How to Wash Lingerie: Lace, Mesh and Elastic Care

Lingerie can survive an enthusiastic evening and then be defeated by a normal laundry cycle. Lace snags, elastic loses its enthusiasm and a delicate strap emerges tangled around something that was never invited to the bedroom.

The care label is the best starting point. Fabric names alone do not tell you whether a garment's dyes, trims, glue, wires or decorations can handle the same treatment.

Read the label before sorting the wash

Check the permitted water temperature, washing method and drying instructions. A piece marked hand-wash only should not be treated as machine-washable because you selected the machine's nicest-sounding setting.

If the label is missing or unclear, ask the brand or retailer. Different items from the same lingerie collection may need different care. The matching colour scheme is not evidence of shared laundry requirements.

Lovehoney's lingerie-care advice is one example of a brand recommending gentle handling. Use your own garment's instructions for the final decision.

Make hand washing genuinely gentle

Where hand washing is permitted, use the temperature and detergent type recommended by the maker. Avoid aggressive rubbing, stretching or wringing. Delicate mesh does not need the treatment normally reserved for a muddy football sock.

Close hooks where appropriate so they are less likely to snag nearby fabric. Wash strong colours separately when directed, and rinse away detergent without pulling the garment out of shape.

Be careful with decorations and attached accessories. A metal detail, adhesive trim or structured cup may need different attention from the fabric around it. Do not soak indefinitely unless the instructions allow it.

A wash bag is helpful, not magical

If the garment permits machine washing, a suitable laundry bag can help contain straps and reduce snagging. Follow the approved cycle and temperature, and avoid mixing delicate pieces with rough fabrics or exposed fasteners.

A bag cannot make a hand-wash-only item suitable for a hot wash. It is a protective container, not a small witness-protection programme for your underwear.

Our lingerie buying guide includes comfort and construction questions that are worth checking before you add more delicate items to the routine.

Dry and store without a tug of war

Follow the label's drying instructions. Where air drying is recommended, support the garment without hanging all its wet weight from a fragile strap. Avoid tumble drying, direct heat or ironing unless specifically permitted.

Let everything dry fully before putting it away. Store items so hooks and decorative pieces do not catch on lace or mesh. Fold gently rather than compressing structured details into the smallest possible drawer space.

When browsing the lingerie range, consider the care routine as part of the purchase. A beautiful piece is easier to enjoy when maintaining it fits your actual life.

You do not need to develop a passionate relationship with hand washing. A little care simply gives your lingerie a better chance of keeping its shape, its straps and its dignity.