How do I wash and dry this type of bra so it maintains it's shape?

GQ because I just toss mine into the wash. Would love to hear what others have to say..

The wire in some underwire bras is a shape memory alloy (Nitinol) which returns to its original shape when heated in the dryer. It gets bent in the washer but returns perfectly once it gets above the trigger temperature.
You’ll have to read the instructions.

I used this material for a type of satellite dish. The smart money went into bra design. Go figure. Johnson and Johnson were on the ball.

The underwire will help, but I never put my bras in the dryer. I always hang them and let them air dry. I also bought one of these bra balls and it’s worked wonderfully. I can fit two bras in the washing ball. Then I just hang them to dry. Voila.

Those second bras are really pretty. I want the pink and turquoise ones.

I’ve had those before. I just washed them regularly, and air-dried them with something that will help hold the shape such as some rolled up socks. Don’t put them in the dryer.

Lingerie bag on delicate cycle, and do not overstuff the washing machine, there should be plenty of room for the clothing to move around. Best not to wash with heavy things like towels. Oh, and hang dry as you would with any other bra.

Hand wash in Woolite and hang or lay flat to dry.

You are a very pretty girl. @tinyfaery!
It hardly ever happens that i wash bras, but when i do, i throw them in a pillow cover (close it with a hair band).
The new one that you showed, looks quite fragile, so if it were my girlfriend’s bra, i would wash it by hand with not too hot water.
And there probably is a label in it, with washing conditions, like also @worriedguy stated.

I would guess if she is asking she is trying to avoid having to hand wash.

@rebbel That’s not @tinyfaery

You could do it in the washer on delicate cycle, but I probably would hand wash it in Woolite or one of the other special detergents. I never put bras in the dryer, I hang them to dry.

@jjmah
It is for me now :-)

By the way, @tinyfaery, i forgot the drying of the bra.
If you have one, you can use a lettuce centrifuge to get the biggest deal of water out of it, and then let it dry like you always do, on a door knob.
I wouldn’t let it hang in sun light.

@rebbel Haha!

Ah c’mon! Ladies! Doesn’t anybody use the Shape Memory Alloy like you’re supposed to? We engineers worked so hard to make it work right and you don’t even get it up to the trigger point! Room temp drying will not make the wire magically go back to its original shape.
We tried to make it switch at body temp but it would have been uncomfortable when you first put it on. The designers opted to make it switch at dryer low heat setting.
Air drying is like only driving a Corvette below 55 mph because that’s the speed limit. You’re killing me.

@worriedguy I don’t use a dryer. and I don’t drive a car….. (edit) and to be honest… I probably don’t warrant wearing a bra.

@Allie So you wash in the washing machine and use that ball thing?

@rebbel hahaha. I am not Asian, or that skinny, or that young. Sorry to disappoint.

@worriedguy Interesting information. I worked for two bra companies and never learned this. Maybe it was too long ago. It’s not really about the wire in this case, it is about the cup of the bra itself, that the cup keep its shape and the foam not getting screwed up.

@worriedguy you engineer bras? If so I need an appointment. jk
What if I put the bra in the oven to reshape the wire? What is the trigger temperature?
I don’t like what the heat and tumbling of the dryer does to the rest of the materials in the bra.

@JLeslie Yes, I’m worried about the cup getting out of shape.

I have to thank @worriedguy for mentioning Nitinol. amazing stuff and way cool to learn about! Follow that link to read a fascinating story about a very cool invention! He is right ladies…you are not using the bra the way it was designed to be washed and dried!

I wear mostly Victoria’s Secret demi bras, and some of them have a molded shape. I hand wash them then lay them on a towel, with 2 pairs of wadded socks under each cup so that they dry in that shape.

@wilma I don’t design bras. I worked on the material for another application. Other guys worked on the bra. You should check if it is in fact an SMA underwire. The info will be with the bra. Trigger temp was 110 -120F. You can do it with your hair dryer on low heat. Don’t microwave it.

@JLeslie OK, I can’t help you with the cup – unless you want it made out of SMA.

There are all sorts of applications for this stuff: foldable satellite dishes, self opening window vents. IUDs, medical stents, aircraft hydraulic connections.- and bras .

@tinyfaery Yeah, I put the bra in the ball and the ball in the washing machine. There’s a mini plastic ball inside too which helps the cup keep its shape and also stores the straps so they don’t snag on anything. Tuck the straps in there, put one cup on each side and close. It keeps its shape perfectly.

I love it how 9 people are viewing this question..

I came for the pictures first but then the engineering got me hooked.

@Cruiser See? I wasn’t making it up. Now do you understand why it kills me?
I published a research disclosure on a particular application. I love this stuff.

My day is complete if i can convince one woman to take her bra above the trigger point. That poor under-wire has been crying out: “Heat me! Heat me!” but its pleas are muffled by lace and foam.

Next time I do my delicates, I’m getting out the hair dryer.
Thanks @worriedguy

@worriedguy I wonder how many woman are going WTH when their bra snaps back in shape while they are out in this heat wave!! LOL!!

Ok. This is the general section, people.

@tinyfaery To be fair this is general information. I’ll bet more than few people learned something. I’m glad you asked this question.

Seems off-topic to me.

[mod says:] I think @tinyfaery is right. This seems a bit too chatty in some parts. Please remember this is a general question and all responses must be helpful and on-topic.

How do we know what bras have this amazing plastic in them and that we should expose them to the heat of a dryer or hair dryer?

It will have the word “memory” in the name like “Memory Bra” for example.
The underwire is metal not plastic.

You can get the wire here.

I used to roll up my panties and stuff it in, then put in a small lingerie bag, and wash on the delicate wash cycle.

Always hand wash them with a gentle cleanser like Victoria’s Secret Lavish Laundry Detergent. I like to fill up the sink with warm water and a little detergent and let the bras pre-soak in the water. Gently clean the bra (mainly the inside) and rinse thoroughly. You can lightly squeeze the bra to get rid of excess water and then lay it on a flat clean surface like tile to dry. It usually takes a few hours to dry but the bra will maintain its shape and the lace will stay nice for a long time.

I do not like to wash my bras or anything delicate in the machine even though its convenient. Even with a lingerie bag, the clothes last longer when I wash it by hand.

Also, I don’t recommend throwing it in the dryer or using a hairdryer because some bras, particularly the stiff ones have a little plastic inside of the bra to help hold the bra up when you wear it. Heat makes the plastic deformed over time.

The delicate cycle of washing machines has never ruined a bra yet and I’ve worn all kinds over the years. Sometimes the molding foam has gotten slightly crinkly because I only air dry but if I gently rub from the inside of the cups then they smooth out.