The inspiration: We wouldn't let just anybody see our skimpies, so we're not about to use any old detergent for washing them. But do delicate detergents really make a difference? We had Mia, our assistant editor, test two and compare them with undies washed with regular suds in a lingerie bag. Want to see the results? You'll have to buy Mia dinner first (or at the very least, check out our results).
The products:
Forever New Fabric Wash, $5. Available at www.fashionessentials.com.
Soak Detergent, $16. Available at www.soakwash.com.
The lingerie:
Favorite Chantilly Lace Uplift Bra, US $30-$40. Available at Gap.
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Forever New Fabric Wash
I'm no stranger to lingerie but I'd actually never hand washed it before. I saw Carrie Bradshaw do it in an episode of Sex and the City though, so I figured I could manage.
I tested the powdered version of Forever New and followed the instructions on the bottle, but I was a little unsure of a few things. It suggested 1-2 capfuls of powder but didn't list how much water to mix with, so I opted for a general sinkful. I let the bra soak for five minutes, rinsed it through clean water and then hung it up to dry. (That's just what Carrie did, and the bottle didn't specify otherwise.)
What I noticed most when the bra had dried was that the cup still had it's shape and the straps weren't twisted and curled the way they usually are when I pull them out of the dryer.
The soap also left a lovely scent and no residue.
Forever New Fabric Wash, $5. Available at www.fashionessentials.com.
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Soak Detergent
My initial reaction to this soap was that I loved the scent. I also noticed that that instructions were a little more forthcoming than the previous detergent's. Soak lived up to it's name. After mixing a tsp of Soak with a gallon of water in the sink, I let the bra soak for 15 minutes. What I found a little strange about this one though, was that after soaking, the instructions said specifically not to rinse, but to gently ring out the water and then lay the bra flat to dry. "But the soap residue," I thought, "What about the soap residue?"
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I shrugged my shoulders and followed along and once it had dried (which took hours and hours), I couldn't see any residue, or feel any residue, so I figured, no residue!
I really loved the smell of this one, and giving it a long soak gave me the feeling that my bra would be as good as new once dry. (And it practically was!).
Soak Detergent, $16. Available at www.soakwash.com.
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Lingerie & Delicates Laundry Bag
In order to fully appreciate the difference of hand-washing lingerie with a delicate detergent, I washed a third bra in a delicates bag in the washing machine with regular detergent. This is how I always wash my undies, and quite frankly, I thought I was a champ for even putting them in a lingerie bag, but I could not believe the difference when I took out the bra after the wash and dryer cycles.
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The straps of the bra were all twisted and out of shape (which you can see in the photo above), unlike the hand-washed bras which looked perfect and smelled better. I'd never really cared about these things before, but I realized how much additional wear and tear a wash and dryer cycle was causing my bras.
Hand-washing, though a little more time consuming, was still quite easy and best of all, my bras smelled really nice and felt soft and comfortable on the skin.
So there you go. I'm converted. What about you? Would you (or do you) hand-wash your delicates?
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