When do you start? Right after you bought your new lingerie. Don't rip the tags off! Not only would you potentially run the risk of ripping your lingerie, you could also lose useful information about its care.

Don't just throw your undergarments straight to the washing machine. Hand washing is still the cheapest and best way to clean your lingerie, if and only if it doesn't have a 'Dry clean only' label. Use gentle detergent and cold water. You may also want to try cleaners in the market specifically targeted for care. Leave your lingerie out to dry but not directly under the sun. Most undergarments are made of delicate materials that dry out quickly.

Finally, if your lingerie doesn't come with tags, here's a quick reference on common materials and their specific care instructions:

Acetate: Dry cleaning is best recommended.

Acrylic: Can either be hand washed or dry-cleaned.

Cotton: You can either hand wash it, machine-wash and then put it in the dryer, or dry-clean it.

Nylon: Can be machine-washed but be sure to set the dryer at low temperature.

Rayon: Varies between dry cleaning and hand washing it.

Silk: Requires gentle care. Although most labels would strongly suggest to have it dry-cleaned, it's no longer an absolute necessary. You can hand wash it using gentle soap and let it dry naturally.