Undershirts made of fine silk, boxer shorts made of organic cotton and bralettes made of lace - what we wear directly on our skin should be particularly of high-quality, soft and breathable. Usually, however, especially these fabrics are also the most sensitive, and underwear is washed particularly often. We tell you how even fine underwear still looks like new after several washes.
If you want to wash underwear, you have to face several challenges in the process:
Since underwear has direct skin contact, the washing cycle must thoroughly remove not only sweat and stains, but also bacteria.
Everyday cotton underwear or fine lace lingerie - the range in underwear is wide, and not every piece is able to tolerate the same amount. Therefore, not every underwear is suitable for the washing machine.
We tend to wash underwear most frequently: we change briefs and boxers every day, bras usually after four to five wears at the latest. So, of all the garments, underwear is spun most often in the washing machine. In order for it to last a long time, cleaning should be done as gently as possible, despite all the thoroughness.
The right treatment in each individual case depends to a large extent on the material. Especially in the case of panties and bras, the labels with washing instructions often fall victim to convenience or wearing comfort, so they are simply cut out. In these cases, you should roughly stick to the following guidelines in terms of temperature and washing cycle:
Boxer shorts, briefs and undershirts made of cotton can be easily washed in the washing machine. For colored garments, choose a temperature of 40 to 60°C, depending on the degree of soiling, and use a suitable washing detergent with color protection. You can also wash white cotton underwear at a boil, but even then, 40 to 60°Cis usually sufficient.
More delicate textiles made of viscose or lace are not quite as resistant: for these, you should set the washing cycle to 40°C in the delicate washing cycle and clean them with a suitable mild detergent. In order to ensure that all bacteria and odors are reliably eliminated, special hygiene rinsing agents are available. They provide an antibacterial effect or they neutralize odors. However, the dryer should always be taboo for such delicate underwear.
Especially fine fabrics - such as lingerie made of pure silk - should be washed by hand. For this purpose, soak the garment for a few minutes in lukewarm water and some (antibacterial) liquid detergent. Then rinse it with clear, cold water and let it air-dry, preferably placed on a towel.
Functional and sports underwear requires special treatment to become both clean and retain their sweat-absorbing and temperature-balancing properties. At low temperatures and low speed and using a special sports detergent, the water-repellent membrane of such sportswear remains intact.
Fabric softener has no business in a machine with sportswear. If, on the other hand, you wash normal underwear, fabric softener makes it even more comfortable to wear, especially if it contains cotton.
Bras may usually also be washed in the washing machine - 30 to 40°C is perfectly adequate. However, you should not put bras in the drum without protection: for underwire bras, a special laundry net prevents the wire hangers from coming loose and damaging the washing machine or other laundry items. Prior to the washing cycle, you should always close the hooks. Printed or embroidered underwear can also be placed in a laundry net and should be turned inside out as well - this protects elaborate decorations from wear and tear.