I only handwash my wetlook stuff :) Everything else holds up just as good in the washer
I wash everything in the machine. If its really delicate I will pop it in a pillow case. I've never damaged anything.
I wash all of our lingerie in the machine - it has a 'hand wash' cycle and I put the bras in to a close mesh bag. No tumble-drying, of course, and only about a 500 spin. Works fine; the only two bras that have suffere were one that was faulty anyway, and another that popped a wire after several years of machine washing. That one is repairable when I get round to it or get somebody to sew it for me ...
This is out of about 200 bras over about 15 years.
Talia wrote:
An interesting observation while I was looking through the sales offers in a French shop: Aubade actually had pretty big (cardboard) labels on their lace bras "Do not handwash! Machine wash at 30° only!" Now I'd really like to know why, but I was unable to find an explanation on their website.
After all, I know I'm doing it wrong when I handwash as hot as the water comes from the tap (60 °) - "handwash only" implies 30° max.
So far none of my lingerie purchases have suffered in the washing machine, btw, though I did recognize that the Adore Me basque wouldn't fit and likely be damaged (so I did wash it by hand - I'm lazy, not stupid). And the Spoil Me babydoll got washed on its own in the sink after dyeing my sheets - I didn't want to risk it imparting a pink tinge to the rest of my laundry...
I worked for a lingerie retailer and machine wash on a 40 wool wash was recommended, as 30 is too cool to dissolve the natural oils our skin produces. That said my silk lingerie goes in a laundry bag on a delicates wash which is 30
Everything else goes on a 40 wash
Good point, siren40. Our old machine had a 30 degree and a 40 degree delicates cycle, but the new one only has 30 degrees for what it calls 'hand wash'. As you say, the woollen cycle at 40 degrees is probably a better bet in most circumstsances.
I separate colours to make a really dark lot, a middle lot and a pale one. Never been a problem at 40 degrees.
Siren40 wrote:
I worked for a lingerie retailer and machine wash on a 40 wool wash was recommended, as 30 is too cool to dissolve the natural oils our skin produces. ...
The label actually might have said 40°, I'm not sure now.
As a professional, do you have any idea why the company would specify "Do not handwash!" It was very visible, on a cardboard tag as big as the brand name one, so I think they really mean it.
But I can't figure out why! Especially as other bras from the same company (without lace, though) specify handwashing...
Think its because when you hand wash its difficult to tell the temp of the water. I can tolerate much hotter water thsn my hubby, also possible that the oils from skin or even the detergent doesn't get properly rinsed out, which could damage the fabric over time
I've hand washed a few items for reviewing, but having arthritis it's really difficult, so everything gets shoved in the machine on a delicate wash.
Always been fine, unless I've accidently put them in the dryer.
Friday13 wrote:
I'm lazy so nothing gets hand washed. I don't even put things in a bag, I just throw them in with everything else  I've only had one thing get mangled (a bra) in all the years I've been doing it so I'm not too concerned.
Ditto! You start out with the best of intentions, putting them to one side, and as soon as you have a pile of nice things it'll get done, and they just sit there looking at you till you give up and throw em in with a normal low temp wash.
As an even lazier friend of mine once said, "you can only ruin 'em once."
Zephron wrote:
Friday13 wrote:
I'm lazy so nothing gets hand washed. I don't even put things in a bag, I just throw them in with everything else  I've only had one thing get mangled (a bra) in all the years I've been doing it so I'm not too concerned.
Ditto! You start out with the best of intentions, putting them to one side, and as soon as you have a pile of nice things it'll get done, and they just sit there looking at you till you give up and throw em in with a normal low temp wash.
As an even lazier friend of mine once said, "you can only ruin 'em once."
I"m lazy too, but I've found an easy way to integrate the mesh bag into my laundry routine: The bag hangs from the door handle next to which the laundry basket is standing. When I strip the delicates go directly into the bag and all the rest into the basket. When the basket is full everything goes into the machine at 40°.
(Though I'm not sure whether the bag's purpose is to protect my undies or the other way round - protect my tops from the bras' hooks which never want to stay closed...)
Talia wrote:
The bag hangs from the door handle next to which the laundry basket is standing. When I strip the delicates go directly into the bag and all the rest into the basket. When the basket is full everything goes into the machine at 40°.(Though I'm not sure whether the bag's purpose is to protect my undies or the other way round - protect my tops from the bras' hooks which never want to stay closed...)
Good plan. If I get anything else nice, will defo bag it up 
I do think it is mainly to keep hooks and wired things out of your regular wash (I hate that sound of something metal scraping down the glass door of the washing machine, even if it is just the button on a pair of jeans it still sets me off, lol).
I tend to throw lace and poly satin fabric panties in a padded laundry bag and wash at 30°C with a fast spin. Silks get a cold hand wash and plenty of rinses and a good drip dry. Bras can be hit and miss, after a while they become subject to the washing machine treatment, although in a separate bag from the pants.
Another lazy poster. All in the washer and no problems.