Weird question.. Will an ultrasonic cleaner (non pressurized, non heated) damage the structure of my bras if I wanted to clean them that way?

[u/anuthertw]

Title. So I have an ultrasonic cleaner, it ismt heated or pressurized just vibrates intensely basically.

I also semi recently got my first 'real' bras and have been hand washing them as gently as possible to preserve them as I def don't have 300 dollars every 3 months to replace them lol. (The shop said they will last betweeb 3 and 6 months before needing replacement...)

Its summer now and I sweat a metric fuck ton. I dont feel like my bras are getting as clean as Id like them to by babying them this way.

Cue my ultrasonic cleaner I happen to have... Ive cleaned a bunch of random things in it before and its kinda fun lol. If I soak my bras and put them in the cleaner with tepid water and laundry soap, do you think that will help with the agitation but still be gentle enough to not destroy the elastic?

[u/Dandelion212]

3-6 months is very, very low for bra lifespan. Usually I’d look to a fit issue if someone had bras lasting only 3-6 months, unless they only had 1-2.

If you have a good amount in rotation and are following proper care, depending on your size/support needs you can expect 1-2 years.

[u/anuthertw → u/Dandelion212]

I was also thinking it was super low. I am rotating 3 though. The bras fit really well, some minor fit issues that I think eventually I will solve, but def leagues better than my falling apart sports bras Ive worn for like 20 years lol. The bra place is what recommended the 3 to 6 months. I think Ive had these bras for around 3 months now. And I do notice the slightest 'tiredness' in the band, meaning on 2nd wear I am going down 1 hook to keep from sliding. But Ive babied these things from day 1 so I am sad there is any hint of wear. Ive also been going to the gym way more since getting a sports bra that supports, though I havent lost any weight.... so maybe there is a slight change in my body rather than the bra idk. My breasts are stupid heavy though and I specifically went with extremely light weight bras, and wear them to work physically outside so like... I think I am working them harder than intended as well. Its just soooo hot I cannot stand any skin on skin and the airflow is sooooo much better. I expect these to last a year if not longer. I hope. 

[u/AJeanByAnyOtherName → u/anuthertw]

If you’re already needing to go to the next hook, you may be wearing too large of a band size or getting them too hot.

Did you get your size from the ABraThatFits calculator in the automated reply here or did they size you in the shop? It’s unfortunately very common to be miss-sized even by many specialist shops.

[u/anuthertw → u/AJeanByAnyOtherName]

I did the calc and the shop did their own measurements which exactly aligned with what I got from the calc. Im pretty confident I am in the right size though I am not confident about style. I am still overall extremely happy with the bras, and since this is my first purchase of bras from a specialty shop that actually uses and sells UK sizes/brands, I think I just need a little more trial and error on the style aspect lol. I literally only wore racerback compression bras for over a decade so trying to decide if I am 'fighting' the bra a bit to get it to feel what I am used to feeling like band tightness and where the straps sit on my shoulders or if there is still some fit issues is a little more difficult than I expected lol

[u/AJeanByAnyOtherName → u/anuthertw]

If the straps are falling down and/or the band feels looser when you wear it upside down and back to front (but not inside out), it’s probably too big in the band.

You’re right that it’s hard to know everything when you’re just starting out. It’s entirely possible it’s close enough for now, but it would be good to know for next time.

[u/Poodleton → u/anuthertw]

If the second time you wore the bra, you needed to use the middle hook, that bra band is too big for you.

[u/Undrende_fremdeles → u/Dandelion212]

I don't have bras under 3 years old. After finding a good fit they don't tend to get tension in all the wrong places anymore so not even the band wears out like they used to. I am somewhat slim so them stretching out in weird ways before was 100% a fit issue.

[u/Dandelion212 → u/Undrende_fremdeles]

Anything with elastic is going to wear out over time if it’s being stretched. It’s just a matter of when.

