Washing by Hand
Fill your sink, utility bucket, or bathtub with lukewarm water. Fill your basin with enough lukewarm water to completely submerge your bras, but not too much that it will overflow. Leave a few inches of space between the water level and the top of the sink, bucket, or tub. Be sure the sink is clean before you begin. You do not want any food or grease in the water with your bras. It's not safe to use hot water because that can damage the fabric. Use water that is about 85 °F (29 °C). It should be just a little warm to the touch and comfortable for you to put your hands in. If you want to prevent fading, try to wash your clothes with cold water, since the heat contributes to garment fading.
Mix 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of mild detergent into the water. You can use a detergent made for washing delicates or substitute baby shampoo. Using your hands, swish around the detergent until it is fully mixed into the water. 2 teaspoons (9.9 ml) of soap is good for a kitchen or bathroom sink or a 3 US gal (11 L) bucket. For a bathtub, you can use up to 2 tablespoons (30 ml). Don't add bleach, fabric softener, or any other harsh chemicals to the water because they can damage the fabric of the bras.
Submerge your bras completely and let them soak for 5-10 minutes. Push them down into the soapy water and make sure all the bras are completely underwater. The soaking step does the majority of cleaning by breaking down dirt and oils. If your bras have inserts, remove them and soak them in the bowl with the bras. This way, all the parts of your bras are submerged and soaking evenly. You can safely and effectively wash all your bras this way, even sports bras or heavily padded bras with underwire.
Massage the bras under the water using your hands. Don't use any sponges or scrub brushes on your delicate bras. Instead, just press the bras down into the water with your fingers until they are fully submerged and gently massage the soap into the fabric to release all the dirt and oil. Scrub each piece separately.
Rinse the bras thoroughly in clean water to remove all the soap. Run the bras under cold water from the faucet to rinse away all the soap and also the dirt and oils left in the fabric. As you rinse, gently press the water out of the fabric with your fingers. Don't wring the bras to get the water and soap out or you will damage their shape.
Using a Washing Machine
Pretreat any stains on your bras with a few drops of mild detergent. To pretreat, just add a few drops of water and gentle, alcohol-free detergent, or baby shampoo and massage it into the stain. Leave it to sit for at least 15 minutes to give it time to soak in and break down the stain. Use the same detergent to pretreat that you use to wash the bras.
Close the clasps and hooks on your bras to prevent snags. Leaving the bras undone exposes the hooks and leads to snags on the bras or on the other clothes you wash with them. Close up the snaps also keeps it from getting twisted and tangled up as it is washed in the machine.
Place the bras in a lingerie bag with other delicates in similar colors. If you throw bras into the washing machine with other clothes like jeans or sweaters, the straps will get tangled around your clothes and get stretched out. A mesh lingerie bag keeps your delicates separate, prevents snags, and helps them to keep their shape. If you bras have padded, gel, or synthetic foam inserts, remove them and wash them by hand because they can lose their shape in the washing machine quite easily. Bras that have a lot of embellishments like lace, sequins, or beads should be hand washed to prevent damage. It's best if you do not wash your bras and delicate clothes with heavy fabrics like denim or with thick cotton towels.
Add a mild, alcohol-free detergent to the machine. The sewn-in padding in many Victoria's Secret bras is delicate and can break down with harsh detergents. Use a specialty detergent made for washing delicates or substitute 2 teaspoons (9.9 ml) of baby shampoo. Never use chlorine bleach or fabric softener for washing bras because they will break down the fabric and the cup padding.
Set the washing machine to the delicate cycle and run it. The delicate cycle is a pre-set function on many washing machines that uses a slower agitation and slower rinse cycle to gently clean clothes without damaging them. If your machine does not have a delicate cycle, use cold water and little to no spin cycle.
Drying Your Bras
Roll the bras between two thick towels to press out excess water. Lay a thick towel down on a flat surface and lay your bras out over the towel in a single layer. Place another thick towel over the bras. Beginning from the left, pinch the two towels together and roll them to the right like you would a sleeping bag. Give a little pressure as you roll so that you press out as much water as possible.
Reshape the bras' cups and any embellishments. After you have pressed as much water as you can out of the bras, reshape them so they look like they did when they were new. Round out the cups and straighten any lace, beads, or other embellishments that shifted or folded during washing. Don't forget to straighten the straps as well if they are twisted.
Lay the bras flat on a towel or drying rack and let them air dry. Never put your bras in the dryer because the high heat and tumbling can shrink or damage the fabric. Instead, lay them out with the cups facing upward in a single layer on a dry towel or a drying rack. Leave them 12-24 hours or until they are completely dry to the touch. If a bra has a heavily padded cup, squeeze the cup between your fingers to see if there is any remaining moisture. To speed up air drying, blow cool air from an electric fan onto the bras as they dry.
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