How to wash a white bra at home (in a machine and by hand), how to bleach a bra so that the color becomes whiter, how to dry it after washing?

A snow-white bra is a classic version of underwear that goes with any outfit.

However, it tends to quickly lose its impeccable appearance due to improper washing. We’ll figure out how to do this correctly in order to preserve the whiteness of the product for a long time.

We'll tell you in this article how to wash a white bra at home, either manually or using a washing machine.

Washing options

A white bra can be washed either manually or using an automatic washing machine. The latter option is only possible if certain conditions are met. You will find a lot of useful information about washing bras here.

In the washing machine

Machine washing is preferable to hand washing as it is less labor intensive. Before putting snow-white underwear into the drum, prepare it:

each product is fastened to all available couplings;
if there are push-up inserts, they are removed;
sorted separately from colored items (washing white and colored items together is prohibited);
Place the bra in a special washing bag or container-sphere, which will not allow the product to deform.

Then set the washing machine panel to a delicate mode at a temperature not exceeding 30 ᵒC, with the mandatory shutdown of the spin cycle. The tag on the bra, on which the manufacturer gives recommendations for care, will help you determine the mode and temperature.

Then pour liquid detergent or a detergent special for washing underwear into the compartment (
it is not advisable to use powder - it is difficult to rinse out ).
It is better to load bras into the washing machine with light items (swimming trunks, tank tops, socks).

Manually

It is safer to wash bras by hand, since this way it is possible to maintain its original shape even with frequent washing. This type of washing is especially recommended for items made of thin, lace and delicate fabrics.

The algorithm of actions is as follows:

Fill the container with warm water and dissolve a gentle detergent (gel, shampoo or special liquid) in it. You can add a little bit of any essential oil for aroma.
First, soak the bra for 20-30 minutes. If the product is very worn, you can leave it for an hour. It is better to rub the visible stains on the fabric with a washcloth or soft brush.
Then they proceed directly to washing without applying much effort, so that the foam easily appears through the material. You will have to rub the straps harder, since they accumulate the most dirt.
Upon completion of the procedure, the product is thoroughly rinsed under cool tap water. Repeat as many times as possible until soap impurities no longer come out of the fabric.

Bras should not be squeezed out by twisting . They simply hang them on a clothesline and wait for the excess water to drain. Read about hand washing bras here.

What you need to know

In order for underwear to wear out less, experts advise having several bras in your wardrobe. You can also maintain the original appearance of the product by giving up the habit of sleeping in a bra - this way the underwear does not lose its shape and gets dirty again.

Washing a bra at SMA

Before you wash your white bra at home, you need to remember that different materials react differently to high temperatures and chemicals. Natural silk linen should be washed in water whose temperature does not exceed 40° and only by hand. Synthetic bras also do not tolerate hot water and products containing chlorine.

Before washing, please read the product information (type of fabric and suitable washing method) indicated on the bra label.

Important: you cannot wash items of different colors at the same time, otherwise the fabric will fade.

How to bleach your bra at home?

Many people prefer to use folk remedies for whitening, which are no worse in effectiveness than industrial household chemicals, but safer.

Let's look at the most productive ones that will help restore a gray or yellowed bra to its original whiteness.

Soda and salt

First they try basic soaking. To do this, dissolve in 5 liters of warm water:

4 tbsp. l. baking soda;
3 tbsp. l coarse salt;
1-2 tbsp. l. washing powder with bleaching properties.

Immerse the bra in the resulting solution and leave for half an hour. After this, it is rinsed and washed as usual.

When receiving the solution, you must mix it thoroughly until the bulk ingredients are completely dissolved. Otherwise, remaining particles may damage the delicate fabric of the product.

Ammonia to make the color whiter

This product can be freely purchased at any pharmacy. It is used to whiten cotton underwear.

Instructions:

Dilute alcohol in water at the rate of 40 ml per liter.
Place the bra in the solution and leave for 10 hours.
Wash by hand or machine.

To completely eliminate the smell of ammonia from the fabric, add a little conditioner to the water during the last rinse.

Aspirin

To whiten synthetic guipure bras, it is recommended to use regular pharmacy aspirin.

Proceed as follows:

dissolve 5-6 tablets in 4 liters of water at room temperature;
soak the laundry for at least 7 hours;
After the allotted time has passed, rinse under running water and wash.

A similar effect can be achieved if you use white vinegar instead of ammonia (2 liters of warm water will require 200 ml of 9% vinegar).

Peroxide

This inexpensive product is sold at any pharmacy. It copes well with the yellowness of lace and synthetic bras.

