Bra care and bra lifespan are two of the most important things to learn when it comes to underwear. Unfortunately, many people are uninformed about how best to handle their bras. This can cause the bras to wear out quicker. If you are tired of having to replace your delicate bras every few months, or have damaged your bras in the wash, you will find our tips for bra care will help you save money and enjoy the best bra fit for as long as possible. 

Fit Au Max Lingerie is a company which specializes in supportive bras for women with fuller busts, so we know more than most about taking care of bras to extend their lifespan and preserve the way they fit our customers. 

 How Often Should You Replace Your Bras?

The generally-accepted lifespan of a bra is between 9 months to a year. Even with high-quality bras, signs that it’s time to replace them will eventually emerge. Cups can lose their shape, sizes can drift as elastic fails, and fabric can wear down. If you check the band of your bra, you will have an idea of how much life your bra has left. If you're wearing the right size and your band starts riding up, it means your band has stretched, and it’s time to shop for a replacement.

Rotate Your Bras Daily

You may have heard that it’s important to rotate your bras daily. While you may be tempted to wear your favorite bra over and over, it’s best to give your bras a day of rest after every day of wear. This allows the cups and straps to relax, and therefore retain their shape and elasticity. The rule of thumb is to keep at least three bras for everyday use, with 24 hours between wearings. On their “day off,” let the bras air, rather than stuffing them back into a lingerie drawer. 

Can You Extend the Lifespan of Your Bras?

While every bra has an “expiration date” (the common rule of thumb is approximately 130 wearings), extending the life of your underwear is possible. With proper care and rotation, you can make sure your favorite bra lasts longer. Avoid over-washing your bra, as frequent washing can cause it to wear out faster. As bras absorb our sweat and germs, it is important to air them out. Wash your bras after every two to three wears, so they stay clean but in good condition.

Best Way To Wash Bras

You can extend the life of your underwear by the way you wash a bra or store a bra with the wise application of some care tips. 

• Ideally, hand-washing your bras should be your first option, however that isn’t always possible. 
• Machine washing can be an alternative; when washing in the machine you should always close the bra’s hooks and place the bra in a lingerie bag. Then use a regular or gentle cycle. 
• If using the washer, run the gentle cycle for your bras with an alcohol-free lingerie detergent.

Best Way To Dry Bras

If you want your bras to last longer, air drying is the optimal approach. You can air dry a bra either by laying it flat, or by hanging. Lace bras will dry very quickly due to the light and delicate nature of the fabric.

If you choose to machine dry your bra, use a lingerie washing bag first before placing it in the dryer. 

How do you store your bras? 

Bras benefit from being stored with space, standing up with the cups as such that other bras are supporting them. This will help the cups to hold their shape. Folding or crumpling bras is a bad idea, as it may damage the structure.

How To Choose The Best Fitting Bra Replacement

When it’s time to shop for a new bra, focus on the fit first. While you may be used to wearing the same size bra for most of your adult life, your site and shape may change over time. We recommend measuring your bra size for best results. 

The list below includes some common issues that women have with bras that don’t fit properly.

• Not everyone is aware that there is an inverse relationship between band size and cup size. If you go up in band size, you’ll need to go down in cup size, and vice versa.
• If your bra straps are digging into your shoulders and your breasts are spilling over the cup, a likely explanation for that is your cups are too small. You may want to invest in a larger cup size. And remember the bigger the cup size the smaller the band size.
• If the bra band is riding up between your shoulder blades, the likeliest cause is that your bra band is too big and that it is time to replace it with a bra that has a smaller band size and bigger cup size.
• Conversely, if your straps are slipping off your shoulders, the issue may be that your cups are too big, and that a smaller cup size is in order.
• The issue of the center gore floating away from the sternum can occur when your cups are too big, and this can be remedied by getting a bra with a smaller cup size.

Fit Au Max Lingerie offers high-quality, beautiful bras for larger-busted women, and with the help of our resources, you can keep them in great condition for longer.

Check a few of our Bras: