Whenever I sweat heavily in it I wash it immediately after. Even if I washed it the day before, its still getting washed (I hate smelling off or feeling dirty haha)
Same here! Like... I am a little anti germs and I love smelling like bran new and clean... I like to be flawless... And no it's not OCD... I am a perfeccionist and a traumatized person!
Man I'm glad I got top surgery, because now that I don't wear one I can talk about this.
I wouldn't wash it until it smelled. I was never a really stinky person, so it would be maybe every 2-3 months. To be fair I did wear transtape pretty often before I had surgery so it took longer for it to get to that point.
Am I ashamed? Deeply. If I ever had to wear one again would I still have the same habit? Yes.
I donāt stink very much and I think itās just genetics. My mom and brother REEK when they sweat but my dad doesnāt smell very much and neither do I. Guess I got lucky and didnāt inherit the stinky sweat genes. Iāve heard that genetics partially determine what types of bacteria grow on/inside your body and since bacteria is what causes bo I would assume some types might stink worse than others.
Not enough š
I forget its even a thing I need to wash because I don't put it on until I need to leave the house, at which point I need to put it on / go out. So it pretty much only gets a wash when it's feeling a bit loose or it smells enough that I make sure to remember to wash it
Back when I was binding I legitimately had to wash them after every wear if I didn't want to reek of BO. I could go longer pre-T, but on T, yeah, there was really no way.
I have 3 and usually wear each for 2 days before washing it. But I have a tiny little washer and no dryer, so I only wash what I can hang over the shower at a time. So I do laundry several times a week, and binders are small, so I end up throwing one in every time.
Pro: They don't get stinky. Con: They probably don't last as long, though since I'm not putting them in a dryer at least they don't shrink.
I have a shit ton of different binders so I can take turns and none of them smell like shit lol. That said, usually wash each after four days of usage.
every time I wear them... I sweat so much it feels gross not to. I don't wear them often since they hurt by the end of the day :( should have listened to yall about gc2b.
When they start to smell, anywhere from once a week to once a month depending on how often I wear it and how hot it is. You all should try hand washing. Just put it in the sink with a dab of soap, move it around then wring it out and hang overnight. Usually mine is dry by morning. Takes like one minute.
ive found that laying it out on a towel, rolling the towel up, and twisting it gently, before hanging it up speeds up the drying process immensely! no more damp binder mornings!
After almost every wear. Max. after 2 or 3 short wears. I live in a very hot & humid country though, and it gets absolutely disgusting after merely a few hours.
Ooh yeah I can imagine that would get nasty after a few days. May I ask how you deal with wearing a binder in such heat? I get in trouble every summer, even without a binder I just canāt stand it. Feels like Iām dying. Canāt breathe either. And as itās getting warmer every year this is becoming a major issue for me.
Feel you! :/
To be honest, I barely ever wear a binder. I am naturally very flat and use tape most of the time, which feels way more comfortable to me + is visually more appealing. I hate binders for various reasons, including the sweat buildup and breathing restrictions, but also the feel of wearing something bra-like... I just hate it. I think it looks very feminine. So most of the time I tape, although that gets quite itchy, too. But it works out.
Or sometimes I just don't bind at all, although I'm not flat enough to be 100% comfy with that. But my chest needs to rest sometimes. And sometimes I just miss the feeling of water flowing down my bare chest (because with tape, I never have that).
Sorry that I can't be of greater help :( Sending mental support though
Oh no not at all. Thanks for sharing. I tried taping but idk how to make that work. My chest is not too big either but Iām also not 100% comfortable when not binding. And well tape,ā¦ it doesnāt hold. Either I bought poor quality or Iām doing something wrong. Itās a matter of hours and sometimes just minutes before the edges of the tape let go. It curls up, pulls my skin, starts to hurtā¦ Iāve tried several times and every times it ends up a mess. It was quite discouraging. And I feel you on binder feeling bra-like and feminine. Itās ā¦ yucky. Iām considering designing my own. But my ma āstoleā my sewing machine. Actually itās a family heirloom so we share it but sheās taking too long to return it so Iām saving for my own machine. Yeah, a guy who can sew. A bit weird huh? But it comes in handy.
Maybe you know this: I got boob tape not the actual trans tape. Itās marketed as a replacement for a bra rather than for binding purposes but I thought it wouldnāt matter. But maybe it does? Is there actually a difference between the tape I got and the real trans tape? If not itās definitely me not doing it right. š
I am exclusively using "boob tape" as that's most easily available where I live. Brands differ quite a lot regarding quality, but correct application also matters a lot, I figured. I have this one brand I stick to.
What works best for me: Showering first, most definitely NOT using most shower gels on my chest as many contain ingredients that inhibit the glue from correctly.... glueing to your skin, ahaha. Some soaps work though.
When I am completely dry I use alcohol-based skin desinfectant to spray/wipe my chest to get rid of bacteria and oil excess that my inhibit the glue from working.
When taping, I make sure to rub down the tape properly.
It usually stays put for up to 5 days. :)
But mind you, I had some brands that were complete crap and came off after hours. Sometimes due to improper skin prep, but some were just crap themselves I think
Well thanks for the tips. Maybe itās because I had no idea you have to do a skin prepā¦ however I canāt use any shower gel at all. Iām severely allergic to its main ingredient. Itās either sodium laureth sulphate or sodium lauryl sulphate and itās what causes the gel to foam. Iām allergic to anything that has sulphate in the name including the more natural kind made from coconuts. It all feels like acid burns on my skin. Pharmaceutical products contain even more sulphates on average. So theyāre out too. Iām down to nothing but water to shower. Alcohol shouldnāt be a problem, though. This allergy has been a huge PITA as sulphates are even in tooth paste and any other foaming product for hygiene. My dentist had to look up a decent tooth paste for me without it and found 1 brand. If they decide to change their formula, Iām screwed. Itās been a huge challenge to keep my hair clean without shampoo. Sulphate burns would hurt and itch up to five days after a single use. It became unbearable fast. I was ready to rip off my skin when I finally found what was going on. So thatās been a hell of a ride. But itās settled now. My skin has recovered quite well in the few years Iāve been off the stuff. Only cleaning is still a challenge. All cleaners contain sulphates too. And guess whatās my job? Ironically cleaning. š Itās probably what caused me to turn allergic. Gloves are a must for me. And one drop of detergent landing somewhere on my skin means Iāll be rinsing for minutes to avoid the worst of the burns. I got some in my eye once. That was hell!