Recommendations for use:

Dilute 3% peroxide in water at the rate of 70 ml per 1 liter.
Soak the laundry for 30 minutes.
After this, rinse under the tap in cold water.

"White"

Whiteness is considered a universal remedy for all times.

How to do it:

50 ml of white and a little bleaching washing powder are diluted in three liters of warm water;
mix the liquid well until the grains dissolve;
soak the product in the solution for 15-20 minutes;
then rinse the bra successively in warm and cold water.

The product must be rinsed several times to completely remove the chemical from the fabric. Otherwise, if the laundry comes into contact with your skin, an allergic reaction is possible.

Special bleaches

There are many different bleaching compounds sold in hardware stores. Thanks to them, you can quickly and without harm to your underwear achieve the desired result.

Here are the most popular means:

Vanish is a progressive oxygen stain remover for all types of fabrics.
Available in the form of powder, shampoo, capsules and gel. Copes with both fresh and old stains of various origins. In addition to cleaning, it disinfects the fabric.
When washing in the machine, add water for soaking in the amount according to the instructions. At the same time, the water should not be cold, but within 40 ᵒC. The price of the product varies depending on the form of release and weight - from 100 to 700 rubles.
“First Snow” is a liquid or powdered bleach-stain remover without chlorine.
Suitable for washing cotton and silk items. It can be used for hand and machine washing. The advantage of the product is that it has an antibacterial effect. The cost of a bottle with a capacity of 850 rubles. with liquid preparation - 103 rubles, 550 g jars with powder - 85 rubles.
“Persol”, “Uralsky”, “Swan” are powdered stain removers with whitening properties.
They do not contain chlorine. To bleach, just dilute 50 grams of powder in warm water (10 liters) and soak your bra in it for a couple of hours. These products are sold in polypropylene packages and jars of 550 and 800 grams. Depending on this, the price will be in the range of 10-80 rubles.

Choosing a detergent

Choosing the right laundry detergent is very important. The fabrics used to sew most models are delicate.

If it is not there, the following substitutes can be used:

universal gels;
ecogels;
gels for children's clothing.

Liquid detergent is preferable to powder detergent. It dissolves better, providing good penetration between the fibers of the material.

After washing, such substances are easier to rinse out. Granular powders dissolve less easily and may remain on the material even after rinsing.

Do not use fabric softener when washing your bra. Despite aromatizing and softening things, its use is not advisable. Its effect on straps and other areas with elastic bands impairs their elasticity and causes rapid wear of the parts.

If you don’t have a suitable detergent at home and you need to do laundry, you can use hair shampoo.

Processing features for various types of fabrics

When washing and bleaching white underwear, it is important to consider the type of fabric from which it is made.

Most bras are made from delicate material, so they require a special approach. A more detailed list of possible actions is specified on the attached label.

There are certain prohibitions regarding synthetic products:

cannot be washed in hot water;
do not use chlorine-containing bleaches.

Chlorine bleaches are not contraindicated for cotton bras, but they should be used with caution. Otherwise, the fabric can quickly become thin and become unusable.

Lace and guipure

Lace and guipure bras have an expensive look and are made from thin, expensive fabrics. Therefore, they need more careful handling.

It is especially important to choose the right detergent and bleaching agent - they should not contain chlorine . It is better to first test it for compatibility by applying it to an invisible area of the fabric.

In such a situation, the best option would be ammonia and hydrogen peroxide or laundry soap. They more carefully remove grayish and yellow plaque from the fabric. Salt and soda and boiling will not work.

It should also be noted that lace and guipure underwear must be processed exclusively by hand . Lace and guipure should be washed only in cool water. Otherwise, the products will shrink.

Synthetics

You can bleach synthetic bras using the same methods as lace bras. But sometimes it is acceptable to use salt and soda.

Before bleaching clothes, they are first washed and then placed in an appropriate solution.

Cotton

Cotton bodices are restored to crystal whiteness in the following ways:

Boiling. In a large enamel saucepan, bring water to a boil and add 200 grams of grated laundry soap.
The bra is immersed there and boiled for half an hour, not forgetting to constantly stir with a wooden spatula.
Then rinse in cold water. If the product has been lying among things for a long time and has acquired a grayish tint, then add 50 ml of ammonia to the soap solution.
Soaking with bleach . Dissolve 60 ml of bleach (chlorine is possible) and a little washing powder in 3 liters of warm water. Soak the laundry and leave for 30 minutes. Then rinse alternately in warm and cool water.
Blue. According to the instructions on the package, prepare a solution into which the laundry is placed for 20-25 minutes. Then the product is rinsed and dried.

Lace products

Expensive lace and silk lingerie looks beautiful and seductive. However, happy owners carefully choose how to bleach their lace underwear so as not to deform the fabric or lose the shape of the lace. Two products that you can find in the kitchen are suitable for this.

