The best way to wash bras and other delicates is by hand, using a mild detergent (we recommend Soak), after two to four wears; machine washing wears them out faster. Harrington says that even if you choose to wash your bras in a machine (hopefully in a protective lingerie bag with a small load of laundry, on the delicate setting), you should still hang them to dry. The rough-and-tumble motion of a dryer can cause an underwire to pop out of place, she said. It can also twist, tangle, stretch, or distort the shape of the band, straps, or cups. Replace bras when the underwire warps or pokes through the fabric lining, when the elastic is totally stretched out, when the fabric starts to fray or fade, or when your bra size changes. Finally, you should always make sure to treat bras gently—they’re called delicates for a reason. Store them upright, nested inside one another, so they don’t become wrinkled or misshapen.
