Expert shares how often you should actually be washing your bra
The question of 'how often should you wash your bra' is one I assume many people grapple with on a regular basis.
To be honest with you dear reader, the topic of optimal bra-washing frequency is not a subject I can profess to have any experience in.
Fortunately, someone who does know what they're talking about has decided to weigh in, and that person is TikToker @hurraykimmay.
Advert
Anyone who knows enough about washing underwear that they'll post advice about it on the internet has got to be worth listening to.
She recently asked her followers how often they washed their bras and got a whole range of responses, so decided to lift the lid on how often you should really be taking them for a spin in a washing machine.
"As I was expecting the answers varied a lot from 'every single time' to 'every few wears' to this one 'close to never'." The TikToker said in response to her followers offering their opinions.
"The truth is a lot of us just weren't told how to wash our bras so we're kind of guessing, or how often we're supposed to wash them and what the benefit is."
"As a bra fitter since 2005, I do have some insight on this. If it's a sports bra or if it was a really sweaty day wash it right away. If it's a basic bra that you're wearing just normally then I usually suggest washing your bra every three or four wears."
Kimmay explained that one of the main reasons you should wash a bra was to 'get rid of all the dirt and grime that has collected on the elastic' as that mess can 'cause it to break down early'.
She also recommended that people should break out their gentler brands of soap, which were made for stretchy items to avoid damaging clothes.
The TikToker said that one of the reasons a person might have a really bad pong, which they didn't notice but everyone else did, was that their bra hadn't been washed and had become smelly.
When to wash clothes can be a bit of a tricky conundrum, but it's a fine idea to give anything new you just picked up from a shop a wash before you wear it for the first time.
Other experts have weighed in on this subject before, and they recommended chucking it in the wash every two to three wears, so it seems like three is the magic number in this case.
At the very least you should wash them more regularly than you wash your bedsheets, especially if you're one of those 'once a year' types.
Joe Harker