20 essential care when washing and storing your underwear

Most people like to take good care of their clothes, they know that the way they are washed, ironed, placed to dry, stored in the wardrobe, taken from one place to another is essential to ensure their durability. After all, no one likes to see a piece fading or falling apart in a short time of use, right?

However, in the case of underwear, care goes far beyond the concern with the duration of the pieces. Not that this point is not important, but it is important to pay attention to the fact that this type of garment is in direct contact with areas of the female body that are sensitive to infections. Therefore, the correct hygiene of the piece makes all the difference when it comes to health.

The reason for so much concern is the existence of fungi and bacteria that can accumulate in the fabric of a poorly washed underwear or bikini, for example, increasing the risks mainly of vaginal discharge and infections.

Rejane Nascimento, a specialist in textile products at the 5àsec laundry chain, points out that underwear is not like most ordinary clothes. They require a series of care with cleaning and also in storage. “Specialists indicate special attention to these pieces, because poor cleaning may not remove all residues and dirt from clothes, causing health risks such as infections, irritations and allergies”, he warns.

Care when washing underwear

Below, Rejane mentions what care is needed with the hygiene of items such as panties, bikinis, bathing suits, bras, as well as underwear and swimming trunks.

1. Ideally, underwear should be washed separately from other types of clothing.

2. Women’s underwear should be washed separately from men’s.

3. Underwear should be washed preferably with liquid soap and neutral pH.

4. It is essential to be careful to rinse well so that the piece does not have any detergent residue.

5. It is not recommended to use bleaches and very alkaline detergents when washing these parts. They spoil the fibers and if not rinsed properly they can cause allergies or something similar since this type of garment is in direct contact with the intimate parts of the human body.

6. If the underwear (panties, bikini, bathing suit) is washed during the bath with soap, it must be rinsed very well.

7. It is recommended that, even after washing the underwear during the bath, it also goes through the conventional washing process (with neutral soap).

8. Never hang your underwear to dry in the shower. Due to humidity, bacteria proliferate quickly and that piece is unsuitable for use.

9. After washing, the garment must be hung in an airy place or placed in the dryer.

10. It is important that the drying process is carried out in places away from the accumulation of dust.

11. It is essential to look at the garment’s label and check if the manufacturer warns of any specific care for that fabric, color, or model.

12. Those who don’t have time to take care of all these things at home can take their underwear to a laundry room, which will use the ideal products to wash them.

Care and tips for storing underwear

Following are the main precautions for storing underwear:

13. Underwear should be kept in a separate drawer, away from common clothes, socks, and even beachwear such as bikinis, swim trunks and sarongs.

14. Panties and bras should be stored alone in an airy place, preferably in TNT bags, which ensure good ventilation to the pieces. “The word intimate says it all. A piece that is in direct contact with your privacy needs to be separated from other pieces due to fungi, dust, bacteria, etc.”, highlights Rejane.

15. When traveling, it is interesting to take your panties in a TNT bag, for example, separated from other items in the suitcase.

16. Bras should also be stored carefully in the suitcase.

17. In some stores you can find so-called “bras cases”. They allow the bras to be taken separately from the other pieces in the suitcase and also guarantee greater durability to the pieces (since they won’t wrinkle them).

18. To travel, it is interesting that each bikini is carried in its own bag.

19. It is interesting that, after drying, the panties are ironed with a hot iron, as the high temperature eliminates the bacteria that may have managed to survive the washing.

20. Soaps and perfumes should not be used in underwear drawers because they can cause allergies in some people.

Extra care with underwear

When a person buys a new outfit, it’s normal that they want to wear it right away. But in the case of underwear this is not indicated. It is essential that items such as panties, bras, bikinis, etc. be washed before use, after all, they were in another environment before and possibly had contact with other people.

Another point that deserves a lot of attention is the fact of lending or borrowing underwear. This is not indicated, so that no one runs the risk of contracting infections and even some diseases, such as the HPV virus.

Not even bras should be shared. As the name implies, underwear is very personal. Each person must have their own and take care of them with full attention. After all, this is yet another way to take care of your health.