The Truth About How Often You Should Wash Your Bras

Seriously, I can’t remember the last time I washed mine, is that bad?

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Bras tend to be one of those items you forget, or avoid, on laundry day. One, washing them just seems super difficult — who has time to hand wash? Two, we can’t really tell how dirty they are. And three, seriously no one has ever told us how often we should wash our bras. Are they like jeans where we should wait for as long as possible? Or like our T-shirts, where we should be washing them all the time?

Long answer short: it completely depends on you.

 

How often should you wash your bra?

Right off the bat, you should plan on washing your bras every one to two weeks, but there is no hard and fast rule for this as there are a lot of factors in play. How many bras are in your rotation? What kind of climate are you wearing them in? If you live in a hot climate, it stands to reason that you are probably sweating in your bras more than someone in a colder area and will have to wash them more frequently. However, if you have more bras to rotate through, there will be less strain on each of them and you can hold off on washing them for a bit longer.

Use your sound judgement. If you notice your bra is looking dingy, smells a little funky, or you can’t remember the last time you washed it, throw it in your laundry basket. As for your sports bras, you should wash them after each time you exercise in them. While you may not notice it at first, if you continue to wear a dirty bra, the dirt can rub into your skin and cause irritation or break outs.

 

What is the best way to clean your bras?

Bras are delicate garments with over 30 technical components, so treat them gently. This doesn’t always mean hand washing them. While it is definitely a preferred way to go for bra care, you can machine wash your bras by using a mesh lingerie bag. Hook the clasps, wash on cold and delicate, and lay them out to dry or place them on a drying rack. But never throw bras into the dryer!

For a full tutorial on how to hand wash your bras, properly wash them in a washing machine, and store them, check out our Lingerie Care Guide.

Hate doing laundry? Same. One way you can avoid having to wash your bras on a weekly basis is to have more bras. Having a healthy rotation of at least three to five bras is great for wardrobe versatility, and even better for your wash load.

 

But, How Do You Wash a Lace Bra?

While lace is a more delicate fabric, the same rules apply for how to wash a lace bra, as they do for a cotton or microfiber bra. Keep things gentle and cool, and always lay flat to dry.

Discover our bra collection here. Curious about how often you should replace your bra? Learn more here.

 

 

Additional reporting by Tricia Ismail