Understanding the Washing Symbols Tights come with

Tights, pantyhose, leggings and stockings are all intimate apparels that need to be washed regularly. Neglecting hygiene here will cause skin infections as tights are prone to pick bacteria, odor & skin cells off your body when you wear them even for a day. Washing thigh high stockings or tights carelessly, thins them that make them vulnerable to holes & rips. Tights generally come with the following washing labels & instructions for which you should have a thorough understanding about.

- Wash at 30 degrees temperature in machine with a gentle spin

- Do not bleach

- Do not tumble dry

- Do not iron 

- Do not dry clean

Every piece comes with its unique set of washing guidelines depending on the yarn used, coloring & denier. Therefore, before throwing the packaging away, make sure you have noted down any special washing instructions.  It is an understood fact to invert your thigh high stockings inside out to prevent lint-buildup. Also make sure to sort-out all of your delicates from the rest of the garment’s pile when washing. Always wash them in a mesh bag. Alternatively, a pillow case can be used.

Thigh high socks should not be bleached, washed with solvents, dry-cleaned or ironed. Keep these washing symbols in mind as they remain same for whatever the type of your stockings is. Unless your thigh high socks/ tights are less than 40 denier you should hand wash. For socks over 40 deniers, a machine wash with cold water and a gentle spin is safe.

Also Read: Washing Thigh high socks using a laundry bag

Practice Hygiene with your Tights

Women who are modest love to wear tights. Since they provide sheer coverage, they are perfect to keep you stylish without putting your modesty at a stake. Tights are worn throughout the year because they keep you warm and at the same time ensure ventilation, unlike grandma pantyhose. Whether you have a favorite pair of tights that you keep repeating or a bunch of pairs; your tights need regular machine wash (in most the cases) every three to four wears. Otherwise, your tights will end up becoming the cesspool of bacteria.

How Regularly should I Wash my Tights?

Tights pick skin cells and sweat from body perspiration. Even though tights provide enough ventilation at the crotch area, they do develop bad odor over the course of wears. Tights keep your butt, legs and toe covered the entire day. This means they have been through the environmental dust, moisture & sebum debris that your skin produce. To keep them hygienic, it is good to toss them in the laundry basket every second day in summer/spring season. The washing cycle can be stretched to 3-4 days during winter though.

Unfortunately, washing tights scare most of the women as tights are somewhat expensive & delicate. Washing them way too often may deteriorate the finish, snag them, and make them fade the color or what worse than the development of fuzz balls? In order to prevent your hosiery from being orphan or get damaged during a machine wash, get yourself a lingerie bag. Lingerie bag keeps your undergarments safe. Furthermore, be very vigilant about keeping the machine cycle mild & wash using only cold water.

Make your Tights Last Longer Despite Regular Washing

Women’s Health Magazine suggests keeping a new pair of tights in the freezer for a night. As per them, the frigid temperature helps constricting the fibers in the tights that makes them last longer and rip-proof.

After you get a new pair of tights, simply run them under cold water and freeze. The next day, let them defrost over shower rod and let them air dry. Wear fearlessly & rock in any outfit!

Every clothing that hugs your skin closely needs to be thoroughly washed. However be gentle with your tights/stockings as these delicate pieces are prone to rip-offs. Failing to keep them clean means a cesspool of bacteria that can trigger infections at the groin & at genitals. 

Never Lose Socks in Laundry Again

This is an unflattering truth that even the best organizers of us lose their socks during a laundry cycle. Having a bunch of mismatched socks is totally a waste which of course no one would fancy. Even the thigh high socks are subjected to get orphaned as soon as you put them off and throw in the laundry basket. Thigh high socks are more than just socks- they help you building an outfit. It is always fun to mix and match the various layers of your outfit with thigh high socks. Unfortunately, as you miss a sock; you do not only end up wasting a kawaii pair of thigh highs but also the entire outfit you would usually wear with these. To prevent losing socks during a machine wash, follow the steps below

Get Clips for your Thigh High Socks

Sock-clips are easily available in the stores or you may purchase some online. Sock-clips are easy to use. They are available in various funky colors and work just like paper clasps. Clip a pair of thigh high socks before putting it into a washer. Keep the cycle mild. Dry your socks whilst they are still clasped and arrange them neatly in your drawer afterwards.

Use a Mesh Bag to Keep Thigh High Socks Contained

If you don’t have sock clips at the hand, take your mesh lingerie bag out and utilize. Put all your thigh high socks in the mesh bag and throw it in the machine for a gentle wash. Since the bag is made of mesh-net; it will allow enough of the soap water into the bag. The bag does not only facilitate washing, prevent socks losing their elasticity but also keep your socks contained in the washing machine.

Before, putting your socks in the washer, please double check that they are color fast. Wash dark colors separately. Do not iron your thigh high socks. Lay them flat & let them air dry, preferably.

Use lingerie bags whilst travelling to keep your thigh high socks confined than floating in your suitcase. These mesh bags work like a charm everywhere. Hopefully, you are never going to lose your thigh high socks again.

How to Care for Thigh-High Socks: Handling, Wearing & Washing Thigh High Socks

Thigh-High socks are the latest vogue. Stockings are delicate and need diligent care & handling. All thigh high socks from sheer stockings that deliver “Barely there” ‘look & feel’ to warmer & more comfortable cotton stockings; need to be properly stored, washed & handled. This prevent fall-offs, development of fuzz-balls, & holes.

Handling Thigh High Socks

• Thigh high socks are available in numerous varieties. The care instructions may vary from fabric to fabric. There are grand ma’s panty-hose stockings and or lace-y/ ruffled thigh high socks. All thigh high stockings have one thing in common – that they stay held-up at the thighs firmly. Since thigh high socks make use of silicon bands as an adhesive; improper care and mishandling with your knee-high socks can cost you a lot. If the silicon band loses the effectiveness, the socks will fall off causing you embarrassment in public.
• Avoid using body lotion when wearing thigh high socks. This reduces the friction which disturbs the chemistry of silicon band. Some cheap socks instead use elastic bands that stay put longer but turns everyone off because of the muffin-top effect they create.
• Thigh high socks especially sheer socks should be handled with great care. Keep your nails properly trimmed and be very careful about the jewelry and accessories. They get snagged easily which may lead to tears & ripping.

Wearing High Stockings

• Don’t pull your hosiery way too up. You will cause holes in your socks’ toes doing so. Once again; toe nails should be neatly foiled to avoid holes. In case socks leave an unflattering cupcake effect; swap your stockings with a size or two bigger. Sometimes it happens when you pull your thigh high stockings unnecessarily high. Lowering them a bit down should help.
• Hosiery socks are not one size fit all. Depending on the girth & height of your thighs, you can select from different size ranges i.e. 155cm to 170 cm. Know your size before messing with your stockings.

Washing High Socks

Lay your Thigh high socks flat to dry. Do not wring or hang

• Depending on the denier of your hosiery thigh high socks you can machine-wash them by securing them in a garment bag. In absence of a garment bag, a pillow case will do fine. However, ideally thigh high socks should be hand-washed. Don’t put them in a dryer. Don’t hang them to dry. Lay them flat so that they retain their shape.

Thigh high socks are though an inexpensive clothing item; proper care & handling will help them last you 4-5 months. With thigh high stockings you have infinite options to customize your outfit. Wear these socks with mini-skirts to look a sassy chic or pick a conservative style to wear them under your pants. Thigh high socks do not flatten your silhouette like grandma’s pantyhose & they are good to keep your significant other hooked to you!