I think most women find that once they have tried a sports bra they never want to be without one again. The trouble is that one is rarely enough if you lead an active lifestyle. On the other hand investing in several bras requires a significant outlay so how many sports bras do you need?

Why We Love Sports Bras

Active women like sports bras because they provide a good level of support whilst being comfortable. They are constructed with seams positioned to prevent chafing and they also have straps designed to stay put so you are not constantly fiddling with them when you are trying to work out. You don’t only have to use sports bras in the gym, when playing sports or when you are pounding the pavements either. They are also the most practical choice when hiking and are great for skiing. The trouble is these are all activities which will cause you to sweat which means that you should really only wear a sports bra once before washing it.

Dirty Laundry

So here’s the problem. It isn’t practical to wash your bra every day because you may not have enough other laundry to form a sensible load for the machine and hand washing is too time consuming for most people to contemplate as a regular chore.  On the other hand a sweaty bra will induce the growth of bacteria. It will therefore start to smell quite quickly and could lead to spots and other skin problems as well as being really quite anti-social!

The More the Merrier?

On the face of it, active women need as many sports bras as there are days between washes in their households. Some women have one bra for every day of the week, some have even more than that. What if you can’t afford that many or you fall into that age old trap of having favourite pieces that you would rather wear than the others? It is always the way isn’t it? You might have seven bras but there are a couple that you just love so you keep wearing them instead of using the others in your collection.

A useful Solution

It might seem like the only solutions are to spend big or to do a lot of washing but there is another little trick that you can try. When you have finished your workout or whatever else you have been doing take your shower or bath in your bra. Use a little shower gel or take some detergent with you and wash your bra whilst you are wearing it. Take it off when you get dressed and hang it somewhere to dry and it will be ready to wear and odour free by the next day. You will still need to give it a proper wash once each week but it will keep reasonably clean the rest of the time and won’t smell.

If you use this trick you will probably be able to get away with just a couple of sports bras and you will therefore have the budget to buy really good ones rather than cheaper alternatives that do not work so well for you.

Article by Sally Stacey