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Machine Wash: what would happen...

doubleh

Veteran

if "in theory" I machine washed my bras? I am due for new ones soon anyway, so if they are compromised, well, they are at the end of their life anyway. I just don't feel like they are getting clean lately by handwashing.

And to extend my laziness, I have a huge slew of sweaters due for handwashing...wondering if I did a "soak" load with soap, cold and then a soak load to rinse soap out? (I do have an agitator). I know sweaters can get more roughed up...

I would still air-dry. I've gotten lazy, but not quite that lazy.

Dressing

27 replies

Latest reply was from K.M.

retailgirl

Veteran

Not sure about your sweaters, although I know people machine wash them all the time. However, I machine wash my bras, no problem. I have a little laundry bag that looks like a half a melon that keeps their shape. I have three (Wacoal) in rotation now, and they get washed about once a week. I have some older ones that I just wash in a regular lingerie bag.

ButterflyD

I always machine wash my bras and air dry. I use a garment bag made specifically for undergarments and I haven't had any issues as of yet.

Also, with the sweaters, it depends on the fabric. A few sweaters I have will loose it's shape if I machine wash, therefore I always hand wash. However, if I know the sweater will maintain it's shape; I will machine wash on the delicate cycle.

Anonymous

I machine wash my bras and sweaters. Each item goes into a zippered laundry bag. I wash in cold water on the gentle cycle. Bras are then hung up and sweaters laid flat to air dry. I have never had any problems washing this way. Hope this helps.

rabbit

Veteran

I machine wash my bras on cold in a little net bra bag thing that holds them in the correct shape and prevents the straps from getting tangled or stretched. Then I hang to dry, seems to work.

Anonymous

I wash my bras in lingerie bags with a silk and lingerie liquid soap on the hand wash setting of my machine and they wear very well.
I would not wash any of my sweaters, all of which are either merino wool or cashmere in the machine, but I do wash them in the sink and put them still soaking wet in the machine to spin. Spin only, and on the hand wash setting.Then I lay them flat on a towel and shape them. The spinning really reduces the drying time.

doubleh

Veteran

Oh, yes- the bags! I do have a medium lingerie bag...I should use that more often. As for the "bra bag" are you using something like this? Or just a regular flat net bag?
http://www.amazon.com/Bra-Wash.....1425255871
I'm thrilled to hear that others machine wash their bras; I thought it so taboo! I am curious what your bra-life expectancy is?

As for sweaters (and I guess knits of all types), I am wondering if the agitation causes them to pill/shed more? I guess I might experiment with a few lounge-y ones first...

retailgirl

Veteran

To doubleh ...that's the type of bag I have for my bras. With three bras in rotation, ( I don't have any specialty bras, or clothes that require them), they last about a year. Or from one Nordstrom Anniversary Sale to the next!

Jules

Veteran

My bras do fine on machine delicate wash with a small amount of regular detergent. They are sturdy though - not delicate and lacy. They last two years or so in good condition I'd say, and another year or so as back up/second best/around the house bras. But of course it also depends on how many I am rotating and how often you wash them (I wear my newest, best ones 2-3 between washes, older ones might get washed faster because I find the straps get "tired" faster). For context I have about 6 good ones and 2-3 old ones to rotate. When I only had 3-4 bras total they naturally wore out faster, in about a year.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

As for bras, I wash mine in one of these "bra savers." They are more structured than the usual mesh bag. I can get several in this thing at a time. I have a front loader, so no agitator, I think that helps reduce strain on garments.

I no longer wash sweaters in my machine or by hand for that matter, unless it's a trash sweater worn for things like washing my dogs or gardening. I used to put sweaters in a large mesh bag in my washing machine, but they almost always got shorter or changed in some way even when using cold water. I figure the dry cleaning is worth it.

And the only thing I have noticed that reduces pilling is don't rub against the garment in any way. That's tough when you have arms or things like purses and seat belts. Pilling happens, the best I can do is use a sweater stone to get rid of some of the fuzz. I have finally just accepted that pilling happens particularly with newer knitwear. The older, scratchier sweaters I own are far less pilled than my newer ones.

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Runcarla

Veteran

Bras and sweaters have all gone through the wash (delicate or gentle cycle, in a bag) and come out just fine! Just the other day, DH put my EXPENSIVE $100. bra in the dryer, and it came out A okay!

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

As for bra life, I have 6 in regular rotation and they last around 2 years so just about the same ratio as retail girl above. But I have had some bras that only lasted a few months. My elastic almost never gives out, my issue is almost always the wire poking. The fabric gets thin around the wire casing and suddenly the bra hurts, it's the wire, so it's time to go.

The Simone Pereles last well. The one below is currently one of my two favorites. This Calvin Klein bra got a poking wire after only a few months.

I am curious do others have this poking issue?

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doubleh

Veteran

cocolion- YES! My underwires are poking like crazy and I didn't realize it was a "wear" thing. I don't know what I thought, but it is getting gradually worse.
I notice the wires and the straps stretch and the cups of the molded ones get disfigured. I realize I probably expect too much out of my bras, but I handwash 2-3 bras in rotation once a week and it's been about a year and a half. I was wondering if the machine-washers would have (and expect) a longer or shorter lifespan.
As for sweaters, cocolion, you made me laugh. Having arms is such an impediment on fabric care!
runcarla- your DH was lucky! And you're lucky he will do your laundry.

