What's the ideal temperature for washing underwear, and what should you consider when it comes to different colours? In the past, underwear was always boil-washed, at a temperature of a scorching 90 degrees. With today's modern washing machines and detergents, however, it's no longer necessary to wash all your underwear at such high temperatures. In fact, it can even be harmful: it can significantly shorten the lifespan of your underwear, causing it to fray or develop holes more quickly.

The right temperature for washing underwear

Always check the label or tag on your underwear first. This will show the recommended washing temperature, as the manufacturer knows exactly at what temperature the fabric can best be washed. If you wash at a higher temperature anyway, you risk your underwear wearing out faster, fading, or losing its fit. Keep in mind too that underwear contains plenty of bacteria. These are only fully killed at a washing temperature of 90 degrees Celsius. At 60 degrees, bacteria at least stop multiplying, while a temperature of 40 degrees will leave your clothes clean and fresh, but bacteria may still remain.

So what's actually the best washing temperature?

These facts seem to contradict each other. So what's really the best choice? Our advice: always follow the instructions on the care label. If your underwear still smells odd after washing, it's a good idea to run an empty wash cycle at the highest temperature. This is known as a maintenance wash, which kills bacteria inside the machine itself. If your underwear still smells strange after the next wash, you can wash it once at 60 to 90 degrees. Just keep in mind that this can shorten the lifespan of your underwear, so use this method as sparingly as possible. The good news, by the way: underwear from a well-known or quality brand holds up much better against higher temperatures than cheap, unbranded underwear.

Wash brightly coloured underwear separately

It happens quite often that white underwear comes out of the wash looking pink. To avoid this, it's best to wash coloured items separately, distinguishing between dark and light colours as well. To keep white underwear truly bright white, always wash it separately using a dedicated white-wash detergent. Looking for quality underwear that can take a beating? Browse the collection at hom-shop.com.