Air dry: Avoid the dryer at all costs, as the heat and vibration will ruin the fit and reduce your bra's stretchy properties. Instead, lay your bra flat on a towel to dry, making sure the cups are positioned in their natural shape.
Use the Right Detergent
The best thing you can do for bra care is to allow them to air dry, either flat or by hanging. Tumble drying will cause the same damaging friction as washing without a washing bag for delicates. Drying bras flat or by hanging is the best way to maintain their shape.
Certain fabrics can shrink when exposed to excessive heat, such as silk and rayon. And nylon, the fiber that a lot of lace is made from, can be damaged or discoloured if subjected to heat for too long. But the biggest problem of all is what heat does to elastic because that's in all of our modern bras.
Here's where I'm going to take a hard line: You must air dry your bras. That is to say, bras must never, ever go into the dryer, even on a low- or no-heat cycle. Don't do it! The heat of a dryer, even with the use of a low-heat setting, will be too much for the elastic to bear.
Machine-washing bras
Wash your bras in a small load of laundry. This is a good rule in general—and not just for bras. As we note in our guide to washers and dryers, “When your clothes move freely, they get cleaner.” Try to wash them in a lingerie bag—we like this one from Tenrai—and on a delicate cycle.
Once a bra loses its shape, the fit is compromised, he counsels. In a tropical environment such as ours, which is very hot and makes you sweat, you are expected to wash your bra after wearing it for six times at worst, and four times at best.
Bras. Tumble dryer heat is too much for your delicate bras which could cause them to lose their elasticity and shape. Not to mention that the underwire can get stuck in the machine drum and no one wants the hassle of digging that out! It's much better to lie them flat on a towel and leave them to dry naturally.
Never dry a bra in a tumble dryer. The vigorous motion of the machine could cause the bra to become misshapen, and the heat will set the bra into that new shape. Instead, hang each bra over a clotheshorse or the washing line, and allow it to dry naturally.
Lay the bra flat: You can lay the bra flay on a drying tray or across a drying rack. This way, there is no strain on your bra. Hang on a hanger, just as you would wear: You can also hang the damp bra on a hanger as if the hanger is “wearing” the bra (i.e., back clasped and a strap over each “shoulder” of the hanger).
If your bra does not dry throughout the day, move it on a hanger to your cool bedroom at night. It will dry with ease overnight. When wet, the way to dry a bra is to hang it from its centre in a manner that the two cups are on two sides of the clothesline. Make sure that the bra is balanced well on a hanger.
"There's a ligament called Cooper's ligament that anchors around the breast tissue," he says. "This causes more movement and bouncing around. In my opinion, the breasts will sag and get loose if a bra isn't worn for a long time."
But dermatologist Alok Vij, MD, says that as a general rule, you should wash them after every two to three wears.
"The 'rule' is that a bra should be washed after every wear, since it's directly in contact with the body," laundry expert Mary Marlowe Leverette told PureWow. "Body oils, perspiration, and bacteria are transferred to the fabric and if left in the fibers will begin to break down the fabric—especially elastic fibers."
"When it comes to normal use, every two to three wears is fine. Obviously, that's not the case if it's a sports bra you're wearing to an intense gym class or if it's a hot summer's day. If you're particularly sweaty, you should wash the bra each wear," Lois explains.
The shortest answer to “how many (well fitting) bras should I own” You need AT LEAST two day-to-day bras. Plus (IF you workout regularly) AT LEAST two workout bras. Plus (IF you fancy-pants dress up regularly) AT LEAST two fancy-pants bras.
Don't microwave your bra (or cook in your dryer)
Not washing clothes after you buy them does have its consequences, and all of the laundry experts we spoke to say it's important to clean your bra even before wearing it. "Manufacturers often use finishes on new fabrics for aesthetic reasons," Wang tells InStyle.
What does “do not tumble dry” mean? Certain garments shouldn't go in the dryer at all. Subjected to high temperatures, silk may shrink, wool and knitwear may pill and undergarments may shrink or lose their shape.
It's best not to place soaking wet clothes directly into the dryer, since pooling water can damage the internal mechanisms of the dryer, and the extra water weight will increase the wear and tear on the machine. However, wringing out the clothes by hand will usually remove enough water to make the clothes dryable.
Excessively wet clothes don't just signal a problem with your washer; they can compromise your dryer too. The longer drying times and extra weight of soaked clothing can overwork dryer parts, resulting in costly breakdowns.
Washing your bras in the machine shortens their lifespan.
The elastic will stretch out more quickly, again from agitation or from wrapping around other clothing. The clasps are more likely to become damaged or get lost entirely. And putting your bra in the dryer just ups all those risks!
There's nothing wrong with wearing a bra while you sleep if that's what you're comfortable with. Sleeping in a bra will not make a girl's breasts perkier or prevent them from getting saggy. And it will not stop breasts from growing or cause breast cancer.
"On average, they own 16 at any one time, topping up their collection with four purchases each year." And then the story goes on to reveal that while we women have enough bras to go at least two weeks without doing laundry, on average we wash them only every two months.