Ways to wash your leggings and make them last forever
You need to know that leggings are not as tough as jeans. Without proper care, they may not last as long as you expect if you wear them regularly. If you want them to remain in their brand-new shape for a long time, you must adhere to some rules.
1. Hand washing
Are your cute bottoms becoming see-through? Here is a tip. The main culprit is the washing machine. It turns out that they are like a swimsuit and you must wash leggings with your hands. This is the only way to preserve their vibrant hues. Your hands are gentle and will not damage the fabrics after repeated washes. Hand washing is not as complicated as some people think. Here is an expert tip: fill the sink with cold water and a little amount of a gentle detergent. Put the sweaty pants in. Don’t mix the dark materials with other colours. The darks should be washed separately to maintain their colours. Moreover, the dark hue might bleed into brighter garments and create a mess. Then swish your leggings around for several minutes in the soapy mixture. Make sure that the water is pressed into the fabric instead of wringing the pants. Once they are clean, rinse your leggings for a second and a third time if possible to ensure that no suds are left. Finally, hang them to dry. Don’t worry too much about the washing machine. It is safe only when used correctly. Avoid using hot water if you want to preserve the nice shape of your pants. Hot temperatures can damage the fiber. Before putting your leggings inside the machine, ensure that they are in a mesh bag. The mesh bag will keep your leggings from tangling around other clothes which could cause overstretching with time. That is not very different from the way you clean your clothes usually.
2. Avoid the dryer
Another important tip is to never leave your leggings in the drying machine. A dryer produces a lot of heat which damages the delicate fiber strands. After a while, your bottoms will start to be see-through and holes may form. Higher temperatures can potentially affect the size and shape of the washed leggings especially those made of Lycra or spandex. The machine also fades the colours. To prevent this issue, let your leggings dry outside. Hanging leggings in the open air will allow the fabrics to dry naturally but don’t expose them to direct sunlight. The only time you could use the dryer is when you need to shrink the skin-tight pants. If needed, put them for not more than 15 minutes and remove them when they are 80% air dry.
3. Don’t use fabric softener
Chances are your fabric conditioner has silicone which eventually creates a coat on the fabrics and weakens the porosity and wicking abilities of your tights. Our third tip is especially true for cotton, Lycra, and spandex fibers. If you accidentally use a conditioner, rewash the garment and rinse thoroughly. A third rinse would be ideal.
Just because your leggings aren’t looking dirty, it doesn’t mean you can get away without cleaning them for months. Try to clean them after the first or second time you wear it. Since you wear them so close to your skin, they get sweaty especially at the private parts, you want to keep them hygienic. In case they get a stain, you can wash the spots and leave the other areas untouched. The stain can be washed with the same detergent you normally use when cleaning tights.
