Spring Cleaning the Lingerie Drawer: How Often Should We Throw Out Underwear?
When Spring comes around every year, families love to indulge in some good old-fashioned spring cleaning. Closets, bedrooms, basements, and kitchen pantries get turned upside down, but how often does anyone think to clean out their underwear drawer?
Just as anything else in this world, lingerie has an indefinite expiry date. Depending on the quality of your underwear and how well you look after it, some pairs might last longer than others.
Nevertheless, there comes a day in which you must wave goodbye to your favourite pair of bra and knickers. Don’t think of this as a sad day, think of it as an opportunity to add a fabulous new item to your lingerie collection.
As a general rule, bras should be replaced around every six months to a year. However, this all depends on the quality of your lingerie. Tell-tale signs include cups that are too small or too large, underwire that has become painful, bra straps that have lost elasticity and are loose, or fabric that has faded.
Similarly, think about throwing away your underwear if your body shape has changed. If you’ve put on a bit of weight, or you’ve shrunk your knickers in the wash, make sure they fit comfortably.
Wearing underwear that’s too tight or the wrong size can negatively impact your health. Bras that are too small can cause back and neck pain, whereas undies that are too tight can cause irritation. Tight underwear isn’t just uncomfortable for the wearer, it can also cause a yeast infection or UTI.
For all those real fashionistas, you’ll need to throw out your underwear more cyclically in order to keep up with the latest trends. The lingerie sector has tons of trends influencing all the latest designs. Take a look at the latest lingerie inspired looks in our article from the catwalks to the sheets.
At the end of the day, you are the best person that can judge your underwear. If a bra is no longer supporting you the way it used to, or the elastic in your knickers is feeling a bit tight, this means it’s time to throw them away.
Taking care of your lingerie and undergarments is another way to increase their longevity. Make sure to read the instruction label and adjust temperature settings of your washing machine when dealing with different fabrics.
Cotton, silk, and linen are all fabrics that need to be treated with care. Knowing how to look after your lingerie can make all the difference and help you hold onto your favourite pieces just a little bit longer.
If you shop wisely, you can avoid having to throw out your underwear on a regular basis. As long as you keep them clean and washed after every use, there’s no reason to swap them out. However, even the best quality underwear needs to be let go of eventually, it’s just a matter of finding the right time to do so.
