best lingerie detergent to keep your silk lingerie silkin'

Organic peace silk, leaver’s lace, stretch tulle, 14k-gold trims — our lingerie is luxuriously created to be endlessly worn. Which is why we recommend choosing a worthy lingerie detergent that will extend the life and beauty (and sex appeal) of your investment pieces. Here, we’ve rounded up our pick of the best lingerie detergents to keep your delectables looking and feeling endlessly luxurious. Plus, how to hand wash them like a pro.

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the top 5 best lingerie detergents for your silky playthings

The Laundress Delicate Wash 

$30, 16 fl.oz / 473 mL

The Laundress was created by a pair of fashion industry pros to offer a clean, eco-friendly alternative to dry cleaning. Formulas are plant-derived and carefully designed to preserve and protect clothing. Specially formulated for delicates like lingerie and even evening wear, Delicate Wash forgoes enzymes for an extra gentle clean. It’s double concentrated (so, a little goes a long way) and ideal for cold water washing.

Eucalan Delicate Wash in Grapefruit

$16, 16.9 fl.oz / 500mL

Eucalan's environmentally friendly, no-rinse formulas make it super easy to hand wash delicates, because they eliminate the need to rinse while infusing your pieces with ingredients designed to condition fibers, deter dust mites and moths, and act as an anti-static. The Grapefruit and Lavender formulas are especially perfect for sexy silks worn next to the skin, because they contain essential oils that smell amazing and have antiseptic properties to boot.

Steamery Delicate Laundry Detergent, $24, 25.4 fl.oz / 750mL

Perfect for luxurious silks, Scandi brand Steamery’s Delicate Laundry Detergent is free from protease, an enzyme that dissolves and breaks down protein-based stains in natural fabrics like silk, which is basically made up of proteins. Meanwhile lanolin oil acts as a conditioner that nourishes and lubricates the protein fibers, protecting them from drying out, while helping them withstand dirt and water, and maintain their luster. All that, plus scents of rose and musk make this concentrated formula a sultry choice.

Dirty Labs Hand Wash & Delicates Detergent

$18, 8.6 US fl.oz / 254mL

Formulated with nontoxic, biodegradable ingredients, Dirty Labs’ sustainable formulas use Phytolase®, an enzyme cleaning technology that targets stains instead of fabric. Specially formulated for silks and hand-wash-only garments, the brand’s extra gentle Hand Wash & Delicates Detergent is made with natural, nontoxic ingredients, free from dyes and fragrances, dermatologist tested and approved by the National Eczema Association (NEA). Which makes it both a skin-kind and lingerie-kind choice.

Dr. Barbara Sturm Laundry Detergent

$55, 33.81 fl.oz / 1000 mL

Also ideal for sexy intimates worn next to the skin, Dr. Barbara Sturm Laundry Detergent is a plant-based, biodegradable formulation that’s safe for both delicate silks and sensitive skin. Dr. Sturm believes that an anti-inflammatory lifestyle is key to great skin, and her detergent is dermatologically tested and free from preservatives, enzymes, microplastics, dyes, brighteners and artificial fragrance — while being enriched with skin-friendly ingredients like purslane, aloe vera and panthenol. Talk about an all-round beauty.

Now that you have a lingerie detergent worthy of your most luxurious lingerie, simply follow these 6 steps to wash-day pleasure.

1. After adding the recommended amount of lingerie-friendly detergent, soak your delicates in cool water for five to 30 minutes. (The more dirt or stains, the longer the soak.) 

   
   

2. Rinse gently. Unless you’re using a rinse-free formula, of course. For an added shine, some experts recommend adding a few drops of white distilled vinegar to your rinse water.

   
   

3. Remove excess water by laying pieces flat on a clean towel. Roll them up (one at a time, please) and press gently. (Never wring or twist delicates!)

   
   

4. Reshape pieces and either hang to dry or lay them flat on a towel away from direct sunlight. (Always skip the dryer!)

   
   

5. Finish with a quick steam to smooth out any wrinkles. No steamer? No problem. Hang them in the bathroom while you take a hot ‘n’ steamy shower.

   
   

6. Before packing them away, soak a wool dryer ball in Streetique Laundry Drops by Not A Kult and stash them in your lingerie drawer (or your play sack for weekend adventures). Not only do these energetically charged, essential oil-infused formulas smell divine, they’re loaded with vibration-elevating, mood-boosting and anti-fungal properties. Now that’s sexy AF.

What brands are on your best lingerie detergent list? Comment below.