Don't even think about just throwing your lingerie in the wash with all the rest of your laundry. With the diverse types of styles and fabrics on the market today you simply cannot through everything together. What you must do to ensure the life of your lingerie is either hand wash or use the delicate cycle of your washing machine and wash your lingerie by itself. As far a cleaning agents are concerned you need to be sure to only use the mildest detergents and fabric softeners since the materials used in most lingerie damages easily. This is even more true with fabrics that are very sheer as well as mesh and lace lingerie.

Some of the more expensive styles on the market may even require dry cleaning so be sure to read the tags on how they are to be cared for and if you are going to remove the tags make sure you remember the instructions. If you tend to have a poor memory you may even want to write down the instructions and keep them in your laundry area. Just as with other clothing, the more often you launder your lingerie the shorter the lifespan, you will get the longest use by hand washing.

As far as synthetics such as polyester, rayon and others you really have to be careful with washing and drying because they are so delicate. The best practice to be on the safe side is to wash these types of lingerie in the sink using warm water and a mild detergent. You should also be aware that garments with padding or wire will not last long if they are washed too frequently. If you choose to wash in a machine make absolutely sure that the setting is on delicate and as I mentioned before don't wash other clothing with them. Drying can be especially harmful so be sure to only use a very low heat setting for a short duration of only 15 or 20 minutes or better yet let them line dry.

Caring for cotton fabrics can be very difficult because of shrinkage and other factors. Depending upon whether the garment is 100% cotton or a blend will determine what type of care you need to apply with more cotton needing more care. Cotton shrinks in a distorted manner and can become short, wide, and uneven if not handled properly. It isn't that big a deal for t-shirts that you wear around the house but it isn't attractive for your lingerie that you want to be sexy and form fitting. As with other delicates the best treatment is to hand wash with mild detergents and allow to line dry to avoid excessive shrinkage, you may need to touch up with an iron to eliminate wrinkles.