The When-to-Wash-It Handbook

Learn when you really need to wash summer clothes with this handy laundry guide.

When to Toss It in the Hamper

Real Simple put together an expert consensus on how frequently you need to launder key warm-weather pieces—barring stains or especially sticky days, that is.

Bras

How often you should wash them: After 3 to 4 wears.

What to know: Bras don’t come into direct contact with the underarms, so they can withstand a few wearings. But they need a 24-hour break between wears for the elastic to recover, so try a rotation system: Line them up in a drawer. In the a.m., take a bra from the front, then send it to the back of the line in the p.m.

Exception to the rule: Sweat a lot? Then wash bras daily with a gentle baby detergent, like Dreft. “Perspiration wears down the elastic, so keeping a bra clean will increase its life span,” says Jennifer Manuel Carroll, owner of the Seattle lingerie shop Bellefleur.