How to clean a sticky bra and silicone bra inserts

The adhesive on a sticky bra or a silicone insert is not used up by wearing it. It is covered up, by skin oil, lint and dust. Washing removes the layer, and the grip comes back. Done after every wear, a pair lasts up to 50 wears. Done wrong once, it can be finished in one.

What you need

Warm water, a drop of mild soap with no moisturizer in it (hand soap or dish soap, not body wash), your fingertips, and the protective film the product came on. That is all. No cloth, no brush, no sponge.

The wash

1. Take the bra or insert off slowly, from the outer edge inward, and open any clasp.
2. Hold it under warm running water, adhesive side up.
3. Put a drop of soap on the adhesive and work it in small circles with your fingertips. You will feel it go from slippery to slightly tacky as the film of oil lifts. That change is the point.
4. Rinse under warm water until no soap is left. Soap residue is its own film.
5. Shake off the drops. Do not wipe.

Drying

Set it adhesive side up on its protective film or on a clean flat surface, and leave it. Air is the only thing that should touch the adhesive while it dries. A towel leaves lint that never fully comes out, and a hairdryer softens the silicone. Drying takes an hour or two; overnight is fine.

Storing

Once dry, press the film back onto the adhesive and store it flat, in its case or a drawer, away from heat and sunlight. The film is what keeps dust off between wears. If you lost it, a piece of clean plastic wrap does the same job.

Bringing back a cup that lost its grip

Wash it again, properly, before you decide it is done. Most cups that feel dead have a layer of oil the first wash did not lift. Two washes with fingertip pressure, a full rinse, a full air dry. If it still slides, the adhesive has reached the end; that is usually somewhere past 40 wears, or sooner if it was dried with a towel or worn over lotion.

What never to do

• Machine wash or tumble dry.
• Use a towel, cloth, sponge or brush on the adhesive.
• Use body wash, baby wipes, alcohol or anything with oil or moisturizer.
• Store it face down on a surface or loose in a bag.
• Leave it in a hot car or on a sunny sill; heat loosens silicone.
• Put it back on skin that has lotion on it and then blame the wash.

Product by product

The Invisible Bra, The Sticky Bra and The Statement Bra: wash each cup separately with the clasp open; do not wring the padding on The Sticky Bra. The Sculpt, The Sculpt Lite, The Sculpt Petite and The Sweetheart: adhesive on both faces, so wash both, and peel the Lite slowly because its thin edge is delicate. The Sculpt Round: same routine; keep the case, dust is what kills a cover. The Body Tape: single use per strip, nothing to wash. Oil off any residue on the skin and give it a night before the next wear.

How many wears

Up to 50 with this routine. Fewer if it is worn daily without a rest day, dried with a towel, or worn over skin products. The first sign of the end is not a cup that falls off; it is a cup that takes longer to warm up and grip in the first minutes. When you notice that, wash it twice and see.

The rest of the routine

How to wear a sticky bra so it stays on covers putting it on. Care and reuse is the short version of this page for your drawer.