How you wash your lingerie can dramatically impact the life of your delicate clothing. If you wash your lingerie incorrectly you can ruin them in a very short amount of time. Nice lingerie is expensive, so you should learn how to wash lingerie safely. Once you have assembled a nice collection of comfy lingerie, you don’t want to have to replace it. Each piece is special. Use these tips to learn how to wash lingerie safely so that it will stay comfy, pretty, and looking great for years:

Use a lingerie bag: Ideally you should hand wash all your lingerie, but very few people have the time to hand wash every piece of lingerie. If you are going to wash your lingerie in the washing machine, always put them in a mesh lingerie bag and then put the bag in the washer. Lingerie wash bags are very inexpensive and well worth the cost. Washing lingerie in a bag will prevent your bras from getting hooked on the washing machine agitator and prevent your other lingerie from getting tangled and possibly ripping or tearing.

Wash in cold water with a gentle soap: Never wash your lingerie in hot water. Hot water can cause items to shrink. It also can damage the foam padding in bras, and cause dyes to run. Washing your lingerie in cold water will protect lace and other delicate fabrics. Never use chemical based laundry soap on your lingerie. Always use a gentle chemical free and fragrance free detergent like Rockin' Green to wash lingerie. Gentle detergent will cleanse your lingerie without destroying the delicate fabrics.

Skip the dryer: Heat from the dryer can kill your lingerie, just like washing it in hot water can. Even though it can take longer for your lingerie to dry when you hang it on a line or on a drying rack, letting the lingerie dry naturally is the best way to dry it. If you need a certain piece of lingerie or just can’t wait for it to air dry, you can dry it in the dryer if you leave it in the mesh lingerie bag. Also set the dryer heat to the lowest setting so that it doesn’t fry your delicate lingerie. Only use the dryer to dry lingerie when absolutely necessary. It is much better for the clothing if you let it dry on a drying rack or on a wash line.