How to care for your sexy lingerie!

      Lingerie in general and sexy lingerie specifically often requires special care on laundry day. There is a reason many women refer to them as delicates.

1.    Resist the urge to throw your lingerie in the washer. Most washers have an agitator, that fin shaped apparatus in the middle of the tub that circulates the water, detergent, bleach and the clothing. While the washer is great for jeans, towels and the like, it can wreak havoc on the dainty, skimpy and delicate lingerie items. While hand washing is time consuming, it will prolong the life of your intimate apparel, and allow you to control the amount of soap, fabric softener and hot water- ouch!

2.    Don't even think of washing an article of clothing that has a "dry clean only" tag. If the manufacturer says the item should be dry cleaned, then it should only be dry cleaned, always. Who should know better about how to care for an item than the company that made it? Since they don't get a commission for suggesting the proper cleaning method, a word to the wise- get it dry cleaned.

3.    General rule: Follow this general rule- Don't wash anything in hot water, and don't dry any lingerie item in the dryer. Detergents: While Tide, Cheer and other major brand names work wonders with general cleaning of clothing, don't use them for lingerie. If your tee shirt has ketchup on it by all means use Tide, otherwise use a gentle or mild detergent such as Woolite or Ivory Snow. A cold water wash by hand in Woolite will be all that those sexy lingerie items need, and they will love you for it. Since you shouldn't use your dryer for lingerie, drip dry or dry on a towel for longer life, and brighter colors.

4.    If you just can't resist using the washer to launder your dainties, use a lingerie bag. They can be purchased at drug stores, bath shops and many lingerie stores. The concept behind the lingerie bag is to keep your lingerie away from all the general laundry, and the friction, pulling and stretching that occurs in the heavily agitated washer basin.

5.    How often should you wash your lingerie? With panties, boy shorts, hot pants and g-strings washing is essential after each wearing. Due to constant wear, particularly of your favorites, these garments will wear out, lose color and elasticity quickly. Hand washing with cold water and drip drying will extend the life and color of these garments.

   Bras- Generally bras can be washed after 3-4 wearings, but we know that women may wait longer to wash their bras as they do not get heavily soiled. Remember though, perspiration, deodorant, perfume are the culprits, so regular laundering is recommended, and a laundry bag will keep your bras newer, longer.

   Sexy Lingerie- Babydolls, teddies, bra sets and other lingerie is often worn for minutes, not hours. These items are generally skimpy, use lots of lace and spandex and are laundered less often. Hand washing is absolutely essential or you may find the garment unwearable.