby dolls, make sure to hang them with adequate space between each piece. This will prevent wrinkling and help them dry quickly. If you have any strapless pieces, lay them flat as opposed to hanging since it will help keep the shape and prevent any stretching.
Storage
When storing lingerie, placement and location are just as important as the method of washing. Proper storage can help extend the life of your intimates and keep them looking like new, no matter how much you like to wear them.
Bras
There are many different types of bras. Some have moulded cups, padded cups, unlined and underwire styles. Unlined bras can easily store away in any drawer because all you have to do it fold it in half and neatly place one behind another. All other bra styles should never be folded in half. A common way that many women store their bras is by flipping a cup inside out to tuck into the other. This is never recommended since this will cause the cup to become misshapen. Always lay out bras in a drawer with the cups shaped in their proper form. You can stack bras in this fashion to help save space but always make sure to clasp them to prevent any pulls from embellished styles.
Panties
Neatly fold panties and place one behind the other in a drawer. You can also lay them flat and stack them, but it may become messy when reaching for a particular panty in the pile. If you have any panties that have embellishments, make sure to stack them separately from one another.
Slips, Baby Dolls and Bustiers
Delicate and embellished slips, baby dolls and bustiers should be hung on soft padded hangers and even placed in garment bags to prevent pulls or tearing.