After finding your perfect size with our Australian bra size calculator and investing in quality bras that fit beautifully, proper care becomes essential. The right care routine can double or even triple the lifespan of your bras, saving you money while ensuring your lingerie continues to provide the support and comfort you need.
Bras are surprisingly delicate garments that require more careful treatment than most items in your wardrobe. From washing to drying to storage, every aspect of bra care affects how long your bras maintain their shape, elasticity, and support.
How Often Should You Wash Your Bras?
The question of washing frequency sparks debate, but the general consensus among lingerie experts is that bras should be washed after every two to four wears. This might seem more frequent than you expected, but there's good reasoning behind it.
Body oils, sweat, and skin cells accumulate on your bra with each wear. These substances break down the elastic fibres that give your bra its support and structure. Regular washing removes these substances before they can cause permanent damage to the fabric.
However, washing too frequently is also problematic—excessive washing stresses the materials and can cause premature breakdown. The two-to-four-wear guideline strikes a balance between maintaining hygiene and preserving the bra's integrity. On particularly sweaty days or in hot weather, you might lean toward washing after two wears; in cooler conditions with less perspiration, three to four wears is acceptable.
The Right Way to Hand Wash Bras
Hand washing is universally recommended as the best method for washing bras. It's gentler on the materials and allows you to target specific areas that need extra attention, such as the band where body oils concentrate.
Fill a basin or sink with lukewarm water—never hot, as heat damages elastic fibres. Add a small amount of mild detergent specifically designed for delicates or lingerie. Regular laundry detergent is often too harsh and can break down the specialized fabrics used in bra construction.
Submerge your bras and let them soak for approximately fifteen minutes. Gently agitate the water and work the suds through the fabric, paying extra attention to the band and underarm areas. Avoid wringing, twisting, or scrubbing, as these actions can damage the cups and stretch the elastic.
Rinse thoroughly with cool water until all soap residue is removed. Soap left in the fabric can attract dirt and cause premature breakdown of the materials.
Machine Washing: If You Must
While hand washing is ideal, realistically many women prefer the convenience of machine washing. If you choose this route, take precautions to minimize damage to your bras.
Always use a lingerie bag—a mesh bag designed to contain and protect delicate items during washing. Hook your bras closed before placing them in the bag; this prevents the hooks from catching on other garments or the bag itself, which can bend the hooks or tear fabric.
Select the most gentle cycle available on your machine—typically labelled "delicate" or "hand wash." Use cold water and a mild detergent. Never add bras to a regular wash load, as the agitation and heavier items can damage them.
Even with these precautions, machine washing will shorten your bras' lifespan compared to hand washing. Reserve machine washing for more affordable everyday bras, and hand wash your special or expensive pieces.
Drying Your Bras Properly
Never, ever put your bras in the dryer. This is perhaps the most important rule of bra care. The heat from a dryer destroys elastic fibres, causes shrinkage, and can warp the shape of moulded cups. One trip through the dryer can ruin a bra that would otherwise last for months.
Instead, gently press excess water out of your bras without wringing or twisting. You can roll the bra in a clean towel and press to absorb additional moisture.
Lay your bras flat to dry, reshaping the cups if necessary. Some people drape them over a drying rack or towel bar, which is acceptable for most bras. However, avoid hanging bras by their straps to dry—this can stretch the straps over time.
Keep bras away from direct sunlight and heat sources while drying. UV rays can fade colors and break down fabrics, while heat has the same damaging effects as a dryer.
Storing Your Bras Correctly
Proper storage preserves your bras' shape between wears. The best method is to store bras in a drawer with enough space for the cups to maintain their shape. Stack moulded or padded bras cups-to-cups, with each bra nesting inside the next.
Never fold moulded cups in half or invert them to save space—this creates creases and can permanently distort the cup shape. If drawer space is limited, consider a dedicated lingerie drawer or storage box that provides adequate room.
For soft, unstructured bras like bralettes, folding or rolling is acceptable. These styles don't have the rigid cups that require careful shape preservation.
Travel presents particular challenges for bra storage. Consider investing in a bra travel case that protects cup shape while keeping your bras organised and separate from other luggage contents.
Rotation Is Essential
One of the most effective ways to extend bra life is to rotate between multiple bras. Wearing the same bra day after day doesn't give the elastic fibres time to recover and spring back to their original shape.
Ideally, you should own at least three to four everyday bras that you rotate through regularly. After wearing a bra, let it rest for at least one day—preferably two—before wearing it again. This rest period allows the elastic to contract back to its proper shape and prolongs the bra's functional lifespan.
Rotation also allows time for washing and drying between wears without running out of bras to wear. When you only own one or two bras, the pressure to wear them again before they're fully clean and dry leads to faster deterioration.
When to Replace Your Bras
Even with perfect care, bras eventually wear out. Knowing when to replace them ensures you're always getting proper support. Warning signs that a bra has reached the end of its life include:
The band no longer provides adequate support, even on the tightest hook. Since bands are responsible for most of a bra's support, a stretched-out band means the bra can no longer do its job effectively.
The straps constantly slip or no longer stay in place when adjusted. Elastic in the straps has lost its ability to maintain tension.
The cups have lost their shape, showing wrinkles, creases, or distortion in moulded styles. Fabric cups may appear stretched or baggy.
Underwires have begun poking through the fabric or have become misshapen. This is both uncomfortable and a sign of overall bra degradation.
With proper care and rotation, a quality bra worn regularly can last six months to a year. When it's time for replacement, revisit our bra size calculator to confirm your current size before purchasing new bras—your measurements may have changed since your last fitting.