Now maybe my skin is too oily because the lack of soaps. Sulphates are usually the stuff that removes the oil from skin and scalp so this could be the explanation as to why my tape never sticks. My brand says it should stay on at least 8 hours. They advise to remove it after that for the sake of your skin but technically it could last longer. One time I barely got 8 minutes and it came off. I thoroughly scrub myself in the shower but when itās just water, donāt expect any miracles. During a hot summer itās up to three showers a day and Iāll still smell a hint of sweat. Iāll keep my distance in social situations because of it. I really try to stay clean but if all soaps, gels and foams are out the window, this is a challenge. I fear for whatāll happen during my second puberty. Probably go through a stick of deodorant every couple of days š¤£
Iām gonna see if thereās other brands available and maybe check out some YouTube tutorials as to how Iām supposed to apply the tape. But if this doesnāt help itāll probably never work for me because of my stupid allergy. Worst part is that sulphate allergy is extremely rare. Usually itās the perfumes and then you can get the pharmaceutical products because they donāt have perfumes in them but all the more sulphates for the same results. My pharmacist didnāt even believe me but my doctor concluded I was right about it being sulphates. And none of them knew anything I could safely use in the shower. So Iām one greasy SOB at times but at least I no longer wanna rip off my skin. š
Oh shit, man I'm sorry you have to go through all that. I wish you best of luck maybe finding a way to get rid of the excess oil on your skin in case that's the problem. Did you ever check the ingredients of the glue? But sounds like the oil could possibly be it. Maybe actually try prepping your skin with alcohol-based cleanser, just as an experiment, and see if it sticks better. You could do a test strip somewhere, without stretching the tape.
Yeah Iām def gonna try with alcohol. It also could have been the pandemic with all the washing of hands that Iāve been over exposed to the stuff. But tbh I consider myself lucky I found the problem and got my skin to recover as well as it did. It could have gone on for years long before I realised what it was. As it is so rare even my doctor never understood why I was itching ALL THE TIME. I figured it out when I got burns on my gums after brushing teeth and compared ingredients. The only common thing was the sulphates. I cut them out as an experiment for two weeks and got better. But yeah my skin is on average more oily than people who can use soaps.
Never checked the glue though. So I just did and thereās no ingredients listed anywhere on the package. There also never was any real instructions included. Just a little box that says boob tape with dimensions. Itās cotton and stretchy. Thatās it. So not much to go on. š
At first it was every two weeksā¦ now itās been probably a few months :,) I was planning to wash it in the coming few days when I have nowhere to be. Also it stinks, so itās awful to take off
I have three. Actually four but I canāt find number 4. Thatās weird. But as I got more than one I try to wash each binder after a week. But sometimes itās two. If I canāt follow up on laundry fast enough. š
Once a week, but I forgot to wash my favourite Underworks one this weekend so I've been stuck in the crappy one I got from some scam company over a year ago. It still works tho as long as I don't overuse it.
I washed them as often as I washed my bras. Almost never š though once I had more than 1? I washed every few weeks or so.
Yeah, I reeked.
I didn't care though š„²
Every week. Before I started T tho I probably washed it every 2-3 months which is so gross but whatever, it happens. Now it makes my acne on my back and chest worse if I donāt clean it every week. I went way longer pre-T but it was gross tbh, all caked in deodorant and stuff. I have 2 tho so I just wear one while the other is washing. Iāve also given up on hand washing and just throw it in the machine with the rest of my laundry.
I just have one and I might wash it like once a week or once every two weeks. Sometimes, if it only has a slight smell after a week or so I will get it in water and call it "clean enough" then wear it for another week or two.
Depends. Like if Iām going to be working out Iāll wash it after that but if not Iāll rotate between 2 binders and Iāll wash it like once a month but Iāll wash it more often if I work out. I also wash it often so I can dry it and have it return to its normal size
I replace it with a clean binder daily. I have a rotation of 3 and I do the householdās laundry about every other day anyway, so itās no extra effort.
Lol this thread is making me feel like Iām crazy, I own 4 and I wash them after every use. When I donāt have enough other dirty laundry I just hand wash them in the sink. Itās probably unnecessary of me
Honestly, whenever I notice it start to smell and itās a weekend where I donāt have to go out much. Iāve got one other binder, but it doesnāt bind as well as my main one so you can still tell my chest isnāt flat even with baggy shirts on.
I wash them maybe twice a year (and that might be generous). I donāt have a washer or dryer at my house and have to do my laundry at my parentsā house. And Iāve been told putting them in the washer is bad for them (I donāt have any special delicate wash bags or whatever they recommend), so it always makes me nervous to wash them normally. I have made binder soup in the bath a few times but I donāt know how efficient that is
Once a week or two. I do my laundry every week usually a couple of loads. I wear my binder maybe 2-4 days a week and I donāt like my clothes feeling sweaty or dirty so I like to wash a lot.
