A few weeks ago this column had discussed the need to wash our bras after every wear. Today let’s talk about drying our bras, especially now that the monsoon is engulfing us. But before that let’s do a quick recap of the dos and don’ts regarding washing our bras:

• Hand wash. Simply soak in a mug of detergent water — or in a salad spinner — for 10 minutes only. Rinse clean.
• Add a tablespoon of white vinegar in the soak to perk up your yellowing/greying bra.
• Use a paste of baking soda and water to remove sweat/deodorant stains.
• If you absolutely have to machine wash your bra then use a vegetable mesh bag to protect the bra from excess damage in the machine.

Drying a bra:

• Never ever dry your bra in the dryer. It is catastrophic for the bra’s elasticity.
• After the hand wash, do not wring a bra dry. For the underwired bra, wringing is an absolute no since it de-shapes the bra over time. If it is a padded or a fibre-filled bra, the wringing will crack the cups within. Instead, press and squeeze the water out as much as possible.
• Dry your bra in an airy area. It could be indoors on your shower rod, in your bedroom window on the curtain rod, or in a veranda.
• Harsh sunlight is a worry for bras. If your bra does not dry throughout the day, move it on a hanger to your cool bedroom at night. It will dry with ease overnight.
• When wet, the way to dry a bra is to hang it from its centre in a manner that the two cups are on two sides of the clothesline. Make sure that the bra is balanced well on a hanger.
• The drying of padded and fibre-filled bras poses are a problem in the monsoon. Because these bras are thick, layered and difficult to dry. Be patient please. Let them air for more than a day, because if they don’t dry well, they will not just smell but may also have mildew and fungus in them. Fungus stains are difficult to remove. Even if you do manage to, they often eat into the fabric of the bra.

A word of caution: Sometimes we hook the bra while drying to prevent it from falling off. Never do so please. Very few bras use stainless steel hooks that don’t rust. If you hook your bra while it’s wet, moisture collects in the hooks and corrodes them. Simply keep the hooks and eyes apart from each other so that water naturally seeps out of the bra.

May your bras dry with ease!

The columnist is the founder-CEO of Necessity-SwatiGautam, a customised brand of brassieres.

Contact: necessityswatigautam@gmail.com