Introduction: How to Hand Wash a Bra

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Every bra-wearing person has most likely experienced the complete and utter destruction that comes from throwing a bra in the dryer. Or hell, even just by throwing it into the washing machine. It can be frustrating. Whether the lining balls up, the fabric gets torn up, the wires pop through the fabric or the straps snap off, washing a bra using machines can be an expensive gamble.

I've been hand washing my bras for years and I will never ever go back to using machines! Hand washing a bra much easier than you'd think, too. Keep reading to find out how to wash your bras by hand with very little fuss. :D

Plus, I hope this way of washing bras will encourage you to wash yours more often, especially when the weather is warm! Bras collect dirt, sweat, dead skin cells and all sorts of nasty things. Not washing your bras can lead to some pretty terrible breakouts and even infections if you're super busty. Try to wash your favorite bras often, and make sure to rotate bras daily and go braless when you can to give your favorite bras a chance to dry out completely and let the elastic take a break.

Step 1: What You'll Need

  • dirty bras
  • washing detergent of choice
  • clean sink or a clean bucket/large bowl
  • warm water
  • salad spinner

I'm using this salad spinner. It's small but gets the job done!

When it comes to detergent, you can use the normal stuff you already have. There are also fragrance and dye free alternatives out there that are just for delicates, but I don't always keep them on hand because they're a little more expensive.

P.S. Does your bra have push up inserts? Take those out before washing, for sure.

Step 2: Washing

Clean your sink and fill it with warm water - add a teaspoon or two of detergent to the water.

You don't want to add loads of detergent here. You're washing something pretty small, and you want to be able to easily rinse it later. Too much detergent will make this process a lot trickier than it needs to be. :)

Add in your bras and push them under the water and swish them around gently. Leave them for 10-15 minutes to soak.

Step 3: Rinsing

Once your bras have soaked for a little bit, swish them in the water again and press them gently in your hands. Drain the pretty gross and probably kind of grey water. (yuck. This bra has been worn every now and then for a couple weeks and it's already filthy.)

Plug up the sink again and run cold water over the bras. Swish them around in the water that pools in the sink to rinse them out completely.

Step 4: Drying

Once your bras are rinsed, you can speed up the drying process by using a salad spinner!

Pop them in the salad spinner one at a time and spin well. You should be able to pull out quite a bit of water. This time I got almost a whole cup of water out of it!

Once that's done, hang them over a hanger or on a clothesline and let them air dry the rest of the way. (If you don't have anywhere to hang them up, you can also lay them out on a towel to dry.)

DO NOT hang them up by their straps. Since the bra is still wet and heavy, the straps can get stretched out from having to support the extra weight.

Keep in mind that it can sometimes take a while for a bra to dry, and especially if they're padded. I always count on at least a day to dry. I like to wash mine in shifts so I know I'll have at least one to wear, or I'll just wash them all Friday night so I've got a clean fleet of bras for Monday. :)