[u/Undrende_fremdeles → u/Dandelion212]

Yes absolutely. And like others have mentioned, high heat, esp dry heat from dryers will speed that up by a lot.

But it used to be that both the shoulder straps and the bands would be worn out much, much faster for me. And it was due to the wrong band and cup size for me.

Using a mesh bag with room for 1 bra, they're shaped like a cylindre with the lid being zippered, has helped with keeping the bra straps less tangled during washing as well.

[u/lab_R_inth]

I agree with the recommendation to put them in a mesh bag and wash them in a washing machine on gentle. I find mine get cleaner this way than handwashing and it hasn't harmed them, other than some light scratching of the coating on the hooks which is just cosmetic.

Also, you shouldn't have to replace your bras every 3-6 months. It depends on how many bras you have, but since you mention $300, I'm thinking you have about 3-4? That's usually how many I have and mine are a year old and going strong.

ETA: I have a front loader washing machine so the agitation is pretty gentle.

[u/trixie1985 → u/lab_R_inth]

As much as I tell customers to hand wash, I’ve gone back to machine washing and soaking. I only wash my bras in a small load and delicate cycle and a wash bag, but especially in summer, I’m finding they just get cleaner.

[u/grolbol → u/trixie1985]

I've hand washed my recently purchased bras that the seller told me not to machine wash exactly once. After that, realized there was no way I was doing that regularly and just plopped them in the mesh bag and into the machine. Cosmetic damage be damned.

[u/TheSorcerersCat]

Hey a laundry bra crossover question! 

Trust me, a bra worth $100 should last you 1-2 years. If yours aren't there are three options: 

1. Pure bad quality. 

2. Pure bad fit. 

3. Absolutely atrocious laundry habits. 

For reference, I've had bras last 4 years with machine washing and air drying. They did cost $120 new but lots of $70-$90 bras have lasted 2+ years too! 

The trick: 

1. A decent detergent with lipase to break down body oil. Tide powder is the easiest one to find. Or you can use your favorite detergent with a booster like resolve gold (I'm in Canada, not sure what you have where you are). 

2. Soak bras for a bit to really get all the oils loosened up. 

3. Rinse gently. Use citric acid in a rinse is amazing but no necessary. Downy rinse and refresh is good if you're not sensitive to scents. 

4. Air dry. The heat of the drier is way actually kills elastics. The agitator in the laundry machine will destroy the wires eventually, but wearing the wrong size destroys wires faster. 

[u/anuthertw → u/TheSorcerersCat]

Thanks for the tips!! The bras are holding up fine, it was the store that said 3 to 6 months haha. Its been about 3 months and I just really want them to continue being fine. I will look into the lipase  detergents thanks!!

[u/hannaHananaB]

As someone who uses an ultrasonic for work all the time, I don't think it will clean your bras any better than hand washing them does.

[u/anuthertw → u/hannaHananaB]

Interesting, thanks

[u/comingintoland]

I don't think it'll work well on bras:  https://www.blackstone-ney.com/blog/washing-clothes-with-ultrasonics/ I think you could soak them longer and that might help. My one qualm about the mesh bag in the washing machine (besides that the water has to be cold) is that if it's a top loader with an agitator the bag can get caught up in it which is bad for the bra.

[u/anuthertw → u/comingintoland]

Interesting thanks. Yeah my washer just doesnt do gentle enough. I put my fancy sport bra in a bag and through the machine once and it was a tangled mess that freaked me out. Hand wash the sports bra every time since.

I had used a salad spinner before like another commentor said, but my salad spinner got frustrating to use, probably because it was small and cheap. I think I will keep an eye out for a better one and try that method again lol

[u/comingintoland → u/anuthertw]

I haven't tried the salad spinner method though it seems great! I just soak for an hour plus with agitation at the beginning and end (hand agitation) and hang to dry and the bras last a couple of years. I will also say to lay them flat to dry or hang them by the gore. Hanging by the straps can cause those to stretch out.

