Here’s exactly how often you should wash your bras – and it’s bad news for fake tan fans and shift workers, says expert

YOU probably aren’t washing your bras often enough, new research has found. 

An interesting study has exposed 45% of women for only washing their bras just once every 21 days, whilst 18% give their garments a clean every other week.

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Lingerie brand Pour Moi found that nearly half of women are only sticking their bras in the wash once every 21 days[/caption]

And yes, once every three weeks is nowhere near enough, a lingerie expert has warned. 

It comes after Google search data found that, every year, a whopping 30,000 people seek advice on how often they need to wash their brassieres.

So, lingerie brand Pour Moi conducted further research and found that nearly half of women are only sticking their bras in the wash every 21 days.

You should actually be washing your bras after every three wears, NOT weeks. 

“As a general rule, bras should be washed every three wears to ensure the cleanliness of your garments, without over washing and compromising the integrity of your items,” says Emma Woodrow, in-house bra expert and lingerie buyer at Pour Moi.

But if you’re someone who wears fake tan or does long shift work, then this still isn’t frequent enough. 

“If you work 12-hour shifts and are constantly on the move, or you wear tight-fitting clothes, or you regularly apply body creams and fake tan, you will need to wash your bra far more frequently,” Emma adds. 

“Than someone who works from home on their laptop and wears baggy clothes and only occasionally applies fake tan.”

It’s important to wash them correctly, though. 

“Over washing your bras can damage the fabric and weaken the elastic that helps to hold everything in place,” Emma explains.

“Particularly if you are guilty of throwing them into the washing machine and tumble drier. 

“Hand-washing is our recommended way to keep your favourite pieces of underwear in perfect condition for as long as possible. 

“The main reason we recommend avoiding machine washing and tumble driers is because washing at too high a temperature can harm the elastic fibres over time.

“Or bra hooks may get caught in the drum causing them to bend or break, and the spinning motion can cause straps to catch around clothes and unnecessarily stretch. 

“Washing by hand avoids all of the above and will clean your bras without the worry of damaging them.”

Washing your items ‘the old-fashioned way’ may seem the more time-consuming way to clean your bras and lingerie, but it’s actually more time-efficient and environmentally friendly.