How to take care of your bras and underwear

Not a lot of people will get to see the pair of underwear you have on, which makes it tempting to treat them cavalierly and just have them laying around when you get home and you're all alone.

However, these garments are called delicates for nothing, and considering how expensive a good pair of them can be -- lace underwear can cost anywhere from P799 to P1,690 depending on where you shop -- keeping them wearable for longer ends up being easier on the pocket.

Here are some basic things to remember when taking care of your delicates so you get the most use out of them.

1. Gently wash your underwire and lace underwear by hand

According to laundry and home cleaning products company The Laundress, you should be washing detailed lace, padded push-ups, and supportive underwire undergarments by hand. This is because putting them in the washing machine could wear out the elastic and the wire, drastically shortening how many times you can use it in the future.

Underwear company Freshpair recommends filling a sink or a pail with lukewarm water and then putting your lace underwear in there along with alcohol-free detergent that will not destroy the elastic.

Leave the underwear there for about an hour and then gently rub off any stains on them. Once all of it is gone, take them out, rinse them in cool water, and lay them on a towel and gently press out excess water before hanging to dry.

Underwear made with more sturdy material like cotton, or sports bras and non-wire bras, can be washed in the washing machine, so long as you use the delicate cycle and put them in a laundry bag.

2. Don't machine dry your underwear

In the same way that machine washing lessens the lifespan of both the fabric and the elastic of your underwear, putting them in the dryer does equal damage. Hanging them out to dry is still the best way to do it.

3. Ideally, shapewear should also be washed by hand

Shapewear should also be washed by hand if you have the tin do so. However, if you find it time-consuming, you can also put it in the washing machine so long as it is on the delicate spin cycle.

4. Don't wear the same bra over multiple days

When one leads a busy life, it's tempting to just put on the same bra and head out. However, doing so makes the elastic wear out faster, shortening the lifespan of your bra. Make sure that you have enough bras that you won't run out when you do a load of laundry.

5. Store them properly

Once again, it's tempting to just hang up your bra after a long day of work, but doing so also shortens the lifespan of the fabric and the elastic. Make sure the bra clasps are done up so they don't snag on your other bras and end up damaging them.

If all of this makes you want to go underwear shopping, check out the gallery below and get some inspiration from Kapuso celebrities modeling underwear.