Washing compression stockings: every day? 5 rules to keep them working

They take effort to pull on in the morning, bring relief when they come off in the evening – and then often just end up draped over a chair. Yet how well medical stockings work depends heavily on how they are cared for. Washing compression stockings without them losing pressure only takes a few rules: regularly, gently, without fabric softener and without heat when drying.

In summer especially, when legs sweat and the stockings work harder, a good routine pays off. This guide covers general care. Which stockings you wear and for how long is decided by your doctor and by the specialist retailer who fitted them.

Why compression stockings need washing so often

Compression stockings apply carefully calibrated pressure to the legs, usually decreasing from the ankle upwards. This is made possible by elastic fibres worked into a firm knit. Over the day, skin oils, sweat, skin flakes and cream residue build up in the fabric. The fibres become less elastic, the stocking slackens and the pressure drops.

Washing removes this residue, and the knit contracts back to its original shape. That's why many manufacturers advise washing the stockings after every wear – which means daily if you wear them daily. It's gentler on them than you might think.

1. Wash after every wear

Plan to wash them in the evening so the stockings are dry by the next morning or the day after. The easiest way is two pairs in rotation: one to wear, one drying. Ask when they are prescribed, or at the specialist retailer, whether a second pair makes sense.

Don't leave worn stockings lying around for days. The longer sweat and skin oils sit in the fabric, the harder they are to wash out completely.

2. Washing compression stockings gently in the machine

Most compression stockings can go in the washing machine. The care label or instructions for use always have the final say. The number in the washtub gives the maximum temperature, and a bar underneath calls for a gentle cycle. What each symbol means is explained in GINETEX's care-symbol index.

• Use a laundry bag: it protects against friction and against hooks and zips on other clothes.
• Turn them inside out: the inside, where skin oils collect, gets cleaned more thoroughly.
• Gentle or delicates cycle at 30–40 °C: higher temperatures are generally not intended.
• Delicates detergent without bleach: skip fabric softener entirely – it damages the elastic fibres.
• Dose sparingly: SwissEnergy advises not increasing the detergent dose at low temperatures. Residue in the knit can irritate the skin.

How to find the right amount of detergent is explained in our guide to laundry detergent dosage.

3. Hand washing – without rubbing or wringing

When travelling, or if there isn't enough for a full load, wash the stockings by hand. Fill the washbasin with lukewarm water and a little delicates detergent. Gently squeeze the stockings through it several times, let them soak briefly, then rinse thoroughly in clean water until no more suds appear.

For hand washing, the care symbols say: 40 °C at most, no rubbing and no wringing. Both distort the knit and can overstretch the fibres.

4. Drying compression stockings properly

After pressing, hang the stockings over a line or clothes airer, or lay them flat. Choose an airy spot out of direct sunlight. They don't belong on the radiator, near the stove or in the tumble dryer: heat makes the elastic fibres brittle and the pressure drops for good. If the manufacturer explicitly allows tumble drying, stick to the setting given.

Ironing is off-limits too. How to dry laundry well indoors without a tumble dryer is covered in our guide to drying laundry in winter.

5. Treat them gently every day

Washing is only part of the care. Small things when putting them on and wearing them also decide how long they last:

• Wear rubber gloves: with grippy gloves, the stockings are easier to smooth into place, and fingernails or rings won't cause ladders.
• Look after the grip band: clean the silicone band of hold-ups as the manufacturer recommends, and keep body lotion away from it.
• Moisturise your legs in the evening: otherwise fats from lotions settle into the knit during the day. The specialist retailer can tell you which products are suitable.
• Check them regularly: ladders, thin patches or a stocking that goes on more easily than it used to are signs it needs replacing. Check the timing with your doctor or the specialist retailer.

The most common mistakes

• Washing only once a week: the fibres slacken and the pressure drops.
• Fabric softener or wool detergent with conditioning agents: both coat the elastic fibres.
• Drying on the radiator: it's quick, but it damages the fibres permanently.
• Wringing: the knit gets overstretched and loses its shape.
• Putting them on while wearing jewellery: rings and long fingernails cause holes and ladders.

Many of these rules also apply to stretchy sportswear, as our guide to washing functional clothing shows.

Priority Clean editorial teamOur cleaning team from Alberswil, Canton of Lucerne, shares hands-on experience from move-out, house, office and window cleaning across Central and Northwestern Switzerland.