Washing Guide for Different Underwear Fabric

Fabric care is not just a consumer topic. For private-label underwear brands, wash performance directly affects return rate, product reviews, and long-term reorder confidence. A good care guide starts with fiber behavior and then translates it into clear customer instructions.

Cotton and Cotton-Blend Underwear

Cotton offers breathability and skin comfort, but repeated high-temperature washing can accelerate shrinkage and color fading. Recommend cold or warm water, mild detergent, and low-heat drying to keep shape stability across multiple wash cycles.

Modal, Viscose, and Bamboo-Based Blends

Cellulosic fibers feel soft and smooth, but they are sensitive to rough mechanical friction. Suggest a gentle cycle, mesh laundry bag, and separation from garments with hooks or zippers. This lowers pilling risk and helps preserve hand feel.

Nylon, Polyester, and Elastane Constructions

Performance underwear often relies on synthetic blends for stretch recovery and quick drying. High heat can damage elastane memory. Recommend cool washing, no bleach, and no high-heat tumble drying to maintain elasticity and waistband tension.

How Brands Should Write Care Labels

Care labels should be short, consistent, and test-backed. Align wording with your internal wash test protocol: shrinkage tolerance, colorfastness, and seam integrity after repeated cycles. This reduces complaint disputes and protects brand credibility.

Buyer Checklist

• Validate wash-care wording during sample approval, not after bulk production.
• Run at least one controlled wash test per core fabric family.
• Standardize icons and text across all SKUs to reduce customer confusion.
• Train customer-service teams to use the same care guidance language.

When care guidance is engineered into product development, underwear quality stays stable longer and post-sale issues drop significantly.