Caring for your underwear

Washing IS caring for your underwear, as it is the most critical part to ensure the longest (and prettiest) life possible. Washing and drying is also key to reducing our environmental footprint, as 75-80% of clothes environmental footprint comes from these 2 activities. (https://www.treehugger.com/htgg/how-to-go-green-laundry.htmL).

 Find below a few tips&tricks of how to take care of your Nereida’s garments:

Tip 1- Machine vs. hand washing: the hands win!

Underwear are delicate things. They act as support and are made with fine fabrics such as lace, so, unless you are wearing an all cotton item, you really should not be tossing them into the washing machine.

I am a busy woman- no time to hand wash.

We hear you, so find below to ways to get there being efficient in time AND caring for your underwear:d wash.

Tip 2- Set up of the washing machine: Delicate, separated and with a laundry bag

Key things for washing on the machine include:

Key things for washing on the machine include:

• Use a delicate (hand wash) cycle
• Use cold water (normally preset when you are washing on delicate cycle)
• Use a laundry bag, this helps so that the bra is not twisted
• Wash similar colors (whites with whites- dark with darks) AND similar garment types (better not to put in your pretty bras with jeans)

Trick! Hook your bra! This helps so that the bra doesn’t get stuck to other garments whilst washing.

Tip 3- Washing by hand: make it quick baby

I have always believed that it is the thought of washing by hand what deters me from doing so… but that once you do it, it is actually not that bad! And it also saves a lot of water if done right. My “hand-washing” routine:

9 steps of washing -10 minutes max:

1. Separate in similar colors
2. Fill a bowl, bathroom sink with cold water.
3. Put in your garments and add some detergent (make sure you read the label as to how much to add)
4. Toss the water a bit to mix the soap, water and garments.
5. If there are any garments that are particularly stained (think perspiration stain in the band of the bra) add a bit of detergent and rub slightly
6. Let it soak for a couple of minutes.

Trick! In the meantime, whilst soap and water work their magic, you can take a shower.

1. Toss the water a bit more and get ready to rinse. To save water, drain the water, and fill it again, toss some more.
2. Repeat the rinsing if needed.
3. Gently squeeze the water out. Do not twist, otherwise the garments loose their shape

Trick! wear gloves if you don’t want to ruin your hands. Alternatively you can use this washing session as preparation for an in-house manicure- no cuticle will resist you after this.

Tip 4- Delicate detergent for delicate clothes

If you wash by hand you might want a “special” detergent for such tasks: liquid is normally easier to rinse; detergent should be activated in cold water and formulation should be delicate to your hands.

Detergent choice is up to you. As an advice for all delicate garments it is not enough to choose a cycle (machine or hand wash) but detergent also plays a big role, so it is worth to have a special detergent for special clothes. It may seem as a spurge, but in the long term your clothes will thank you.

Important when choosing a detergent:  NO bleach, as this destroys the fabric’s fiber. You should not use any fabric softener, as this may also affect the shape of the fabrics. If needed a classic grandma trick is to add a bit of vinegar when you are rinsing the detergent off, as it helps to remove the soap much easier and leaves the fabric soft to touch.

Lastly on the detergent topic: Have you checked out for eco- detergents? In Europe they are easy to identify with the EU-Ecolabel emblem. This label is a certification that the manufacturing process follows certain requirements that support the creation and strengthening of circular economies (f.e. reduced use of plastics, detergents are activated in cold water, no harmful ingredients, etc. If you want to find out more: https://www.beuc.eu/publications/beuc-x-2017-056_ecolabel_factsheet.pdf)

Tip 5- Drying is key!

Absolutely NO dryer. This is very important as heat ruins the elasticity function of most fabrics, can create rubs in lace, destroying shape and form. The best is to dry by air on top  of the clothing rack (as opposite of hanging from it). This is specially true for bras.

When you wash by hand, one way to dry it is to put a towel underneath the freshly washed garment and let the excess water transfer to the towel. Then you can put it on the clothes rack and voilá- perfectly shaped and dried!

Tip 6- When do I wash?

The classic question! Panties, every day a new panty as mom would say. Bras, you can take a rule of thumb after 2-3 wears, this will depend on the activities you’ve done on these days.

Trick! To avoid too much washing the best is that you don’t wear the same bra every day, but instead alternate them. This way, they get some air, get back in shape and you can pile them to wash them at once saving water and time!

Tip 7- Reducing microplastics:

Microplastic are tiny plastic particles that clothes release when you wash, these particles cannot be collected by normal water treatment so they represent a significant source of pollution to our oceans. There are different ways to reduce the microplastic release when you wash:

1. Get a Guppy friend bag or coral ball- these items help to gather microplastics and avoid them to be released when your washing machine releases water
2. Wash with as little friction as possible: ie, centrifuge as little as you can, squeeze as soft as possible
3. Follow our tips above! Wash only when needed and do it delicately!

These are our tips & tricks- anything you do that helps you take care of your clothes? Share your comments below!