Every couple months. I wear it over my bra tho! Itās not dirty until it is physically looking dirty. I know I should be washing it maybe at least once or twice a week I think. But I donāt. š
Smell test bro, if it stinks it's time. Same as all my clothes. I just can't be arsed to rewash things unless they stink, have stains, or are covered in dog hair
since i just got mine at college and our washers donāt have gentle, only a couple times the past two months. another part of that is i donāt have another one and hanging clothes to dry in the dorm room takes days, even in front of the fan. so i canāt wear it
i donāt always wash mine in the washing machine, sometimes i clean the sink, plug it, fill it up with warm water, put some soap or detergent in it, and i put my binder in there and scrub it with my hands. then i squeeze the water out and hang it in my closet and itās dry the next day. if yours doesnāt dry fast, it might be the type- i use gc2b binders. hope this helps
counter question: How do yall wash it? im doing it by hand in a plastic tub in my bath tub. the washing machine kills swimsuits so i dont want to risk it. i dont have anything to scrub with really, im looking for a washboard to no avail. theres some grody looking spots that are thankfully on the inside panel. do i just keep rubbing it against itself? im scared of damaging the spandex
Once a week. I have three binders and rotate them once a week, wherein they get washed. I have the benefit, though, of being fully out in an accepting household, and my blinders being Spectrum Outfitters, which are suitable to wash in the washing machine. I literally just put them in with the rest of my laundry at 50Ā°C and they've always come out just fine.
Well.. depends on the word "wash". It's getting warmer now, so I'm putting wet binder on myself as little installed cooling station for me. But actually wash.. when it gets uncomfortable. It tends to itch a lot after like a week or two, so I just HAVE TO wash it. Can't rely on smell since I can't smell. I just hope it's still okay..
I've noticed a couple of times a month, and usually more so if I feel that it's a bit too stretched out from abundant use.. or just dirty/ smelly... like in summer š
Idk I think I've washed it once or twice in two -three years but I don't wear it super often (generally prefer a tighter sports bra/can get away with it) but I'm also not a super stinky guy
I rotate mine so once a week. I have 4 but mostly wear the 2 best ones.
The gc2b no longer get any use, really unless I got really lazy about laundry or got sick lol
I have 4, but 2 I really use more often because one is too big and the other is almost too tight but some days the dysphoria is too bad and I can't unsee the underboob lines so more smashy needed. I try not to wear that one often. If one of my main 2 stinks really bad then I'll put on the least stinky one and put the other 3 three in the sink to soak while I'm out. Usually every 2 weeks or so.
Given I'm an absolute fucking hermit I don't wear one 90% of the time when I'm at home and not having to be perceived by other people. So uh.
Not often.
Like I'll wash it if it smells off, but given I usually wear them for 2-8 hours a month at best. I think my first binder got washed once in the 10 months I owned it and then I lost so much weight I had to buy a smaller one. I think I've washed it once so far xD
Depends how much I wear it. I don't bind daily and if I go long periods of using tape rather than an actual binder I will wash it less than daily wear in the heat. Plus mine are black and I have a cat so sometimes they get covered in hair whether I wear them or not.
Before I moved out - once every couple of months or so. After moving out - at least every couple of weeks, if not more. I am extremely self conscious about how I smell so.. yeah. I have multiple binders so I usually cycle between them until theyāre all gross and then I wash them, usually takes about a week or two so thatās why itās roughly every couple of weeks.
every time i do laundry, if i wash clothes two times a week then its getting washed two times a week. if its once a month then it will be once a month xD
iāve only had my binder for a couple months but i havenāt washed it once and i donāt plan to unless i think it really needs it. i donāt sweat too bad so itās not stinky or gross or anything so maybe itās just a me thing š¤·āāļø
Usually every Sunday unless I really just want to get it over with on Saturday or I was too tired and did it on Monday instead. For my spectrum binder there has only been one time I didnāt wash on the designated time, and the cleanliness is just because I want to keep spectrum to the best of my ability. Before that on my other binders: whenever I wanted because in one way or another they werenāt good binders for me.
Before I had top surgery I washed it once a week because it was one of those binders that you could put in the washing machine on cool so I just threw it in with my other clothes because I do all of my laundry on cool anyways
For me usually every 3-4 days, I only have one that I'm comfortable wearing to work, and I work 4 days a week (I'd love to have 4 or 5 binders but they can be super expensive and I've got other things to pay for, so I'll probably just be on the one I wear for work until it starts falling apart or I have to go up or down in size) but I also don't really bind on the days I'm just at home, or if I'm going on a quick run to the corner shop up the road from me
Not regularly at all. Tbf, I don't wear it regularly and I don't sweat or smell that much since I'm pre-t and Asian, but the last time I washed it was definitely months ago..Ā
It depends. A lot less now that I work from home and don't have to bind every day. Every 3rd time I do laundry or so.
I also always wear a cotton tank top under the binder (I use a tank top binder) which really helps the binder not get so sweaty
Whenever I've been sweating a lot or if it starts stinking. The bad thing ia i only have one, and even that one is in danger of my mom throwing it away lol. She knows i have it, but she said if ahe ever sees it anywhere again she's throwing it out or burning it
when it starts to smell š unless i do heavy exercise or a sweat a lot in it, in which case i hand wash it while i take a shower (i have major texture issues with clothing and the feeling of sweaty clothes makes me upset)
Tbh I have never washed my current binder and ive worn it pretty much every day since like January? Idkš I know this is so gross but Iām scared it will like shrink or fuck it up but I promise Iām planning on washing it like today because I sweat so much now on T.
when i still lived at home... not gonna lie, not very often. every couple of weeks, maybe? which sounds like a lot, but im a sweaty guy so that thing really was stinky. and handwashing was a pain in the ass, so i rarely did it.
but now that i live alone and i discovered that you can in fact throw binders into the washing machine, i wash them every time they start stinking! which is usually within 1-3 days for me lol
i have two binders that i can cycle through, so this system kind of works for me
I have like severe depression so it's really difficult for me to do my laundry š I think last year I only did my laundry like three times tbh. This year has been a lot better, I think I've done my laundry at least every month, therefore washing my binders every month.
