Wash an everyday bra after every two or three wears, and a sports bra after every workout. The bra makers sit right around there: Wacoal and Freya say every other wear, Triumph says every three to four. Go sooner in hot weather or any day you've sweated through it.
The part that actually gets dirty is the band. It sits against your skin all day and soaks up sweat and body oil, which is why a bra can look clean and still smell faintly sour by the third wear. If you're unsure, sniff the band, not the cups.
How often to wash each type of bra#
| Bra |
Wash it |
Wash sooner if |
| Everyday underwire or T-shirt bra |
Every 2 to 3 wears |
It's summer, or you wore it for a long, hot day |
| Bralette or soft-cup bra |
Every 2 to 3 wears |
It's thin and sits close to the skin everywhere |
| Sports bra |
After every workout |
Always. Don't save it for a second session |
| Nursing bra |
Every wear or two |
Milk has leaked onto it |
| Strapless or occasion bra |
After each long wear |
You danced, sweated, or wore it under a heavy outfit |
The easiest way to keep to this is to own enough bras. Wacoal suggests rotating at least three everyday bras: one on you, one in the wash, one drying. With only one or two, you end up wearing a damp bra or stretching the gap between washes, and the same bra takes all the wear.
How to hand wash a bra#
Hand washing is the default. Triumph's guide says all its bras should be hand washed, and Wacoal recommends it too. It takes about 20 minutes, and most of that is soaking, so do two or three at once.
- Fill a sink or basin with lukewarm water and a small squirt of gentle detergent. Skip bleach and fabric softener.
- Fasten the hooks so they can't snag the lace on another bra.
- Push the bras under and let them soak for 10 to 15 minutes, which is what Wacoal suggests.
- Rub gently along the band, under the cups and at the center between them, where sweat collects. Don't twist or scrunch molded cups.
- Rinse in clean water until it runs clear and there are no more suds.
- Press the water out. Lay the bra on a towel, fold the towel over and press down. Never wring it.
- Reshape the cups with your hands before you hang it up.
Can you put a bra in the washing machine?#
Some bras, yes. Most underwire and molded bras, you shouldn't. Wacoal's warning is specific: machine washing can make elastane lose its strength and bend or break underwires. Triumph only allows machine washing for its crop tops, loungewear and underwear, not its bras.
If the label does allow the machine:
- Fasten the hooks and put the bra in a mesh lingerie bag.
- Choose the delicate cycle with cold or cool water and a low spin.
- Keep it away from jeans, towels and anything with a zip. Heavy items pound the cups and zips catch the lace.
- Take it out as soon as the cycle ends and reshape it.
A machine that smells musty will pass that on to everything in it, delicates included. If your laundry comes out smelling off, clean the washing machine before blaming the detergent.
How to dry a bra#
Never in the dryer. Freya says tumble drying can damage the fabric and the structure of the bra, underwire included, and Wacoal warns against radiators for the same reason: heat damages the fabric and changes the shape.
Fold the bra in half and hang it over a line or drying rack by the center, so one cup hangs on each side. Or lay it flat on a dry towel. Don't hang it by the straps. Wet elastic stretches under its own weight, which is why Triumph says to hang bras by the center.
Padded and molded cups are the slowest part to dry. Press the thickest part of the cup before you put the bra away. If it still feels cool, give it a few more hours.
How to store bras so the cups keep their shape#
Stack molded bras one inside the next, cups nested front to back, the way shops display them. What you shouldn't do is fold a bra in half by pushing one cup inside out into the other. Freya and Wacoal both warn that it misshapes the cup. Triumph adds that molded bras keep their shape best stored flat with the clasp fastened.
Unpadded bras can be folded in half. Don't knot the straps or cram bras into a full drawer where the wires get bent.
Sports bras need their own routine#
Wash a sports bra after every single workout, even if it doesn't smell. Nike's care guide says washing after every workout keeps odor down, and recommends hand washing to make the bra last longer.
Don't leave it balled up in a gym bag until laundry day. A damp, sweaty bra sitting in a closed bag is where the stubborn smell comes from. If you can't wash it straight away, at least hang it open to dry.
Skip fabric softener. Nike says softener clogs the fibers so sweat and dirt stay trapped instead of washing out, which defeats the point of technical fabric. Dry it flat or hung, never in the dryer.
When to replace a bra#
Triumph suggests replacing everyday bras every 6 to 12 months, depending on how often you wear each one. Nike puts a well-cared-for sports bra at about a year of regular wear. Those are rough guides. The bra itself will tell you sooner:
- You're on the tightest hook and the band still rides up your back.
- The straps keep slipping even when fully tightened.
- A wire has started to poke through the fabric.
- The cups wrinkle or gape where they used to sit smooth.
- A sports bra still smells after washing.
Washing won't fix any of these. Most of a bra's support comes from the band, so once its elastic has gone, the bra has stopped doing its job.
If you rotate three or four bras, a recurring ChoreLists.com reminder every few days for a quick hand-wash session stops them from piling up, and a six-monthly one to check bands and wires catches the worn-out ones. Clean bras you won't wear for a while can go in with the rest of your seasonal storage.