The right way to wash lace underwear: our insider tips
Lace underwear is extremely popular owing to its elegant, high-quality appearance and can be found in almost every modern woman’s wardrobe. However, if bras, briefs, undershirts and nightdresses made of lace or with a lace trim are not washed correctly, this delicate underwear can quickly become damaged or frayed. To ensure that you can enjoy your lace underwear for a long time, here are some valuable tips for correctly hand and machine washing and then drying these delicate fabrics.
16 August 2023 • 4 min reading time
Washing lace lingerie correctly: Expert tips for delicate materials.
Look at the care label to find out whether you can wash your lacey underwear in the machine, and if so, at what temperature. If the label has come off, you should err on the side of caution and wash your lacey underwear at low temperatures of 30°C to 40°C degrees.
For delicate fabrics such as polyester, it is best to select the easy-care or even the delicates programme on your machine. You should always wash silk and wool by hand, however. While cotton briefs with lace trim are not particularly delicate and can withstand higher temperatures, it is often a different story when it comes lace bras. You should wash these at a maximum of 40 degrees°C, preferably using mild detergent instead of colour or heavy-duty detergent.
The hooks on your bras can also get tangled up in and pull the threads of your lacey underwear. So always fasten your bras before washing and ideally use a laundry net or bag for each individual bra. If you wash your lacey underwear with clothing that has buttons or zips, you can also put your lacy underwear in a separate laundry bag to protect it from these other items.
Lace underwear or bridal lingerie made of delicate materials such as silk should never be washed in the machine; even when using the delicates programme, these items often shrink, lose their sheen or lose their shape. To prevent this from happening, hand washing is always a gentler alternative.
Simply add a small amount of mild detergent to a bucket or sink of lukewarm water. Then leave your silk underwear to briefly soak; half an hour is enough and will protect the fibres! Then carefully wash your lace underwear: instead of kneading or squeezing it, you should gently swirl it around in the water, immersing it and letting it float back to the top. When you have finished washing your silk or wool-silk blend lace underwear, rinse it out with clean, cold water.
Underwear from the "Natural Comfort Lace" series with full elastic lace.
If you’ve just taken your lace underwear out of the washing machine or washed it by hand, it now needs drying. Here, too, you can make a number of mistakes – e.g. use the dryer or hang the items out in direct sunlight when the outdoor temperature is too high. Depending on the material, your lace underwear may lose its shape.
To ensure gentle drying, you should never wring out your lace underwear – this can damage elegant materials such as silk, in particular. Instead, place your items on a towel and carefully press out excess water. When your laundry is no longer sodden, you can hang it up. To avoid any unwanted marks, we advise against using clothes pegs for wool and silk.
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