Tips for caring for your underwear and lingerie

With a lot of love and care you have selected your lingerie, paid attention to the fit and maybe even treated yourself to handmade lingerie. So that you can enjoy the beautiful pieces for a long time, we would like to give you a few tips for care.
Maybe you already have a few pieces of laundry in your closet that look worn out, discolored or even frayed. Then please get rid of them immediately. Time for something new!!

For these reasons too, you should replace underwear that you wear a lot after about 6 months, panties for hygienic reasons and bras because they lose their elasticity and thus their support function through wear and washing.

Our intern and aspiring clothing technician Julia has put together a few tips for you so that nothing goes wrong with care in the future:

preparation

What you should consider before washing delicate laundry The care label is always a help and tells you how and at what temperature underwear can be washed and provides information on the use of bleach, drying, ironing and dry cleaning. The care symbols show how textiles should be cared for. This information is particularly important when it comes to lingerie, in order to be able to enjoy the often valuable and sensitive items for a long time. It is also important to sort the lingerie by color before washing to avoid discoloration. Fine materials in particular can quickly be ruined if they are not cared for properly..

To wash

It is generally recommended to wash lingerie by hand. Delicate fabrics such as silk or lace, as well as embroidery and other delicate elements can be destroyed when washed in the machine. The fast rotation of the washing machine can cause the fibers to stretch out and thus shorten the life of the underwear.
When washing in the washing machine, it is therefore important to select the gentle wash or delicate wash program.
Bra clasps should be fastened before washing in the machine and placed in a laundry bag. This can protect the washing machine from hangers coming out and prevent other items of laundry from getting caught on the fastener or hangers. The fabric is also protected from friction during the washing process. If possible, remove push-up pads before washing and do not turn bra cups inside out to preserve shape.
The temperature does not have to be high when cleaning the underwear, so as not to damage the sensitive material. Basically, washing cycles at temperatures of 60 to 90 degrees are not only more harmful to the environment, in the worst case they can also cause laundry to shrink. However, washing cycles over 60 degrees for everyday laundry that can withstand this temperature can be useful if you want to kill germs or bacteria.
Basically, 30 degrees are enough to get underwear clean. Adding hygiene detergent has an additional antibacterial effect.

hand wash

When washing by hand, fill lukewarm water in a sink and dissolve some mild shampoo, shower gel or mild detergent. The underwear is soaked in it for a few minutes (15-20 minutes). Dirt can be removed with a dash of vinegar or a fine brush. The soaked underwear must then be rinsed out with clear, lukewarm water until the detergent has been completely removed.

It is important not to be too rough when washing by hand. Underwear should not be rubbed or pulled against each other too much.
When choosing the detergent, you should use a mild detergent if possible. These not only protect the sensitive lingerie but also the skin. You should avoid using fabric softener, as fabric softener sticks together or softens fibers and can cause itching or redness in the intimate area. In addition, synthetic fabrics lose their shape after a while due to fabric softeners and wear out. In order to preserve the colors of the materials and not to damage the fibers further, you should not use bleach. A dash of vinegar essence can be used as a gentle alternative, for example with white silk. Adding vinegar also prevents white laundry from turning gray if the water is too hard, as we have here in Berlin, for example.

Extra tip: If you would like to be effective and save time, then simply wash your favorite lingerie with you in the shower.

dry

Fine lingerie, swimwear, bras, stockings and sensitive materials such as wool, cashmere, but also viscose and modal should never be put in the tumble dryer! Dryers work with hot air up to 125 degrees to evaporate moisture in a short time. This damages the materials and lingerie can lose its shape. The classic drying line or drying rack method is the best solution for drying lingerie.

A lot of water can accumulate in the cups of cup bras when they are washed, so you should make sure that they are hung up on the bra straps so that the straps do not wear out due to the weight. Alternatively, cup bras can also be left lying down to dry. Lingerie should not be left in direct sunlight when drying to avoid possible color fading.

iron

Please do not iron lingerie, bikinis and stockings for similar reasons. The fibers smooth out all by themselves thanks to body heat.

When should lingerie be washed?

After buying new lingerie, it should be washed before wearing it for the first time. The reason for this is that the fibers can still contain production residues such as dyes or other chemical residues. Underwear also comes into contact with people and can store various bacteria. A wash cycle before wearing it for the first time should therefore not be forgotten.
Normal bras should generally be washed after two to five wears. Possible residues of perfume, body care or sweat damage the fabric if left on for too long.

We hope you enjoy your lingerie. If you have any questions, please contact usAtelier and lingerie shop in Berlin-Mitte, in the Hackesche Höfe in Hof 7, Rosenthaler Str. 40/41, 10178 Berlin.

We look forward to you!