Does your underwear lose a little bit of its color, elasticity and quality every time you wash it? Does the fabric feel a little rougher against your skin after a couple of washes?
If any of that sounds familiar, there’s a good chance you’re making a mistake or two when you wash your undies.
But not to worry, we have you covered. In this guide we’ll walk through how to wash underwear the right way so your boxers, briefs, panties and any other type of undergarments will come out fresh and good as new every time.
Why Clean Underwear Is So Important
Before we get further into how to effectively clean your underwear, let’s take a closer look at just why it’s so important to keep your underwear clean.
Avoid Infections
If you fail to properly clean your underwear, you might find that microbes and harmful bacteria will build-up over time. This can lead to infection and all kinds of unpleasantness, so it’s very important that you keep your underwear in great condition.
Aesthetics
Let’s be real for a second here. We’ve all had that pair of underwear that looks like it’s been through a war. It’s stained, has holes, the waistband is on its last leg and they just look old. Over the years, if you never learn how to wash your underwear correctly, you’ll end up having a drawer full of underwear just like that (if you don’t already.)
Properly washing your underwear ensures that you always have fresh looking underwear for any occasion. Whether you’re getting intimate with your partner or have to change your clothes in public (i.e. at the gym), the last thing you want is to be the guy or gal with nasty looking underwear. It’s a turn off and embarrassing.
Eliminate Odors
Dirty underwear may eventually begin to smell and this can be very problematic indeed. The odor may become noticeable to other people and this can lead to some embarrassing situations.
Your underwear might not always look great, but it should always smell fresh. If your underwear has a hint of odor after you wash it, there’s a good chance you made a mistake somewhere in the process and bacteria is likely still left in the fibers. Over time, it’ll just compound until the point of no return.
So it’s vital to wash your underwear on a regular basis, the right way.
Comfort
Clean underwear is also much more comfortable than dirty underwear. If your underwear is kept clean, you can reduce the potential for any damage like holes.
This means that you can live comfortably and enjoy each day. You shouldn’t have to adjust your underwear constantly throughout the day because the fabric is rough on your skin or the holes are irritating you.
Dignity
Everybody deserves to feel comfortable and confident in their own skin. A big part of this is wearing the right clothes and feeling that you are clean.
There’s nothing quite like feeling fresh after a shower and putting on some lovely, clean clothes. Underwear is in constant contact with your skin, so it’s particularly important that it’s as clean as possible.
How to Wash Your Underwear
Now that we know why clean underwear is so important and what it can do for you, let’s take a look at how you can wash your underwear and get the best possible results.
Follow the Directions
The key to success when it comes to cleaning your underwear is following the directions that are included on the label. Those directions will have been created specifically for the underwear itself, taking its unique composition and materials into account.
You should always make sure to take those directions into consideration whenever you wash a new piece of laundry. A common problem a lot of people run into is underwear often uses laundry symbols rather than words. So instead of “Use cold”, you’ll see a confusing symbol like this:
In order to prevent you from making a mistake when reading the care label, here’s a helpful guide that breaks down some of the most common laundry symbols.
Understand Your Washing Machine
Not all washing machines are the same. While the functions are similar, the settings will often use different words. For instance, one machine might have a light, medium, heavy setting while another has “Cold/normal, warm, and hot”.
No matter what the settings on your washing machine are, here are some general best practices for washing underwear:
- Use short cycles: This might mean light or delicate setting depending on your machine. Whatever the shortest cycle is, use it.
- Use cold water: Some machines have wash/rinse settings like Warm/Cold, Hot/Cold, etc. Always aim for Cold/Cold, cold or if these aren’t available, warm/cold. Do not wash your underwear in hot water unless the care label explicitly says to do so.
- Test small loads first: Before dumping all your underwear in the same load, test different settings on the machine with small loads. Once you find the right settings, then you can move on to doing a full load.
Use a Delicates Bag
It’s a great idea to use a delicates bag, too, to protect your underwear and other delicate items. These bags are great because they help to protect your items and ensure that they retain their shape.
This is particularly important for your underwear, which can quickly lose its shape if it gets caught on other items.
We suggest using this bag from Tenrai, but any quality mesh delicates bag will do.
These mesh bags from Tenrai are so particularly impressive because the mesh is so tightly woven. This means that the hooks from bras, for example, will not get caught on the bag and cause damage.
Avoid Hot Water for Stains
If you are trying to get rid of a particular stain from your underwear, it’s important that you avoid using hot water. Hot water has the potential to lock-in the stain - that’s why you should always soak a piece of stained underwear in cold water for around ten minutes.
Once the underwear has been properly soaked, you might want to try a couple of different solutions depending on the color of the underwear. When it comes to white underwear, you can mix a little bit of bleach with water.
If your underwear is colored, you’ll want to switch out that bleach for salt. You should carefully apply the solution to the stain and closely monitor how it fades over time.
Once you feel as though as much as possible has been done to the stain, you should go ahead and execute a normal wash.
Use the Right Detergent
Another key trick to effectively washing your laundry is using the right detergent. There are lots of options out there and there’s a huge range, but these items are not at all alike.
It’s important that you find the best option for your delicates and underwear. This option should smell great and have the ability to properly eliminate the bacteria from your underwear.
In that spirit, we really recommend this all natural laundry detergent from Puracy. This detergent doesn’t feature any harsh chemicals at all. This makes it a great natural solution particularly for people with sensitive skin.
Puracy is particularly perfect for underwear because it features Zinc Ricinoleate - an element that helps to eliminate and foul odors that may be building up.
Hang Dry Them
If you have the option to hang dry your underwear after washing them, do it. While some dryers can handle underwear fine (with the right settings), many just get too hot and ruin the fabric.
If you’re going to use a drying machine, do a shorter cycle to minimize the amount of heat used.
However, if you’re washing delicates (lace underwear, silk, etc.) always opt to hang dry them! You can use a rack like this to make sure they dry evenly and quicker.
Now You Know How to Wash Your Underwear!
Like we mentioned earlier, not washing your underwear properly can lead to built up bacteria, odors, and wasted money since you’ll constantly have to buy new pairs. So it pays to do it correctly. And as you can see, the process isn’t too difficult.
If you make the most of the tips included in this piece, we are confident that you will feel great and have the cleanest underwear possible.
