A Sports Bra is an essential part of your workout outfit. A well-maintained sports bra enhances your performance during your workout sessions. But how to clean sports bras is a question that we come across every now and then.

Sports bras provide you with support during intense workouts. They help in minimising any discomfort to your breasts. But if you don’t care to maintain them, you will compromise their effectiveness. So, you must maintain your sports bra. 

A] Benefits Of Caring For Your Sports Bra

Good quality sports bras are your biggest investment. So, you should always buy the best bras for women such as the ones available at FBM. But sports bras are prone to getting damaged like any other piece of cloth. You might often think, ‘How long does a sports bra last?’ Well, you can increase their life cycle by just keeping a few things in mind.

We will take a look at those things. But first, let us look at some benefits of caring for your sports bra.

1. Provides Better Support

Sports bra provides you with good support and freedom of movement while working out. If you don’t care for your sports bra or wash it too often, it might lose its grip. When the bra loses its grip, it won’t be able to support easy movements. A well-maintained bra will provide you with the maximum support you need to finish your exercises.

2. Cost Savings

Inadequate maintenance will ruin your bra within a short span. Proper care will ensure that your sports bra lasts longer so you don’t have to buy a new one again and again.

3. Boosts Confidence

A nicely maintained sports bra will boost your confidence. When you wear it at the gym, you will feel confident about the shape and functionality of the bra. You can easily focus on your workout without any distractions.

B] How To Extend The Life Of Your Sports Bra

Thinking about “how long does a sports bra last?” Making your sports bra last long isn’t rocket science. You just need to incorporate a few habits into your care routine.

The below mentioned are a few ways that will help you extend the life cycle of a sports bra.

1. Rotate Your Bras

Instead of just relying on a single bra, try to build a collection of a few sports bras. Rotation will help in distributing the wear and tear evenly as you can avoid over-reliance on any one bra.

2. Hand Wash Your Bra

Machine washing is quite hard on the clothes. On the other hand, hand washing will be a gentle choice on the fabric and elastic of your sports bra. You can use a mild detergent and lukewarm water to wash off the dirt.

3. Fasten Hooks Before Washing

Before washing your sports bra, fasten the hooks so that the hooks do not engage with other fabrics during the wash cycle. 

4. Use A Mesh Laundry Bag

If you can’t avoid machine washing, try keeping your sports bras in a mesh laundry bag.  It provides an extra layer of protection and reduces friction so that the bra maintains its perfect elasticity and shape.

5. Air Dry The Bra

Instead of putting your sports bra in the dryer, air dry them. Air dryers generate high heat which affects the elasticity and fabric of the bra. You can just hang them or lay them flat to dry. 

Even if you air dry your bra, make sure you take out its pads before washing and drying. It is the ideal way for how to wash a padded sports bra.

6. Take Care Of The Storage

Fold all your sports bras neatly and lay them in the drawer to keep them in the best shape. Over-stuffing can often lead to misshaping of the bras.

C] How To Wash Your Sports Bra?

When it comes to washing your sports bra, you have two options. You can either wash it with your hands or put it in the washing machine.

1] How To Hand Wash Your Sports Bra?

Handwashing your sports bra is a gentle way to clean it effectively.

• Fill a bucket with lukewarm water.
• Add mild detergent and dip your sports bra in the water.
• Rub the fabric with your fingers.
• Pay attention to the areas that accumulate sweat and odor.
• Rinse the sports bra thoroughly with lukewarm water.
• Leave it to dry.

2] Machine-Washing Method

If you are using a washing machine to clean your sports bra, make sure that you take a few precautions.

• First of all, fasten the hooks of your sports bra.
• Put your sports bra in a laundry bag.
• Use a gentle cycle with lukewarm water to minimize stress on the fabric and elastic.
• Avoid using any fabric softeners. They can break down the elasticity of the clothes.

Can You Put Sports Bra In The Dryer?

While washing the sports bras in the washing machine, you might want to put them in the dryer as well. But don’t give in to your temptation.  You might end up ruining your sports bras if you put them in the dryer.

D] Other Important Questions Regarding Caring For Your Sports Bra

The below-mentioned are some important questions that you might have about caring for your sports bra.

1. How Long Can You Wear A Sports Bra?

All medical practitioners recommend that a person wears a sports bra for not more than eight hours at a stretch to avoid discomfort and chafing.

2. Should I Remove Bra Pads Before Washing?

Yes, you should remove bra pads before washing them to maintain their shape. It also helps in preventing them from folding during the process of washing.

3. Is It Okay To Wear A Sports Bra All The Time?

You might want to wear a sports bra as a part of your workout outfit for women all the time. But when it comes to your sports bra, you should wear your sports bra only for your workout. Give your breast a break from compression.

4. Do Bras Shrink In The Dryer?

Most sports bras might shrink in the dryer when they get exposed to high heat.

5. Why Do My Sports Bras Smell?

Sports bras usually smell because they accumulate a lot of sweat and bacteria. So, it’s best to opt for moisture-wicking fabrics such as the ones available at FBM. Moisture fabric helps in managing sweat and preventing odor.

Conclusion

Sports bras are the most important part of your workout outfits. For some people, they are too big an investment. So, it’s important to maintain the bras to ensure that they have a long life. 

Remember that you’ll be able to keep only those bras in good condition for long that are made of good quality materials. You’ll find sports bras made from the best materials at FBM. Try it for yourself today.