Lingerie Care Guide

Caring for your lingerie helps keep it looking new longer.

Ideally you should wash your lingerie by hand in luke warm water using a soda-based detergent (harsh detergents with stain removal agents or brighteners can damage the fabrics)

Never tumble dry your lingerie; this is a sure-fire way to damage it. Always hang your lingerie on the line and don't wring it out (also avoid hanging in direct sunlight as this can fade colours)

If you do choose to wash your lingerie in a washing machine set the cycle to cold water and delicate spin without fabric conditioner. A lingerie bag is a great purchase - pop your delicates into the bag and throw it in the machine to make sure your lovely lingerie doesn't snag.

Again when washing by machine, wash your lingerie with other delicates and avoid putting it in with jeans or jumpers which are bulky and can rub roughly against it.

Unfortunately, nothing great lasts forever... If you notice that your lingerie is losing its elasticity and shape, it's time to check out the new products available from our pages!

Some specific considerations for different materials you should know about:

Silk
If washing by hand, don't soak silk for more than 3 to 5 minutes and avoid washing it in very cold or hot water. It's particularly important not to use harsh detergents with silk, especially those that contain bleaches or brighteners.

Lace
Lace should only be washed by hand in luke warm water. Lace in washing machines will tend to snag and become worn very quickly.

Chiffon
Chiffon may waterspot if not washed carefully although with materials used in lingerie this is unlikely. If it does occur though, take your garment to a good dry cleaner who should be able to get it out.

Angora fur
Some lingerie products use Angora rabbit fur, a wonderful soft material which is unfortunately very sensitive to washing. Hand wash and wring angora very gently. You can spin out any excess moisture on your washing machine's delicate spin-only cycle.

Cotton
Thankfully, cotton is a fairly robust material and can be cleaned easily. It won't suffer from going through the washing machine all that much and at a pinch can be dried in a tumble drier on a low heat without suffering.