Vinegar solution

Add one glass of 9% vinegar to 2 liters of warm water.
Soak the laundry in the solution overnight.
Wash as usual.

Soda-salt solution

Dissolve two tablespoons of salt and soda in cold or warm water.
Stir thoroughly so that no grains remain in the water.
Soak the laundry.
Leave for two to three hours.
Rinse and wash items as usual.

The vinegar solution will do an excellent job of bleaching silk and satin fabrics, making the white color more saturated, and getting rid of stains. A saline solution is suitable for bleaching a guipure bra. Guipure is made from thin natural threads mixed with synthetic fibers, so the water temperature should not exceed 40°C.

Bleaching, even with natural means, always has a strong effect on the fabric. Therefore, in order not to rack your brains over how to bleach your underwear, you should follow the rules for wearing, washing and caring for your bra and panties. It is better not to wear white underwear under dark clothes and wait until the deodorant has completely dried before getting dressed. Linen washed on time and in compliance with all recommendations will retain its color and shape for a long time.

How to remove yellow sweat stains?

It is quite easy to remove sweat stains using laundry soap. Wet the bra, rub it with a bar of soap and rinse it after half an hour. An analogue could be Antipyatin soap.

However, old stains can only be removed with strong chemical bleaches:

optical;
oxygen;
chlorine.

The choice depends on the fabric from which the bra is made.

Oxygen stain removers are considered universal stain removers and bleaches. They can be used both in the washing machine and for hand washing.

Suitable for any fabric, so you don't have to worry about ruining the item. To achieve the maximum possible effect, follow the instructions on the package.

You can clean the bodice this way:

Mix ammonia, tartaric and citric acid in a ratio of 5:5:2.
The resulting slurry is applied locally to the dirt and rubbed in for 5 minutes.
After this, the product is washed in a machine or by hand.

Aspirin washes off sweat stains well. Crush 2 tablets and dissolve in cool water (100-120 ml). The resulting solution is used to treat problem areas on the fabric.

How to dry?

It is important not only to wash the bra correctly, but also to dry it so that it does not lose its original shape.

Professional advice will help with this:

It is better to dry clothes in the fresh air or in a well-ventilated room;
it is preferable to hang the bra on a clothesline, but do not use clothespins for fixation, or on a hanger;
you can lay out the bodice immediately after the water has drained from it, on a terry towel;
It is not advisable to resort to machine drying, but as a last resort, set the “no heat” mode (if available).

You cannot dry white underwear on a radiator, which is guaranteed to ruin its appearance.

What to do if a bone falls out in the car

When washing underwear in SMA, pressure may be put on the bra by other things, which often leads to the “bone” falling out of it. In this case, the equipment may break down and it will be difficult to repair it. A metal/plastic element of the product may get caught in the drum honeycomb, which is accompanied by a loud grinding noise.

Expert opinion

Irina. Housewife.

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If the machine begins to squeak or make other extraneous sounds, it is important to immediately stop the washing process by turning off the machine! Next, you should drain the water, wait for the door to unlock, disconnecting the equipment from the network. All laundry must be removed from the drum and inspected from the inside. As a rule, a bone can be found in one of the holes in the drum or in the cavity between it and the tank.

Useful tips

In order not to make a mistake with the method and mode of washing a white bra, it is recommended that you read the information from the manufacturer on the tag. The drawings will tell you how to properly care for the product.

Additionally, a number of recommendations regarding washing and bleaching are taken into account:

It is unacceptable to use chlorine-containing bleaches on synthetic bras;
It is not recommended to add conditioner, which leads to loss of elasticity of the straps;
bodices with metal underwires are not soaked for a long time, as the metal can rust and leave unsightly red marks on the fabric;
when washing in an automatic machine, it is better to remove the metal inserts, since they can fall out and damage the drum;
When drying, you should not turn the cups inside out, which leads to their deformation;
Such delicate products should not be rubbed with a rag or a stiff brush, nor should alcohol be used for cleaning.

Housewives' recommendations for whitening

To avoid an irreparable situation with a good thing, follow a few tips:

read the instructions and recommendations before using the products;
Try to use new chemical liquids and gels in an inconspicuous area, so that if something happens you don’t completely damage the product;
bleach your underwear starting from pre-washing. If it doesn’t work and the grayness remains, then increase the strength of the products gradually from soft to strong;
all store and home procedures are carried out with gloves;
Some detergent compositions may cause allergies, so read reviews before use.

These simple home techniques can effectively remove annoying grayness and yellowness. For a visual example, watch the video tutorial on stain removal: