Underwear Care | How to Wash Underwear

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We’re here to offer you all the tips and advice you need to care for your best bits so you can carry on Lounging in endless comfort. Read on to find out more.

Treat Your Underwear With Care

It’s important that when you’re washing your underwear, you treat it with care. We’re talking TLC but better - Tender Lounge Care! Careless washing will wear out your underwear’s elasticity, colour, and durability much sooner than you or we would like. Besides, we want your Lounge pieces to be as long-lasting as possible!

The first question is probably the most common question we find our Female Family asking…

Machine Wash or Hand Wash?

Honestly, underwear care definitely changes with each style, so naturally, how you wash your best pieces changes too.

Cotton pieces can be washed on a 30°C heat in your washing machine while your more delicate lace pieces can require a little bit more Lounge love when it comes to washing. Hand washing is the most suitable option for these items and highly recommended by us.

If you want some help and advice on machine washing vs. hand washing, you can read our blog here to get totally clued up on what’s right for you.

Hand Washing Guide

If you've got a bit of extra time on your hands, hand washing is an absolute dream for your delicate underwear and also a must for some of our more delicate pieces.

Satin bras, lace lingerie and stretch-fit sets will thank you for taking the time to hand wash them. Even cotton and jersey items can benefit from being treated to a hand wash every now and then. It's that extra TLC that makes all the difference to your never-ending comfort.

So, here’s what you need to do...

Separate your darks from your lights (this is an absolute must) and prepare a sink or bowl of room temperature water with a small amount of mild detergent added.
Treat each item carefully and don't scrunch, squeeze or twist your underwear. Instead, swirl them slowly and let the items soak and clean gently for a few minutes in the soapy water.
Feel free to gently massage any stains or areas which are in need of a bit more love and attention.
Once you're happy and they're looking and feeling fresh, remove your items from the water and leave them to dry on a fresh towel or drying rack. Somewhere warm and toasty always works like a trick.

Hey presto, you’re done! It really is that easy!

Machine Washing Guide

As told by Lounge with Lounge designs in mind:

1. Read the care instructions

Read the care instructions found inside your Lounge pieces. For almost all of our underwear designs, we recommend machine washing at 30 degrees for the ultimate washing experience for your undies. We do suggest handwashing more delicate, luxurious pieces such as our Intimates. If you see the hand wash symbol, refer to our guide to hand washing above.

2. Turn your underwear inside out

Before popping any of your underwear in the wash, make sure that they’re turned inside out. For any bras that include a hook and eye, clasp these together too. For extra love and care, try our Underwear Care Bag so you can zip your best bits up for added protection. This will make sure your underwear receives all the Tender Lounge Care whilst it’s in the wash.

3. Don’t mix with rough items

You must-must-must have the right kind of items joining your underwear in the wash. After all, we don’t want any bad combos. Try not to include rough items like jeans or heavy garments such as towels as these can be guilty of damaging your underwear during the washing cycle. If you’re not certain, wash your delicate pieces separately to avoid any lace being torn or colours running. Safety first, girls!

4. Separate by colour

You need to also spend a little time separating out your whites from your brights, and also your brights from your darks. We recommend using the main fabrication colour on your Lounge pieces as an indication of which pile that set goes into. We’ve worked long and hard to ensure that our binding and Lounge banners don’t leak any colour.

5. Avoid newly bought darks

If you’re washing any black sets with white binding and banners, we highly recommend avoiding newly purchased black products that are experiencing their first wash (black jeans are the worst for leaking). Unfortunately, we’re unable to control the leakage of products that are not purchased from Lounge - so just bear that in mind to ensure you keep your white Lounge banners fresher than fresh.

6. Choose mild washing powder

Choose a mild washing powder and conditioner that will be gentle on our Lounge fabrics and on your skin. It’s also best to check that the washing machine temperature matches the care label instructions before starting a ‘gentle’ or ‘delicate' cycle.

7. Remove underwear

When the cycle is finished, remove your underwear as early as possible to keep them smelling beautifully fresh. There’s nothing better than the smell of clean washing!

8. Dry hang

We 100% recommend hang drying your underwear. Try not to ring or twist your underwear once it’s out of the machine. Instead, press and squeeze - this will help take care of your underwear’s shape and maintain the perfect, long lasting fit our Loungers know and love.

9. Tumble dry what you need on the lowest heat

If you absolutely have to tumble dry your sets, we definitely recommend doing so on the lowest heat.

10. Do not tumble dry bras

We strongly suggest that you do not tumble dry your bras as the intense heat can permanently misshape and damage your bra. Trust us, we would be just as upset as you and nobody wants damaged cups.

What do the lounge care symbols mean?

Now you know how to wash your underwear in the safest and best way possible, it’s time to talk all things technical. When washing your Lounge pieces, you’re likely to encounter a few care symbols printed on the back. We’re here to give you the lowdown on what’s what.

How Often Should I wash my Lounge Pieces?

Thongs, briefs and boxers should absolutely be washed after each consecutive wear as a standard guideline. However, bras are slightly different and don’t necessarily need to be washed after every single wear.

Your bra can hug your body for around 3-4 wears before it needs to be washed, depending on your day-to-day and your personal preference. It’s also worth noting that washing your bra too often can be damaging to its shape and structure and nobody wants overstretched cups!

HOW DOES THE LOUNGE UNDERWEAR CARE BAG WORK?

Our Underwear Care Bag will change your Lounge life forever and give your underwear all the TLC it deserves. It's so easy - you literally pop your underwear inside your mesh zip-up bag (you can even add your socks too if you like), zip it up, pop it in the wash with everything else that's on the same colour cycle and away you go. It’s that simple and keeps your Lounge pieces feeling fresher for longer.

Note: Careless washing will wear out your underwear’s elasticity, colour and durability much sooner than you or we would like.

GET YOUR UNDERWEAR CARE BAG Shop now

More Best Practices that your underwear will thank you for...

Like us, bras need their beauty sleep. We don’t recommend wearing the same bra day after day, so adding additional bras to your rotation will ensure you’re maintaining that perfect Lounge fit and feel. If you’re stuck for choice, explore our collection here. Store your bras with a little TLC too…
For all of our foam moulded cups like our Lace Magic, for example, we advise folding them in half, pushing one cup into the other and then allowing them to spoon each other in your drawer. Now that’s what you call a Female Family.
For our bras that are not moulded cups such as our Balcony and Triangle, we recommend laying them flat, one on top of the other and creating a bra drawer of dreams. That way, your underwear drawer will be filled with a range of beautiful colours, styles and designs with all of your Female Family faves.

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