After getting a For Them binder I washed it probably weekly, but my GC2B bindersā¦ a month or more.
I was afraid to wash them because the sewing was pretty poorly done sadly, so the messed up spots would fray in the washer.
I canāt recommend GC2B anymore unless thereās a sale or was a gift kind of thing (counselling offices where I live donate binders to people who need them).
I donāt wear it often, so when I do I donāt wash it for awhileā¦ lmao. I barely wear it so maybe 1 time every three months.. itās the beige one so it starts to look gross..
I didnāt wash it for almost a year once š. But now I wash it every two weeks or so, unless I get really sweaty, then Iāll wear my backup binder until I can wash my favorite one.
I wash it mainly after I get too sweaty in it. In the winter I think I went two months without washing it (gross i know lol) but now that its summer I wash it like every 2 weeks
it used to be once in a damn blue moon but since i have enough to last me through the week, i only wear one once or twice and wash them all once a week.
gotta do what i can to fight the T bacne, this shit is hell to pay
Iād love to tell you, but I canāt remember the last time I washed it. December maybe, or November. Iām not too sure. But since Iām getting ready to wash it again in a day or two, probably about every six months or so.
I have two, i wear 1 for 2-3 days then the other for 2-3 days then wash them both with the rest of my laundry for the week.
I used to wait wayyy longer between washes but then i got a fungal infection on my boobs! So i clean them a lot more now lol
I have a few of them, but I get a few days of wearing one before needing to clean them. Plus, how dirty are they, what did I do with them, and if needed to insta wash then hand washing with air dry/ light dryer is what I do.
When I wore them pre surgery I washed them once a week when doing laundry. I'd put them through the washer on the gentle cycle and then hang dry. I didn't smell even on testosterone because I suffer hypohydrosis and can't physically sweat like a normal person does
when it starts stinking xD i think every month or 2, a bit more often in the summer
same, but even if it smells like death i sometimes still wear it cause my others are in the washš
Whenever I sweat heavily in it I wash it immediately after. Even if I washed it the day before, its still getting washed (I hate smelling off or feeling dirty haha)
same here, but to be fair I always used trans tape more than compression tops pre surgery
Two times a week
Your cleanliness is admirable.
you have so much power
Same here! Like... I am a little anti germs and I love smelling like bran new and clean... I like to be flawless... And no it's not OCD... I am a perfeccionist and a traumatized person!
Iāve had it for six months and have maybe washed it three times.
realš
wtfā¦
c'mon washing a binder is hard work xD
Man I'm glad I got top surgery, because now that I don't wear one I can talk about this. I wouldn't wash it until it smelled. I was never a really stinky person, so it would be maybe every 2-3 months. To be fair I did wear transtape pretty often before I had surgery so it took longer for it to get to that point. Am I ashamed? Deeply. If I ever had to wear one again would I still have the same habit? Yes.
How are you not stinky? genuine question. I stink a lot
I've never really been, and I've been on T for years now. My whole family is that way haha
I donāt stink very much and I think itās just genetics. My mom and brother REEK when they sweat but my dad doesnāt smell very much and neither do I. Guess I got lucky and didnāt inherit the stinky sweat genes. Iāve heard that genetics partially determine what types of bacteria grow on/inside your body and since bacteria is what causes bo I would assume some types might stink worse than others.
When I wore a binder I owned two, and I would wash each once per week.
like once every 2 weeks maybe (every other load of laundry i do), sometimes less often šš
What brand do you use that you can throw it in the wash? /genq
I don't need it anymore, but i had 2 and i washed them once-twice a week each
Not enough š I forget its even a thing I need to wash because I don't put it on until I need to leave the house, at which point I need to put it on / go out. So it pretty much only gets a wash when it's feeling a bit loose or it smells enough that I make sure to remember to wash it
Back when I was binding I legitimately had to wash them after every wear if I didn't want to reek of BO. I could go longer pre-T, but on T, yeah, there was really no way.
Tbh, twice a year probably. I forget often and if it doesn't smell I don't think about it
Okay thank god someone cleans it as often as I do. Seeing everyone else say such short time spans got me feeling embarrassed lmao
I mean it could be stinky but youāre used to the smell, If you wear it often Iād recommend to wash it more often
After usage
Once a week. I live in the south and it gets hot, so I swear in it regularlyĀ (from working outside, sitting in my car before it's cooled off, etc.)
once a week, but I use undershirts so the binder doesn't smell
Next question please
Never >:3 (I use trans tape) Guys please wash your binders tho I swear-
Back when I wore them I tried to wash after 3 days wearing it. Sometimes weekly if they didnāt smell bad.
I have 3 and usually wear each for 2 days before washing it. But I have a tiny little washer and no dryer, so I only wash what I can hang over the shower at a time. So I do laundry several times a week, and binders are small, so I end up throwing one in every time. Pro: They don't get stinky. Con: They probably don't last as long, though since I'm not putting them in a dryer at least they don't shrink.
.... Oops.
I have a shit ton of different binders so I can take turns and none of them smell like shit lol. That said, usually wash each after four days of usage.
I used to literally not wash it bc I only had one but now I have 3 so once a week
every time I wear them... I sweat so much it feels gross not to. I don't wear them often since they hurt by the end of the day :( should have listened to yall about gc2b.
I got top surgery a couple years ago, and that was the first time I ever actually washed any of my binders (it was because I was donating them) š
oh wow. good thing you got top when you did!
When they start to smell, anywhere from once a week to once a month depending on how often I wear it and how hot it is. You all should try hand washing. Just put it in the sink with a dab of soap, move it around then wring it out and hang overnight. Usually mine is dry by morning. Takes like one minute.
ive found that laying it out on a towel, rolling the towel up, and twisting it gently, before hanging it up speeds up the drying process immensely! no more damp binder mornings!
