How to Clean Underwear

Co-authored by Ayad Mirjan

Last Updated: September 16, 2022

Underwear get dirty quickly and seem to be the most difficult clothes to wash correctly. You can wash your everyday underwear in the washer, but for delicates, you’ll have to do some hand washing. If you know the proper process for cleaning underwear, you can easily avoid damaging or shrinking it!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Removing Stains

1
Apply stain remover solution onto soiled garments. You should never put stained clothes into the wash without treating them first, because the water can set the stains. Spray a stain remover, like Shout, OxiClean, or your other preferred brand, onto the stained area and let it sit for about 30 minutes.^{[1]
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- After the solution has soaked into the stain, you can put it in the washer and run it through the cycle as normal.
2
Put a pinch of salt on blood-stained underwear, and run it under cold water. Before you wash underwear with blood stains, rub a pinch of salt into the stain. Then, run the stained area under a stream of cold water to remove as much of the blood as possible.^{[2]
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- The salt works to pull out the blood while the cold water loosens it from the fabric.
- Never use warm water to remove blood stains, as this sets the stain and it will be impossible to remove.
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3
Mix dish soap and 3% hydrogen peroxide to remove sweat stains. Light colored underwear and bras can get sweat stains, especially in the warmer months. Rub a mixture of equal parts dish soap and 3% hydrogen peroxide on the stain and let it sit for 30 minutes.
- After the mixture has soaked into the stain, place the garment in the washer and wash as normal.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Washing Everyday Underwear

1
Put the washer on the gentle cycle. For any kind of cotton, spandex, or polyester blend undergarments, use the gentle cycle on the washer to ensure that they aren’t damaged while washing. Look for a cycle labeled “Gentle” or “Delicate” on the dial.^{[3]
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- The movement of the regular setting on the washer can cause holes, rips, and tears in underwear.
- Bras and slips should be washed about every 3-4 wears, and can be placed in a load to be washed with your other underwear. Washing too often can cause them to lose their shape!^{[4]
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2
Place slips, bras, and items with straps in a mesh delicates bag. This also helps to protect undergarments while they’re in the washer. It prevents twisting, pulling, and stretching of the fabric, and ensures that your items will hold up over time.^{[5]
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- Be sure to fasten any clasps before putting the items in the bag to prevent them from catching on the netting.
- You don’t need to use a garment bag for most underwear without straps or underwires because they’re less likely to be damaged in the washer.
3
Wash your underwear all together. It’s best to wait and do a load of only pairs of underwear to keep them safe. Buttons, zippers, and clasps from other types of garments can pull on underwear during the wash cycle, causing tears, holes, and stretching.^{[6]
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- If you have to wash your underwear with other clothes, avoid washing items with zippers and buttons, like jeans, in the same load.
- For undergarments, smaller loads are better. If you have a lot of underwear to wash, break it up into two separate loads to avoid damage.
4
Lay the underwear flat or hang on a clothesline to air dry. To keep your pairs of underwear from shrinking, air dry them for 2-3 hours by pinning them to a clothesline or laying them flat on a towel. If you’re laying it out to dry, be sure to flip the underwear over halfway through the drying time so that both sides dry evenly.^{[7]
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- If you’re in a rush, you can put underwear in the dryer on delicate with the lowest heat setting to quickly dry a few garments.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Cleaning Delicate Underwear

1
Separate your delicate underwear from the rest of your underwear. An easy way to do this is by checking the washing instructions on the tag of the underwear. Underwear that are “hand-wash only” will have a symbol on the tag that looks like a hand in a bucket of water, or the tag will say “hand-wash only.”
- If you can’t find the tag or it is missing, a general rule of thumb for identifying delicates is to hold the garment to the light. If you can see through the fabric, it’s delicate and should be hand washed.
- Always turn delicate garments inside out. That way, you're not affecting the surface area of the garment and can protect it from damage.
2
Soak the pieces in soapy water for about 5 minutes. Fill your sink or utility basin with about 2 to 3 in (5.1 to 7.6 cm) of water. Then, squirt a pea-sized amount of mild shampoo or baby shampoo into the water and stir it to create bubbles. Place your lace, silk, and other delicates into the water and let them soak.^{[8]
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- The temperature of the water will depend on whether or not the item is stained. For blood stains, be sure to use cold water to prevent the stain from setting. For regular wear, it’s safe to use warm water.
- Before you fill up the basin, make sure it’s clean by wiping it with a cloth or baby wipe!
3
Use your hands to move the garment in the water with swishing motions. Avoid wringing, tugging, scrubbing, or stretching the fabric. Gently swirl it around in the water for about 2 minutes to mimic the movements of a washing machine.^{[9]
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- If you have a stain on the item, apply a drop of additional soap to the spot, and gently rub the spot using your thumb. Avoid using other solutions to treat stains, as they can damage the fabric or cause discoloration.
4
Rinse the garment under cool water to wash off the soap. To get the soap out of the underwear, drain the basin and turn on the tap to make a stream of cool water. Rinse the garment with warm water until there is no soap running into the drain.^{[10]
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- If you don’t want to leave the water running, or you have a lot of garments to rinse, you can refill the basin with fresh, cool water and do the same swishing motion to rinse.
5
Roll the underwear in a white towel gently to remove excess water. As soon as you’re done rinsing, absorb the moisture from the fabric using a clean bath towel. Avoid using colored towels as they can leach dye into more delicate fabrics.^{[11]
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- Be gentle with the underwear, and avoid squeezing or wringing it in the towel. Pat the garment gently to blot off the water.
6
Hang the underwear to dry. Use a clip hanger or clothespins to hang up the underwear to let it air dry. For lighter fabrics like lace, it should take about 3-4 hours for the underwear to dry completely. For denser fabrics, like silk or satin, allow 5-6 hours.^{[12]
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- If you don’t have a place to hang your underwear, you can lay them flat on a towel to dry. Flip the garment over after 1.5-2 hours to make sure both sides dry evenly.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you clean badly dirty underwear?

Ayad Mirjan
Dry Cleaner & Laundry Specialist
Ayad Mirjan is a Dry Cleaner and Laundry Specialist and the Founder of OrangeBag®, a toxin-free, sustainable, Los Angeles-based laundry and dry cleaning delivery service. Ayad has over four years of experience in the industry and he specializes in providing easy laundry and dry-cleaning solutions to professionals, families, and businesses. Ayad received his Bachelor's degree from The University of California, San Diego, and an MBA from Henley Business School. He is also a board member of the Entrepreneur's Organization Accelerator (EOA).

Ayad Mirjan

Dry Cleaner & Laundry Specialist

Expert Answer

Use baking soda on the stain! Add some water to form a paste and gently brush the stain before washing. This usually does the trick!
Question

How would I spot-treat blood stains?

Community Answer

You'll find good advice in Remove Blood Stains.

Warnings

Always check the tags of delicate items to ensure that you are washing them according to the manufacturer’s directions.

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