Taking care of our male clothing is usually pretty simple. Care instructions are either basic washing machine settings or dry cleaning. When it comes to our femme clothing however, depending on the item, they will need some extra attention for proper care. We hate to see you ruin some sexy lingerie or a pretty dress you’ve only worn once or not even at all yet. Since we wouldn’t want to see this happen, we have put together some tips on proper care for your CD clothes and lingerie.
Bras
Bras should be treated like delicate lingerie when washing. Depending on the bra type, you should either hand wash (delicate or luxury bra) or if you’re putting bras in the washing machine, you can use a mesh lingerie wash bag that keeps the bras separate from the rest of your laundry in the machine. If you don’t have one, make sure to clip the bra strap so it doesn’t get tangled up in other laundry while in the washer.
Be mindful of underwire bras. I would definitely hand wash them. If you put an underwire bra in the washing machine, there is a good chance you will warp the underwire over time, due to the bra being knocked around in the machine. Eventually, the wire will poke through the bra and that would be really bad for your breast forms if they were to get punctured.
If you are handwashing, put the bra in some cold or lukewarm water. If the water is too hot, it can shrink or compromise the material. Using some fabric soap, let the bras soak for a few minutes before rinsing.
No matter how you wash the bra, you must hang dry it. DO NOT put the bras in a dryer. Lastly, it is better to have a few bras in your rotation depending on your frequency of use as the elastic needs a little time to recover between uses.
Lingerie
Ideally, lingerie should be hand washed in cool water as hot water will compromise the fabrics and elastics on it. If it must go in the wash, keep it in a lingerie wash bag and wash it only with other delegates and not with any heavy wash items like jeans or towels. Keep your light and dark colors separated to avoid bleeding into one another. Lastly, only drip dry on the counter and do not ring it out as the twisting can warp the lingerie.
Panties
To say you should wash your panties or gaffs after each use is a no brainer. Check the labels for care instructions as different materials and styles have different instructions for washing. Be sure to wash on a delicate cycle in either warm or cold water. Never wash them in hot water as it can break down the fibers and slowly destroy your pretty panties. If they aren’t a delicate material, you can throw them in with your regular wash. Delicate panties can be washed in a wash bag to separate them from your regular clothing. You can always hand wash your delicate panties as well. Regardless of how you wash the delicates, be sure to hang dry them as you do with your bras.
Shapewear
Because of the elastic properties of shapewear, be sure to read the care instructions on the tag. Because shapewear is worn on your skin, you do need to wash it regularly, especially if you sweat a lot. With most shapewear, it is best to hand wash as well but if you have to use a washing machine, be sure to wash in cold or warm water and never use chlorine bleach. Hang dry your shapewear as well.
One shapewear item that many CDs use is the padded panty/girdle. When washing these items, be sure to remove the padding out (only certain ones have that ability) before putting in the machine. Wash the panty part just like any other undergarment, in cool water and delicate to protect the fibers. If you own a pair of padded panties where the padding is not removable, then hand wash it and hang dry for the best results.
Corsets
Because of their inner boning and materials, corsets must be dry cleaned. You can severely damage the boning in your corset and possibly rust the grommets by putting it in the wash. If you cannot take the corset to a dry cleaner, your best bet would be to spot clean it using a fabric freshener. But really the only way to properly clean the corset is dry cleaning. If you cannot get to a dry cleaner often and wear the corset regularly, a good compromise is to wear a corset liner or tank top under the corset to keep it off your skin.
Hosiery
Hosiery can be re-used a few times before washing. When you do wash, fill up your sink with cool water with some mild detergent. Let the hosiery soak for a bit before adding some mild detergent. Swish your hosiery around for a minute and then let it soak for about a half hour. When you’re done, gently ring them out and hang dry them.
Clothing
Depending on what you are wearing, the care instructions will vary. Always read the tag for how to wash and be sure to keep all similar clothing together for the wash. A lot of CD clothing has artificial fibers in it due to the need for stretchiness. In that case, you should wash in cool water or have the items dry cleaned. If you are opening your dress or blouse for the first time, you should be sure to hand wash it so the dye’s that may bleed out will not damage any of your other clothing. Be sure to wash before you wear for the first time as the colors that could bleed in the wash can also do the same while on you and discolor your undergarments and even your forms.
Depending on how often you dress, the need for cleaning care may vary as far as frequency. In the long run, we cannot suggest enough to follow proper care instructions and take the extra time to hand wash your most delicate items so you can enjoy them for a long time to come.
For more crossdresser fashion tips and advice, head over to our blog. Do you have any disaster stories that have happened while cleaning your CD clothes? We want to know. Email us at glambmarketing@gmail.com or send us a message on our Facebook page.