BRA CARE GUIDE

You read it right, hand washing is the absolute best way to ensure your bra lasts and does not break or become loose, or is damaged.

If you've ever had a wire pop out of a bra, do you by chance wash it the machine? We thought so...

The reason we hand wash our bras is to preserve the integrity and structure of the garment, and prevent machine damage. 

1. Hand wash with a suitable detergent and cool water

2. Once clean, pat excess water with a towel, never wring out

3. Leave to dry on a flat surface and open, so it dries evenly 

Bras + Heat = Damage. Never leave your bra to dry on a radiator. Heat damages the elastic, and will therefore damage your bra.

You should also never use a tumble dryer to dry your bras, the intense heat is an absolute no-no. The heat causes the elastic to shrink, affecting the integrity of the bra, and will likely cause the wire to pop out!

Did you know that washing machines are the main culprit for broken bras?

Bras are not designed to be washed in a machine, or not the ones we sell, anyway. The heat causes the elastic to shrink, the wire to pop out, and this can then cause damage not only to the bra, but to other clothes, and in some cases, the machine itself, breaking your bra is one thing, but having to sort the bill for a new machine just isn't worth the risk.

• The heat from machines causes damage to your bra

• The elastic shrinks in the machine, causing the wire to pop out

• Hooks can get caught on the drum and break your machine

• Hooks can get caught on other clothes, causing damage

Handwashing is the best way to ensure that your bra is looked after correctly, it keeps the elastic of your bra firmer for longer, and in turn, keeps your bra supporting you for longer too. Handwashing should only take 15-20 minutes (and that's with soaking time) it's really not as much of a hassle as you'd think it is.

Ideally, you would wash a bra after every wear, if this doesn't fit in your schedule, try to do it as often as you can, and not wear your bra too many times between washes to protect the fabrics.

This practice isn't very practical for many people, so if you are unable to wash between wears, make sure you have a few (at least 3) bras on rotation, this way, you can limit your handwashing to 1-2 times a week. 

Having multiple bras on rotation reduces the strain on the elastic of your bra, think of it like a pair of shoes. If you have one pair that you wear every day, and nothing else, they're going to get worn out much quicker than if you had 7 shoes, and only wore them once a week instead. You'd get seven times more wear out of those shoes!

Best Practices:

• Have 2-3 bras on rotation

• Wear a different bra every day 

• Ideally, wash your bras after every wear

Make sure you change your bra everyday, even if you're not washing it. This will give the elastic an opportunity to relax and will prevent it from being overstretched too soon, resulting in you getting less wear out of it.

Depending on what style you are wearing, you’ll need to make sure you are storing your bra correctly to avoid it becoming damaged.

Moulded T-Shirt bras should be stored flat in a drawer, and not folded over with one cup within the other. Storing them this way can cause the cups to wrinkle and become misshapen.

Think of t-shirt bras like a pair of UGGs, soft but structured material, that if stored incorrectly, can easily become dented and deformed, imagine how devistated you'd be with a big dent in the toe! (not a big deal depending on what side of the UGG debate you're on).

Non padded bras are much easier to store, they can be easily folded in half and stored in a drawer, one on top of the other. Just make sure the wire isn't being twisted in a weird postition, and they can be layed flat, not crammed into a drawer.

• Store moulded shapes flat in a drawer

• Non padded styles can be stored folded 

Top tip: don’t hang your bra up as a storage solution or to dry your bras, the weight of the bra could stretch out the straps and affect the functionality of the bra.

There's typically two ways that we put our bras on, either fastenting the hooks behind us, or fastening at the front and twisting the bra around (ouch!.

If you have a correctly fitting back band, the latter will be very difficult, and probably hurt! Not only this, it can also cause damage to the bra, the twisting causes the elastic to over-stretch, meaning your bra will stretch out quicker than it should.

Below is a step by step guide on how we should pop our bra on in the morning. Yes, there's a bit of admin involved, call it br-admin if you will.

1. Lean forward at at 45° angle and place the cups over your boobs, making sure the wire is under your bust and as close to the root of your breast as possible

2. Straighten up, reach behind and fasten the hook and eye behind you

3. Adjust your steps if necessary

4. Swoop and scoop your boobs into your bra

5. Make sure you're boobs are sitting where they should, and the bra is in it's right place

If you prefer the twist method, try twisting the bra around on fabric rather than skin (it will glide round easier on leggings or vest tops that it will on skin).

If you find your current bra easy to twist, the back band is likely too big, read our fitting guide here.