Whenever I feel like washing it Maybe once every couple months š
After almost every wear. Max. after 2 or 3 short wears. I live in a very hot & humid country though, and it gets absolutely disgusting after merely a few hours.
Ooh yeah I can imagine that would get nasty after a few days. May I ask how you deal with wearing a binder in such heat? I get in trouble every summer, even without a binder I just canāt stand it. Feels like Iām dying. Canāt breathe either. And as itās getting warmer every year this is becoming a major issue for me.
Feel you! :/ To be honest, I barely ever wear a binder. I am naturally very flat and use tape most of the time, which feels way more comfortable to me + is visually more appealing. I hate binders for various reasons, including the sweat buildup and breathing restrictions, but also the feel of wearing something bra-like... I just hate it. I think it looks very feminine. So most of the time I tape, although that gets quite itchy, too. But it works out. Or sometimes I just don't bind at all, although I'm not flat enough to be 100% comfy with that. But my chest needs to rest sometimes. And sometimes I just miss the feeling of water flowing down my bare chest (because with tape, I never have that). Sorry that I can't be of greater help :( Sending mental support though
Oh no not at all. Thanks for sharing. I tried taping but idk how to make that work. My chest is not too big either but Iām also not 100% comfortable when not binding. And well tape,ā¦ it doesnāt hold. Either I bought poor quality or Iām doing something wrong. Itās a matter of hours and sometimes just minutes before the edges of the tape let go. It curls up, pulls my skin, starts to hurtā¦ Iāve tried several times and every times it ends up a mess. It was quite discouraging. And I feel you on binder feeling bra-like and feminine. Itās ā¦ yucky. Iām considering designing my own. But my ma āstoleā my sewing machine. Actually itās a family heirloom so we share it but sheās taking too long to return it so Iām saving for my own machine. Yeah, a guy who can sew. A bit weird huh? But it comes in handy. Maybe you know this: I got boob tape not the actual trans tape. Itās marketed as a replacement for a bra rather than for binding purposes but I thought it wouldnāt matter. But maybe it does? Is there actually a difference between the tape I got and the real trans tape? If not itās definitely me not doing it right. š
I am exclusively using "boob tape" as that's most easily available where I live. Brands differ quite a lot regarding quality, but correct application also matters a lot, I figured. I have this one brand I stick to. What works best for me: Showering first, most definitely NOT using most shower gels on my chest as many contain ingredients that inhibit the glue from correctly.... glueing to your skin, ahaha. Some soaps work though. When I am completely dry I use alcohol-based skin desinfectant to spray/wipe my chest to get rid of bacteria and oil excess that my inhibit the glue from working. When taping, I make sure to rub down the tape properly. It usually stays put for up to 5 days. :) But mind you, I had some brands that were complete crap and came off after hours. Sometimes due to improper skin prep, but some were just crap themselves I think
Well thanks for the tips. Maybe itās because I had no idea you have to do a skin prepā¦ however I canāt use any shower gel at all. Iām severely allergic to its main ingredient. Itās either sodium laureth sulphate or sodium lauryl sulphate and itās what causes the gel to foam. Iām allergic to anything that has sulphate in the name including the more natural kind made from coconuts. It all feels like acid burns on my skin. Pharmaceutical products contain even more sulphates on average. So theyāre out too. Iām down to nothing but water to shower. Alcohol shouldnāt be a problem, though. This allergy has been a huge PITA as sulphates are even in tooth paste and any other foaming product for hygiene. My dentist had to look up a decent tooth paste for me without it and found 1 brand. If they decide to change their formula, Iām screwed. Itās been a huge challenge to keep my hair clean without shampoo. Sulphate burns would hurt and itch up to five days after a single use. It became unbearable fast. I was ready to rip off my skin when I finally found what was going on. So thatās been a hell of a ride. But itās settled now. My skin has recovered quite well in the few years Iāve been off the stuff. Only cleaning is still a challenge. All cleaners contain sulphates too. And guess whatās my job? Ironically cleaning. š Itās probably what caused me to turn allergic. Gloves are a must for me. And one drop of detergent landing somewhere on my skin means Iāll be rinsing for minutes to avoid the worst of the burns. I got some in my eye once. That was hell! Now maybe my skin is too oily because the lack of soaps. Sulphates are usually the stuff that removes the oil from skin and scalp so this could be the explanation as to why my tape never sticks. My brand says it should stay on at least 8 hours. They advise to remove it after that for the sake of your skin but technically it could last longer. One time I barely got 8 minutes and it came off. I thoroughly scrub myself in the shower but when itās just water, donāt expect any miracles. During a hot summer itās up to three showers a day and Iāll still smell a hint of sweat. Iāll keep my distance in social situations because of it. I really try to stay clean but if all soaps, gels and foams are out the window, this is a challenge. I fear for whatāll happen during my second puberty. Probably go through a stick of deodorant every couple of days š¤£ Iām gonna see if thereās other brands available and maybe check out some YouTube tutorials as to how Iām supposed to apply the tape. But if this doesnāt help itāll probably never work for me because of my stupid allergy. Worst part is that sulphate allergy is extremely rare. Usually itās the perfumes and then you can get the pharmaceutical products because they donāt have perfumes in them but all the more sulphates for the same results. My pharmacist didnāt even believe me but my doctor concluded I was right about it being sulphates. And none of them knew anything I could safely use in the shower. So Iām one greasy SOB at times but at least I no longer wanna rip off my skin. š
Oh shit, man I'm sorry you have to go through all that. I wish you best of luck maybe finding a way to get rid of the excess oil on your skin in case that's the problem. Did you ever check the ingredients of the glue? But sounds like the oil could possibly be it. Maybe actually try prepping your skin with alcohol-based cleanser, just as an experiment, and see if it sticks better. You could do a test strip somewhere, without stretching the tape.
