A support band or nursing bra that has "gone loose" after six weeks has usually not worn out from use. It has been cooked, wrung, or chemically stripped in the laundry.
Compression garments are mostly nylon or polyester blended with elastane — the stretch fibre also sold as Lycra or Spandex. Elastane makes up a small percentage of the fabric by weight but does all the work of returning the garment to its original shape. It is also by far the most fragile component, and three ordinary laundry habits destroy it quickly.
The three things that kill elastane
Heat
This is the big one. Elastane fibres are set into shape during manufacturing. Heat above roughly 40°C begins to relax that set permanently. The fibre stops springing back and the garment goes slack.
A tumble dryer is worse than a hot wash because the exposure lasts longer. One cycle on high heat can do more damage than months of wearing. This applies to dryers on any setting that produces real heat, not just the hottest one.
Chlorine and optical brighteners
Bleach attacks elastane directly, breaking the polymer chains. So do many "whitening" detergents, which contain optical brighteners and mild oxidising agents even when they are not labelled as bleach. Fabric softener is a different problem: it works by coating fibres in a waxy film, which clogs the weave, reduces stretch recovery and traps odour.
Mechanical stress
Wringing a wet compression garment stretches the fibres while they are at their weakest. So does the spin cycle at high speed, and so does hanging a heavy wet garment from a peg — the weight of the water pulls the fabric downward for hours.
The method that works
Rinse it the same day you wear it
Sweat is slightly acidic and salt is abrasive. Both sit in the fabric and degrade it between washes. A 30-second cold rinse under the tap after wearing removes most of it and roughly doubles how long a garment lasts. This single habit makes more difference than anything else on this list.
Hand wash where you can
- Fill a basin with cool water — 30°C or below. Cold tap water is fine.
- Add a small amount of mild liquid detergent. A capful is plenty. Powder detergents do not always dissolve fully in cold water and leave residue in the weave.
- Submerge and press the garment gently with your palms. Do not scrub, twist or rub the fabric against itself.
- Soak for 10 to 15 minutes. No longer — extended soaking does not help and can weaken the elastic.
- Rinse in cool water until no suds appear.
- Press the water out. Do not wring. Lay the garment flat on a dry towel, roll the towel up like a swiss roll, and press down along its length. The towel takes most of the water out in about a minute.
If you must use the machine
Use a mesh laundry bag — this is not optional. Hooks, Velcro and clasps catch on other garments and tear the mesh panels that provide the support. Close every hook and fasten every Velcro tab before it goes in.
Set the machine to a delicate or hand-wash cycle, cold, with the lowest spin speed available. Wash support wear with other soft items only. Never with towels, denim, or anything with a zip.
Drying
Dry flat, in the shade, on a clothes airer or a towel. Two things to avoid: direct sunlight, which degrades elastane through UV exposure, and hanging by a strap or edge, which stretches the garment along one line while it dries.
Never use a dryer, a radiator, a heated towel rail, or an airing cupboard. If a garment is still damp in the morning, that is normal — it means you have not over-dried it.
Practical extras
Own at least two. Elastane needs roughly 24 hours out of wear to recover its shape fully. Alternating between two garments means each one lasts noticeably longer than a single one worn daily.
Do not iron. Direct heat on elastane melts it. If a garment is creased, dampen it and lay it flat with a light weight at the corners.
Store flat or loosely rolled. Do not fold a moulded cup bra inward on itself — it deforms the shape permanently. Do not hang compression garments long-term; gravity slowly stretches them.
Skip the dry cleaner. Dry cleaning solvents dissolve the finishes applied to technical fabrics.
When it is genuinely finished
Even with perfect care, elastane has a working life. Signs a garment is past it: the fabric no longer springs back when you stretch a section between your fingers, the closures have to sit on the tightest setting to feel like anything, or you can see the elastic threads through the fabric surface as fine white lines.
With daily wear and good care, expect roughly six to twelve months from a well-made compression garment. With a hot wash and a tumble dryer, expect closer to six weeks.
Always check the care label on your specific garment first — manufacturer instructions take priority over general guidance.