It’s our mission to inspire Bravissimo girls to feel confident and amazing, and we understand that when you find supportive swimwear and lingerie that you feel great in, you want it to last as long as possible. So, we’re here to arm you with knowledge so that you can get the most out of your lingerie and swimwear. Read on to learn more about looking after your lingerie and taking care of your swimwear, from handwashing your bras, to air drying your swimsuits.

Short answer, YES! We understand that washing lingerie by hand can be a bit of a pain, but machine washing can cause wonky wires and make the elastic not-so-stretchy. Putting your lingerie in the washing machine can also damage the plastic tips on the end of the underwires and cause them to push through their casing which can scratch your skin or get tangled in your washing machine – double ouch!

We recommend that you hand wash your lingerie – it’s really easy, we promise! Simply soak them in cool water and detergent, and then gently rub your bra all over (paying special attention to the band and armpits) and rinse in clean, cool water. Is it the same for non-wired bras? Some non-wired lingerie can be washed in the machine on a cool wash – it’s always best to check the label first. Just remember to fasten the hooks so they don’t get caught on anything else!

When you’re drying your lingerie avoid any source of direct heat, like the tumble drier or radiator, as this can damage the shape and elasticity of your bra. Once you’ve washed your bra, leave it somewhere to drip and air dry.

As too much direct sunlight can lighten the colour of your swimwear, we’d recommend drying your bikinis and swimsuits out of direct sunlight to keep them bright and colourful.

Make sure your sun cream is totally dry before you put your swimwear on, otherwise it can leave patchy yellow stains which can be a little tricky to remove.

Elastane (the stuff that makes swimwear stretchy!) really doesn’t like heat or chemicals. So, we recommend not tumble-drying your swimwear or putting it on a radiator – simply hang it up to air dry instead!

Chlorine can be damaging to the fabric and colour of your swimwear so, after having a splash in the pool, don’t forget to rinse your swimwear in cold water straight away to get rid of the chlorine and hang it up to air dry.