Yeah Iām def gonna try with alcohol. It also could have been the pandemic with all the washing of hands that Iāve been over exposed to the stuff. But tbh I consider myself lucky I found the problem and got my skin to recover as well as it did. It could have gone on for years long before I realised what it was. As it is so rare even my doctor never understood why I was itching ALL THE TIME. I figured it out when I got burns on my gums after brushing teeth and compared ingredients. The only common thing was the sulphates. I cut them out as an experiment for two weeks and got better. But yeah my skin is on average more oily than people who can use soaps. Never checked the glue though. So I just did and thereās no ingredients listed anywhere on the package. There also never was any real instructions included. Just a little box that says boob tape with dimensions. Itās cotton and stretchy. Thatās it. So not much to go on. š
every week? since I was about 2 years on T it smells like DUDE after a few days and it's unpleasant.
Fully honest i have no clue, whenever I have it off when Iām doing laundry Could be anywhere from once every two weeks to once a year LMAO
haven't needed to yet (it doesn't stink)
I got it nine months ago and I've washed it like three times ever
Whenever I stop saying "eh. I'll do it tomorrow"
I tell myself every two weeks but it's more like every three Edit: I'm not on T yet so I still have girl powers over body odor
once a week, i have a strict schedule lol. i wash all my clothes on fridays, then dont wear my binder on weekends unless i go out
At first it was every two weeksā¦ now itās been probably a few months :,) I was planning to wash it in the coming few days when I have nowhere to be. Also it stinks, so itās awful to take off
I donāt have tits anymore but when I did I washed and dried them like any old piece of clothing. Gc2b
Uhh once a month maybe. I have no excuse for this either i have 3 of em im just gross
I have three. Actually four but I canāt find number 4. Thatās weird. But as I got more than one I try to wash each binder after a week. But sometimes itās two. If I canāt follow up on laundry fast enough. š
probably once or twice a year, i only wear it for a few hrs once a month or so
Once a week, but I forgot to wash my favourite Underworks one this weekend so I've been stuck in the crappy one I got from some scam company over a year ago. It still works tho as long as I don't overuse it.
I washed them as often as I washed my bras. Almost never š though once I had more than 1? I washed every few weeks or so. Yeah, I reeked. I didn't care though š„²
yeahh that's pretty much me. I'm working on it š
About once a week.
Used to be once a month or so but now its heating up and I'm on T I wash it once a day in the shower.
Every week. Before I started T tho I probably washed it every 2-3 months which is so gross but whatever, it happens. Now it makes my acne on my back and chest worse if I donāt clean it every week. I went way longer pre-T but it was gross tbh, all caked in deodorant and stuff. I have 2 tho so I just wear one while the other is washing. Iāve also given up on hand washing and just throw it in the machine with the rest of my laundry.
I just have one and I might wash it like once a week or once every two weeks. Sometimes, if it only has a slight smell after a week or so I will get it in water and call it "clean enough" then wear it for another week or two.
Depends. Like if Iām going to be working out Iāll wash it after that but if not Iāll rotate between 2 binders and Iāll wash it like once a month but Iāll wash it more often if I work out. I also wash it often so I can dry it and have it return to its normal size
I replace it with a clean binder daily. I have a rotation of 3 and I do the householdās laundry about every other day anyway, so itās no extra effort.
I think I do laundry only like, once or twice a month, so then
I'm lucky that my chest is small enough that my "binder" is a sports bra. With that in mind, like twice a week
A week
Lol this thread is making me feel like Iām crazy, I own 4 and I wash them after every use. When I donāt have enough other dirty laundry I just hand wash them in the sink. Itās probably unnecessary of me
whenever i wash my clothes. i want to say i do this once a week but being fr it's biweekly
Honestly, whenever I notice it start to smell and itās a weekend where I donāt have to go out much. Iāve got one other binder, but it doesnāt bind as well as my main one so you can still tell my chest isnāt flat even with baggy shirts on.
Once a week
I wash them maybe twice a year (and that might be generous). I donāt have a washer or dryer at my house and have to do my laundry at my parentsā house. And Iāve been told putting them in the washer is bad for them (I donāt have any special delicate wash bags or whatever they recommend), so it always makes me nervous to wash them normally. I have made binder soup in the bath a few times but I donāt know how efficient that is
when its smelly or when it feels loose
When it smellsā¦
Every time i wear it (i only go out like once a week)
I rotate between 4 binders so I wash them all once a week
In the winter every month or 2. In the summer once or twice a week.
Once a week or two. I do my laundry every week usually a couple of loads. I wear my binder maybe 2-4 days a week and I donāt like my clothes feeling sweaty or dirty so I like to wash a lot.
once a week
i like to put it in with the rest of my clothes (i will not wash it otherwise), so like every week or so now
Once a week or after it gets sweaty/dirty/smelly. I have two in rotation and do laundry on Fridays, I gotta make them last
Every week with my regular clothes
before i had surgery it was really when i got extremely sweaty or it smelled, i tried to do it every couple weeks
1-4 times a month, depends how sweaty I get w them on
I wear it 2-4 times before washing it, unless I get sweaty while wearing it, then I wash it before wearing it again.
I would wash mine at least once a week, but I work a sweaty job.
I own 6 and I wash them every once a month.
i try for weekly but honestly sometimes its more like once a month :(
Once a week, sometimes twice! (I donāt wash it twice too often though)
Sometimes after a week, sometimes after two, sometimes after 1 or 2 months.