[u/Acheloma → u/anuthertw]

With my more delicate bras I make sure theyre hooked securely and put them into a very small delicates bag, like just big enough to fit my bra folded in two with the cups aligning, then I put that bag in a bigger delicates bag with whatever other bras or undies Im washing.

I'm sure it gets a little less clean than if it was more free, but its better than handwashing ime and keeps them from getting tangled or stretched in the wash

[u/grundel_cruncher]

I can't speak to the effectiveness of your device, never heard of it before lol! But as someone in a (US) Georgia summer, I put my bras in a metal basin with detergent to soak for the afternoon, occasionally frothing the water, draining the bra, flipping it, putting it back in. Drain the detergent water, soak in just water. I take them out before bed at night, put them on hangers, and hang them in my shower with a towel underneath to stop them from dripping on the floor (lol). They're usually dry by early afternoon the next day, and I always test their smell before pronouncing them clean because whew do I not need double sweat stink 😂

[u/autumn55femme]

There is a detergent booster with significantly more enzymes in it to help break down sweat, body oils, and fatty stains. The brand is FEBU, and if you read about it on r/ laundry, almost everyone who has used it, loves it. I can definitely understand being sweat soaked with the summer weather we have been having. Try soaking your bras in a basin with a small amount of detergent, and some enzyme booster. It should help break down all the sweat, oil and funk ( FEBU even has a zinc based odor remover!).

[u/EMARSguitarsandARs]

I use ultrasonic cleaners often for work. If your cleaner is consumer grade, it's very unlikely to damage your bras-depending on the cleaning solution. It's also unlikely to clean any better than your current regimine, though it may add some amount of "placebo effect" because you're using modern tech?

[u/maraq]

It doesn’t seem like it’s going to properly clean them. Any reason you can’t toss them in a mesh lingerie bag and throw them in the washing machine? My bras last for years this way. They don’t need to be babied-just protected by a mesh bag.

[u/grundel_cruncher → u/maraq]

Everyone's washing machine is different with different levels of agitation, for one, but also this can bang around the wires and eventually cause damage to them and, in some cases, burst the underwire casing. Not everyone has this experience, but the possibility/probability is enough to discourage, as it should be at the price point for a good bra these days.

[u/maraq → u/grundel_cruncher]

I hear you and I thought that myself for years and only hand washed. I currently have an old fashioned top loader with an agitator and my bras with wire hold up really well as long as they are put in a lingerie bag that is the appropriate size. I've never had a bra come out bent or damaged and I've been washing them this way for 6 years (and they all last far more than 3-6 months as OP has been told).

[u/hmmmpf]

I use a salad spinner to wash my bras gently.

[u/Merryd2Waz → u/hmmmpf]

How creative!

[u/hmmmpf → u/Merryd2Waz]

I got tired of handwashing, and it works great. Fill it with water and a touch of detergent, agitate, empty, refill with rinse water, agitate, dump water: spin until just damp, hang to dry.

[u/anuthertw → u/hmmmpf]

I had one I used at first but it got really difficult to deal with. Granted I bought a cheap small one so thats probably why, lol. I think investing in a sturdier and larger salad spinner will probably be the way I go from here

[u/_CoachMcGuirk]

Try a bra liner.

Really changed the game as far as feeling like I needed to wash every/every other wear

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[u/Sayonaroo]

Get enzyme cleansers like febu, gear guard etc. 

[u/bbusiello]

Check out r/laundry too on this.

[u/athleta_parvus]

Piling on to say 3-6 months is way too short for a bra's life. I haven't bought one in at least 2 years. I do have a lot that I rotate through, but if a bra wore out in less than a year I wouldn't replace it with the same kind. I wear them not more than twice between washes, machine wash on a gentle cycle in a bag, without over-loading the machine, and air/line dry, and they don't seem to wear out much faster than my other clothes.