How To Wash Pantyhose

I was chatting to Crystal yesterday evening over some excellent tapas and a glass of crisp sparkling cider. She said that she was thinking on giving up wearing her ultra-sheer pantyhose. Her problem is that they hardly ever survive the first wash. A few brief questions revealed where she was going wrong. Here are all the tips I gave her that will guarantee her precious nylons last longer.

How to wash pantyhose?

• Hand-wash your pantyhose if at all possible, though machine washing is possible from time to time. I wear gloves in case of hangnails.
• Use cool to lukewarm water. Heat weakens the nylon fibers.
• Use the mildest soap or detergent that you can find. Antibacterial soaps, strong chemical detergents, and soaps with intense fragrances all corrode nylon.
• Use a lingerie bag for washing pantyhose in the washing machine.
• Never ever use fabric softener.
• Rinse thoroughly to remove all soap residue.
• Dry ultra-sheer hosiery flat. Hanging wet pantyhose causes stretching of the nylon that will make your hose sag around the knees.
• Never dry pantyhose in the direct sun. Ultraviolet light makes nylon fibers brittle.

Pantyhose, stockings, and the like will play a major part in your year-round wardrobe. When you’re wearing hosiery several times a week, it can get dirty fast. Unlike your t-shirts and jeans, hosiery requires a more careful cleaning process. To keep your hosiery in good condition, hand-wash it or put it in the washing machine in a lingerie bag, and then lay it out to dry.

Hand-Washing your hosiery your best option

Plug the drain and fill your sink up with lukewarm water. Then add in a capful of mild soap. Avoid using antibacterial soaps or soaps with that have intense fragrances, as these are typically the harshest.

Baking soda and/or vinegar are good cleaning alternatives if you’d rather add them to the water.

Harsh detergents will degrade the nylon fibers, causing premature holes and ladders.

Submerge your hosiery in the water and let it soak for about 10-15 minutes. This will help loosen up any dirt or dust.

Make sure to take off all of your jewelry before you start hand-washing. Rings, watches, and bracelets might snag the hosiery, which may cause it to become damaged or ruined.

While keeping it underwater, scrunch some hosiery and carefully rub it against the other pieces of hosiery that are in the sink. This light friction will help remove dirt from the hosiery.

Begin to drain the sink and turn the faucet on. Rinse the hosiery thoroughly in cold water by holding it underneath the faucet. Turn the water off, gather the hosiery into a ball shape, and carefully squeeze out excess water. It is important to thoroughly rinse out the detergent so as to prolong the life of your hosiery. I usually rinse two or three times.

Using the Washing Machine

If you’d rather wash your hosiery in the washing machine, make sure to put it in a fine weave lingerie bag and zip it closed before tossing it in. This will protect your hosiery by keeping it from snagging and tearing. If you don’t have a lingerie bag, you can put the hosiery in a pillow case and secure the top with a rubber band.

Use your washing machine as a last resort. The directions on tights and stockings will almost always say to hand wash. But, if you are unable to do that, you can wash on the delicate cycle and hang dry. Machine washing will likely shorten the lifespan of your hosiery due to a lingering residue of strong detergents and fabric softener.

Start the washing machine on a gentle cycle with cold water and add in some mild detergent. Don’t put in any fabric softener. Fabric softener works by splitting fibers, thereby creating the feel of softness.

Toss the lingerie bag of hosiery into the washing machine without any other clothing. This will further prevent any snagging or tearing from happening. Zippers and the hooks of your bra clasps will rip your hosiery to shreds.

Drying your Hosiery

After washing, lay the hosiery on a clean towel. Roll up the towel and then push down on it so that the towel absorbs the moisture from the hosiery.

Get another clean towel and lay your hosiery out flat on it. Leave the hosiery on the towel and give it some time to air dry. Check the hosiery after an hour or so. Put it away once it’s completely dry.

Avoid the dryer. The dryer can cause all kinds of problems for hosiery, including shrinkage, tearing, and loss of elasticity. Don’t opt for this drying method so that your hosiery will last longer.

Stay away from the clothesline. While it’s not as bad as the dryer, hanging your hosiery up to dry can also cause damage. Specifically, hanging your hosiery may stretch it out and make it fit looser than it’s supposed to. Clotheslines and clothes pegs can both snag on your hosiery, causing damage.

Never dry your hosiery in the direct sun. Besides the heat that will affect the elasticity, ultraviolet light causes the nylon to degrade rapidly.