Sal

Veteran

I machine wash pretty much everything, I just vary the cycle. I try to line dry mostly, although sometimes I flat dry, and I do use the dryer when it is very wet.

I will dry clean jackets and party dresses and suit trousers.

Diana

Veteran

I wash my bras in the machine all the time. Regular cycle even (with cold water always). I use the mesh lingerie bags. I do NOT wear molded bras though so I don't know whether the machine would mess up the shape of those; it's fine for my seamed, unpadded underwire bras.

I wouldn't use the machine for wool sweaters unless you have a soak only or handwash cycle. Unless the wool is labeled "superwash" or "machine washable," agitation may cause them to felt. (Also, even if it says "superwash" don't put them in the dryer.)

If you have a lot of sweaters to wash I recommend doing them by hand in your bathtub. (You could also just fill the washing machine and don't turn it on.) You can do several at once as long as they won't bleed on each other (so don't mix the lights and the darks). Just fill up the bathtub with cold water and some detergent, put in the sweaters and let them soak for a while. You can swish or push them around, gently. Then roll them up in towels and press the excess water out (I walk on the them!) and lay flat to dry.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

OK then I am not alone with the poking. I was beginning to wonder if it was just me!

Diana I am very impressed with your sweater washing bathtub routine.

Mander

(website)

Veteran

Huh. Have I been doing it wrong all this time? I never hand wash my bras unless I'm somewhere with no machine. I do use one of those mesh bags but it's nothing special. I put them in the wash with the regular laundry and they always last at least a couple of years before I declare them toast. I normally buy pretty cheap run-of-the mill bras, too.

I don't have a dryer so everything is line dried, which might be a factor. Also I wash just about everything on cold unless it's particularly dirty, but I'd never put my bras in a hot wash. Maybe the cold water + line drying is the key?

Elizabeth P

Veteran

I never hand washed bras until I bougth a couple of very expensive ones last summer. I always do them in the machine, in a mesh laundry bag, and hang to dry. And they always lasted just fine... can't even tell you how long, but a long time. I am HATING having to handwash the new ones, so after reading this think I might just stop and go back to the easy way!

I like the look of the mesh bra bags... might invest in one of those....

anne

Veteran

I always machine wash mine, and I confess that I usually forget about the mesh bag. You can, and I have, used a pillowcase instead. I always do a cold wash, which may be significant.

cloud9

Veteran

What's essential about washing them in the laundry bag? I wash my bras in the machine then line dry all the time and has seen no degradation. If worried about the hooks get into things I just hook them up before tossing in the machine.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I haven't read the other replies first, and I'm sure some people would be horrified, but I always machine wash my bras. I use a delicates bag, wash on the gentlest cycle, and hang to air dry. My bras last for years.

Diana

Veteran

Cloud9, I was told that if you use a machine with a center post, the bras can get tangled around the post, which may damage the underwire. I've accidentally tossed my under wire bras in the wash without the bag though and they didn't get damaged, so who knows. The bag is super easy though, and I like knowing that my bras are all in there so I won't accidentally throw them in the dryer.

Anonymous

I've had bras get tangled around the center post before; hence the reason I now use bags. My bras last a long time, so no issues at all with machine washing.

I know my sweaters will pill in spite of all that's holy, but I try to minimize it by using bags.

chadya

Veteran

bras, go in mesh bags, cold water, most gentle cycle, hang dry

sweaters, mesh bags, cold water, most gentle cycle, dry flat sometimes I shape them on a molded hanger. I use Eucalan to wash them.

dakotacheryl

Veteran

I also routinely machine wash in a lingerie bag. Also, I never use fabric softener when doing a "bra" load, as I've read that softener degrades the elastic in lingerie.

catgirl

Veteran

I do it all the time. DH occasionally dries them too. I'm not big on maintenance, but I also don't replace them until they are pretty beat up. That is probably not the standard you're seeking, though.

doubleh

Veteran

Thank you all for your replies! The pendulum has swung and now I'm feeling like maybe a sucker for handwashing! lol. I have an expensive and hard to find size so I really hate bra shopping. More than handwashing, so I didn't want to expeditiously wear out my bras. Thinking bags are the way to go for both lingerie and sweaters.

And I suppose each of us is better for coming to terms that "pilling" is the cellulite of clothing. It's just gonna happen and no matter what woofy-poofy concoctions are developed; it's just there. So at least we can replace tops, unlike our thighs.

K.M.

Veteran

I also wash my bras in the machine, with a half-spherical mesh container that has a bit of structure in it and keeps the bras from getting misshapen. My bras are run-of-the-mill: Victoria's Secret Body by Victoria demi bras, which are lightly padded and have underwires. I've had no issues with washing them (I wash them maybe once or twice a month) and they last at least a couple of years. I find that they come out cleaner and fresher smelling from the machine.

I also wash most of my sweaters in the cold handwash cycle of the machine in a mesh bag.

But I've also found that one huge factor makes all the difference: the washing machine itself. First, I use a front-loader--I find those are much gentler on clothes than top-loaders with the center post. Second, a good machine will not only have lots of adjustable settings, but will remain true to them in terms of spin speed, temperature etc.