How to Wash Hosiery

Hand or machine wash your hosiery to clean it with these easy steps

Co-authored by Lauren Schugar

Last Updated: May 23, 2022

Panty hose, tights, stockings, and the like may play a major part in your winter wardrobe. When you’re wearing hosiery several times a week, it can get dirty fast. Unlike your t-shirts and jeans, hosiery requires a more careful cleaning process. To keep your hosiery in good condition, hand-wash it or put it in the washing machine in a lingerie bag, and then lay it out to dry.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Hand-Washing Your Hosiery

1
Fill up a sink with soapy water. Plug the drain and fill your sink up with lukewarm water. Then add in a capful of mild soap. Avoid using antibacterial soaps or soaps with that have intense fragrances, as these are typically the harshest.
- Baking soda and/or vinegar are good cleaning alternatives if you’d rather add them to the water.^{[1]
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2
Soak your hosiery. Submerge your hosiery in the water and let it soak for about 10-15 minutes. This will help loosen up any dirt or dust.

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3
Take off any jewelry you’re wearing. Make sure to take off all of your jewelry before you start hand-washing. Rings, watches, and bracelets might snag the hosiery, which may cause it to become damaged or ruined.^{[2]
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4
Rub the fabric together. While keeping it underwater, scrunch some hosiery and carefully rub it against the other pieces of hosiery that are in the sink. This light friction will help remove dirt from the hosiery.^{[3]
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5
Rinse the hosiery and squeeze out excess water. Begin to drain the sink and turn the faucet on. Rinse the hosiery thoroughly in cold water by holding it underneath the faucet. Turn the water off, gather the hosiery into a ball shape, and carefully squeeze out excess water.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using the Washing Machine

1
Put the hosiery in a lingerie bag. If you’d rather wash your hosiery in the washing machine, make sure to put it in a fine weave lingerie bag and zip it closed before tossing it in. This will protect your hosiery by keeping it from snagging and tearing.
- If you don’t have a lingerie bag, you can put the hosiery in a pillow case and secure the top with a rubber band.^{[4]
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- Pro Tip: Wash on the delicate cycle and hang dry. Lauren Schugar, professional stylist, tells us: "The directions on tights and stockings will almost always say to hand wash. The delicate cycle is a good alternative if you can't do that!
2
Put detergent in the washing machine. Start the washing machine on a gentle cycle with cold water and add in some mild detergent. Don’t put in any fabric softener.^{[5]
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Wash them by themselves. Toss the lingerie bag of hosiery into the washing machine without any other clothing. This will further prevent any snagging or tearing from happening.^{[6]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Drying your Hosiery

1
Roll the hosiery up into a towel. After washing, lay the hosiery on a clean towel. Roll up the towel and then push down on it so that the towel absorbs the moisture from the hosiery.^{[7]
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2
Lay your hosiery out flat. Get another clean towel and lay your hosiery out flat on it. Leave the hosiery on the towel and give it some time to air dry. Check the hosiery after an hour or so. Put it away once it’s completely dry.
3
Avoid the dryer. The dryer can cause all kinds of problems for hosiery, including shrinkage, tearing, and loss of elasticity. ^{[8]
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Research source} Don’t opt for this drying method so that your hosiery will last longer.
4
Stay away from the clothesline. While it’s not as bad as the dryer, hanging your hosiery up to dry can also cause damage.^{[9]
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Expert Q&A

Question

Can I put tights in the washing machine?

Lauren Schugar
Professional Stylist
Lauren Schugar is a professional fashion and wardrobe stylist. She has worked in the fashion industry for 20 years, and currently specializes in production wardrobes for print and video shoots.

Lauren Schugar

Professional Stylist

Expert Answer

Usually it's okay to use the washing machine. Using the delicates cycle is an easy alternative to hand washing. Try it out on hosiery that isn't your favorite first. If it comes out looking good, then you can do this whenever you're in a rush!
Question

What kind of detergent should I use?

Community Answer

Tide or All both clean very well; they both take out stains and unwanted smells.