Are you unsure about how to care for your lingerie and stockings? In this article, I share my hints and tips for ensuring your underpinnings stay pristine for as long as possible.
Always Hand-Wash
At What Katie Did, we always recommend hand-washing your lingerie and hosiery. This goes for any quality lingerie and hosiery you want to keep looking as good as possible for as long as possible.
I have some lingerie — sports bras and gym underwear — that goes in the washing machine, but anything remotely fancy that I wear on a day-to-day basis, I hand-wash. To begin with, this sounds like quite a chore, but I actually find it very relaxing to spend half an hour on a Sunday afternoon washing my lingerie.
What About Lingerie Bags?
Mesh lingerie bags will protect your lingerie from getting tangled and twisted in the machine, especially bras, but that is about it. They won’t protect against picking up colours from other garments, and it is very easy to ruin a favourite bra this way.
If you’re new to sheer stockings, the last thing you want to do is put them in the washing machine. A good habit is to keep an old pillowcase specifically for your lingerie and nylons rather than putting them in the laundry basket with everything else. It ensures they won’t be damaged, and won’t find their way into the machine by mistake.
How to Hand-Wash Your Lingerie
Use a gentle delicates detergent in your bathroom sink with warm water. I like Ecover because it’s environmentally friendly, but any mild detergent will do. If you want to feel particularly luxurious, try the shower gel version of your favourite perfume. Avoid normal washing powder — it does not dissolve easily in cool water and is very harsh on your hands.
Start with the lightest colours first and move through to the darker shades, changing the water as needed. With stockings, give the feet an extra rub as they tend to get quite dirty. Also check your nails before washing your nylons — even a tiny snag can hitch the fabric while you are washing them.
How Often Should You Wash a Bra?
There is always a little debate about this. Vivienne Westwood famously said she doesn’t wash her bras very often at all — she just dusts them down and puts them back on! I recommend washing matching sets together so that if they do fade, they fade equally across the set. With my fancier pieces that does mean I wash the bra after every wear.
How to Dry Your Lingerie and Stockings
Once rinsed, hang your lingerie to dry. I hang lingerie outside on a nice day, but I always dry my stockings indoors — they are so long that a breeze can easily cause hitches on the line. Hang stockings by the toes, and avoid draping them over a radiator as the heat can cause hitches halfway up the leg.
Because stockings are so sheer they dry overnight, which means even a couple of pairs is plenty — wash them in the evening and they are ready to wear the next morning.
Vintage Stocking Dryers
If you want to go a step further, vintage stocking dryers are a lovely period-appropriate way to dry your nylons. Originally designed to hold stockings taut while drying to prevent them losing their shape, they are still occasionally found in vintage shops and online. A charming addition to any dressing room.
Do you have any tips on washing your lingerie and nylons? Let us know in the comments below.