DAME Vivienne Westwood wasn’t alone when she confessed she never washes her bras - as a new survey reveals British women only wash theirs six times a year.
The eye-popping evidence reveals the average British woman wears her bra an astonishing seven times, which equates to roughly two months, before washing it.
Stain experts Dr Beckmann, the company behind Lingerie Whitener, conducted extensive research among 2,025* female customers into their bad bra washing habits.
Which would explain all the grey bra straps then. British women certainly have a different bra for every day of the week, with the average woman owning 15 bras. The research also shows the average woman spends a massive £2,700 on bras in her lifetime.
The most popular colour of bra in the UK is white (55%), followed by coloured (27%) then black, (18%) revealing that women prefer that crisp, clean look but it doesn’t last long.
The most frequently asked question of Dr. Beckmann’s customer services centre (relating to underwear) is ‘What is the best way to clean dirty bra straps’, as this is the most likely part of the bra to be on show.
The research also reveals the most common stains found on dirty bras are stale perfume, body lotion, fake tan and sweat.
Dr Beckmann stain guru Lesley Naylor explains: “As a company with a huge interest in the cleaning habits of the nation, we carried out extensive research into the UK’s bra cleaning routines.
“So we weren’t at all surprised when Dame Vivienne admitted she doesn’t wash her bras because our customer surveys have already shown us that British women only wash their bras on average once every seven wears, or every two months.
“The problem is that this lack of washing means that bras look tatty, grey and dirty which obviously doesn’t look good but is also far from advantageous for the life of the bra.”
Lesley added: “The extra dirt is clearly not good for the wearer’s skin as bras are fitted snug to the chest and this build up of bacteria can create irritation. Dirty bras could become a thing of the past if British women washed them more regularly and maintained them every few months – this would also prolong the life of the bra.
“We recommend washing bras at least once every two to three wears and using Lingerie Whitener once every three months to keep grey bra straps at bay and underwear looking as white as new.”
For more information on Dr. Beckmann visit www.dr-beckmann.co.uk
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