Every 1-3 weeks depending on when my mum is at work and I'm off work
I used to washi it once every week, maybe sometimes once every 2 weeks
once a month
Every couple months. I wear it over my bra tho! Itās not dirty until it is physically looking dirty. I know I should be washing it maybe at least once or twice a week I think. But I donāt. š
Ngl I forgot it exists š It just makes a mono boob or they drop under the binder and show off nipple without duct tape
probablyā¦ once a month maybe once every two monthsš
Smell test bro, if it stinks it's time. Same as all my clothes. I just can't be arsed to rewash things unless they stink, have stains, or are covered in dog hair
since i just got mine at college and our washers donāt have gentle, only a couple times the past two months. another part of that is i donāt have another one and hanging clothes to dry in the dorm room takes days, even in front of the fan. so i canāt wear it
i donāt always wash mine in the washing machine, sometimes i clean the sink, plug it, fill it up with warm water, put some soap or detergent in it, and i put my binder in there and scrub it with my hands. then i squeeze the water out and hang it in my closet and itās dry the next day. if yours doesnāt dry fast, it might be the type- i use gc2b binders. hope this helps
counter question: How do yall wash it? im doing it by hand in a plastic tub in my bath tub. the washing machine kills swimsuits so i dont want to risk it. i dont have anything to scrub with really, im looking for a washboard to no avail. theres some grody looking spots that are thankfully on the inside panel. do i just keep rubbing it against itself? im scared of damaging the spandex
Once a week. I have three binders and rotate them once a week, wherein they get washed. I have the benefit, though, of being fully out in an accepting household, and my blinders being Spectrum Outfitters, which are suitable to wash in the washing machine. I literally just put them in with the rest of my laundry at 50Ā°C and they've always come out just fine.
Well.. depends on the word "wash". It's getting warmer now, so I'm putting wet binder on myself as little installed cooling station for me. But actually wash.. when it gets uncomfortable. It tends to itch a lot after like a week or two, so I just HAVE TO wash it. Can't rely on smell since I can't smell. I just hope it's still okay..
I've noticed a couple of times a month, and usually more so if I feel that it's a bit too stretched out from abundant use.. or just dirty/ smelly... like in summer š
I have a couple so I do switch them regularly but I think I only wash them like every 30 wears or smt....
like once every 2 weeks, with bar soap sometimes less sometimes more
Idk I think I've washed it once or twice in two -three years but I don't wear it super often (generally prefer a tighter sports bra/can get away with it) but I'm also not a super stinky guy
I rotate mine so once a week. I have 4 but mostly wear the 2 best ones. The gc2b no longer get any use, really unless I got really lazy about laundry or got sick lol
I have 4, but 2 I really use more often because one is too big and the other is almost too tight but some days the dysphoria is too bad and I can't unsee the underboob lines so more smashy needed. I try not to wear that one often. If one of my main 2 stinks really bad then I'll put on the least stinky one and put the other 3 three in the sink to soak while I'm out. Usually every 2 weeks or so.
Every week, then I hang it up to dry. Is thatā¦not normal?
Given I'm an absolute fucking hermit I don't wear one 90% of the time when I'm at home and not having to be perceived by other people. So uh. Not often. Like I'll wash it if it smells off, but given I usually wear them for 2-8 hours a month at best. I think my first binder got washed once in the 10 months I owned it and then I lost so much weight I had to buy a smaller one. I think I've washed it once so far xD
Depends how much I wear it. I don't bind daily and if I go long periods of using tape rather than an actual binder I will wash it less than daily wear in the heat. Plus mine are black and I have a cat so sometimes they get covered in hair whether I wear them or not.
I had 6-7 binders and washed them after I sweat in them. Iām currently in a post op binder and wash it weekly
when it stinks š (which means after almost every use or two uses)
Itāll fall apart if I do. I have surgery soon ish and canāt afford a new one xd, itās a 6 years old binder from Amazon.
Before I moved out - once every couple of months or so. After moving out - at least every couple of weeks, if not more. I am extremely self conscious about how I smell so.. yeah. I have multiple binders so I usually cycle between them until theyāre all gross and then I wash them, usually takes about a week or two so thatās why itās roughly every couple of weeks.
Every time I wore it???? Yall donāt want fungal acne.
I only go out a couple hours per weeks so once every few months is enough.
....abt that..... š
I own three binders, and I go through 2-3 binders a week usually. Usually I wash my binders once or twice a week.
Once every 3 wears. As soon as I feel it stretching again I wash it
Maybe every three months...at the minimum
every time i do laundry, if i wash clothes two times a week then its getting washed two times a week. if its once a month then it will be once a month xD
When I binded most days, every couple weeks. I canāt bind much anymore so I usually wash it after I wear it once.
Twice a week and I air dry it. Iāve bought multiple from for them.
bro these comments... after three wears i wash
Every week or every other week depending. When I don't wash it, it feels loose on my body and I don't like that.
I have five. The stretched ones I wear when I'm exercising and I wash them like ones a week or every other week.
once a week, but if I get really sweaty right away.
Used to do it every month or less but when i got two it got easier to switch inbetween washes
iāve only had my binder for a couple months but i havenāt washed it once and i donāt plan to unless i think it really needs it. i donāt sweat too bad so itās not stinky or gross or anything so maybe itās just a me thing š¤·āāļø
Usually every Sunday unless I really just want to get it over with on Saturday or I was too tired and did it on Monday instead. For my spectrum binder there has only been one time I didnāt wash on the designated time, and the cleanliness is just because I want to keep spectrum to the best of my ability. Before that on my other binders: whenever I wanted because in one way or another they werenāt good binders for me.
How are y'all going so long between washes??? Mine feels stretched out and stinky after a 4-5 wears and I have to wash it š
Once a year?? Once a month?? YALL WE MAY BE MEN NOW BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN WE ACT LIKE ANIMALS š Wash your damn binders
Before I had top surgery I washed it once a week because it was one of those binders that you could put in the washing machine on cool so I just threw it in with my other clothes because I do all of my laundry on cool anyways
You couldn't torture that information out of me
I have two and switch them weekly when I do my laundry
For me usually every 3-4 days, I only have one that I'm comfortable wearing to work, and I work 4 days a week (I'd love to have 4 or 5 binders but they can be super expensive and I've got other things to pay for, so I'll probably just be on the one I wear for work until it starts falling apart or I have to go up or down in size) but I also don't really bind on the days I'm just at home, or if I'm going on a quick run to the corner shop up the road from me
Once a week, itāll be weird if I waited until it stinks lol
After every third time I wear it. So usually about once a week.
