If you’re like me, you hang onto bras way too long. Koch says the life of a bra is only about three months. Four bras on a rotating basis should keep you covered for about one year. And Koch and Edmark both say never wear the same bra two days in a row. “Bras need to relax. If they are worn constantly, they will break down sooner,” says Edmark.

As for proper bra care, avoid the washing machine! Though you don’t need to wash your bra after every wear — you can go about three or four wears before washing — when you do wash it the bra should be washed by hand. Otherwise the bra will lose it’s structure and won’t last as long.