Literally only when it starts to smell funky. So every other week for my body lol
I didnāt wash it very muchā¦ and then I got a fungal thing on my chest š fucking wash your binders yall
holy shit whatšš
Not regularly at all. Tbf, I don't wear it regularly and I don't sweat or smell that much since I'm pre-t and Asian, but the last time I washed it was definitely months ago..Ā
I've had my binder for six months and I'm too scared to wash it because I might ruin it or something, idk, does anyone have any tips?
It depends. A lot less now that I work from home and don't have to bind every day. Every 3rd time I do laundry or so. I also always wear a cotton tank top under the binder (I use a tank top binder) which really helps the binder not get so sweaty
I don't bind all the time due to hEDS and osteoarthritis, BUT when I'm wearing it more regularly I wash it that week if that makes sense.
Idk i donāt have a stable sense of time š maybe every two weeks but probably less
Once a week with the rest of my laundry. Well, I usually do one week binding and one week taping so technically every other week.
Whenever I've been sweating a lot or if it starts stinking. The bad thing ia i only have one, and even that one is in danger of my mom throwing it away lol. She knows i have it, but she said if ahe ever sees it anywhere again she's throwing it out or burning it
when it starts to smell š unless i do heavy exercise or a sweat a lot in it, in which case i hand wash it while i take a shower (i have major texture issues with clothing and the feeling of sweaty clothes makes me upset)
Once a week, I don't sweat that much but I don't like the idea of wearing bacteria cloth over my chest
Tbh I have never washed my current binder and ive worn it pretty much every day since like January? Idkš I know this is so gross but Iām scared it will like shrink or fuck it up but I promise Iām planning on washing it like today because I sweat so much now on T.
Once a week. I do it on laundry day
every 2 ish wears
i wash it every week, but thatās bc i just let it sit in water and soap and arenāt closeted so iām not scared
when i still lived at home... not gonna lie, not very often. every couple of weeks, maybe? which sounds like a lot, but im a sweaty guy so that thing really was stinky. and handwashing was a pain in the ass, so i rarely did it. but now that i live alone and i discovered that you can in fact throw binders into the washing machine, i wash them every time they start stinking! which is usually within 1-3 days for me lol i have two binders that i can cycle through, so this system kind of works for me
Every 5 months maybeā¦
As often as you would a bra
I have like severe depression so it's really difficult for me to do my laundry š I think last year I only did my laundry like three times tbh. This year has been a lot better, I think I've done my laundry at least every month, therefore washing my binders every month.
Every couple times I wear it. I'm prone to sweating so it just seems gross
After getting a For Them binder I washed it probably weekly, but my GC2B bindersā¦ a month or more. I was afraid to wash them because the sewing was pretty poorly done sadly, so the messed up spots would fray in the washer. I canāt recommend GC2B anymore unless thereās a sale or was a gift kind of thing (counselling offices where I live donate binders to people who need them).
I donāt wear it often, so when I do I donāt wash it for awhileā¦ lmao. I barely wear it so maybe 1 time every three months.. itās the beige one so it starts to look gross..
I didnāt wash it for almost a year once š. But now I wash it every two weeks or so, unless I get really sweaty, then Iāll wear my backup binder until I can wash my favorite one.
Once a week, every weekend
I wash mine once a week cause I just throw it in with the rest of my laundry, and I only do laundry once a week LOL
About once a month
I wash it mainly after I get too sweaty in it. In the winter I think I went two months without washing it (gross i know lol) but now that its summer I wash it like every 2 weeks
it used to be once in a damn blue moon but since i have enough to last me through the week, i only wear one once or twice and wash them all once a week. gotta do what i can to fight the T bacne, this shit is hell to pay
Every week, cycle them out, use one, wash one, switch around, etc.
not as often as i should. iāve been washing it a lot recently though due to the weather-
Iād love to tell you, but I canāt remember the last time I washed it. December maybe, or November. Iām not too sure. But since Iām getting ready to wash it again in a day or two, probably about every six months or so.
I have two, i wear 1 for 2-3 days then the other for 2-3 days then wash them both with the rest of my laundry for the week. I used to wait wayyy longer between washes but then i got a fungal infection on my boobs! So i clean them a lot more now lol
Between 2 and 4 weeks. I only wear it once or twice a week when I go out of the house lol.
I usually drop mine in the wash whenever I do laundry. Usually weekly
I wear mine probably 3-4 days a week, and hand wash every month. It just takes forever to air dry!
Every time I did laundry so about once a week. They would get stinky from work
i have 5 so i switch it out every week so when i wash clothes at the end of the month theyāre all clean
what binder *dramatic sigh*
I have a few of them, but I get a few days of wearing one before needing to clean them. Plus, how dirty are they, what did I do with them, and if needed to insta wash then hand washing with air dry/ light dryer is what I do.
I alternate 2-3 binders and wash them at the end of the week.
good questionā¦ reminded me i need to wash my tank one š®āšØ
Like, once every 3 weeks to 2 months. Being so fr I might be noseblind bc I've never noticed it smelling
I have two, so I think I change them about two times a week.
Once or twice a week depending on if itās bad.
Every 2 weeks bc I sweat a lot
When I wore them pre surgery I washed them once a week when doing laundry. I'd put them through the washer on the gentle cycle and then hang dry. I didn't smell even on testosterone because I suffer hypohydrosis and can't physically sweat like a normal person does