If you're reading this while doing your laundry, for the love of all things still retaining their original color and elasticity, step away from the harsh detergents. Laundry soap, as easy as it is to pour into the abyss of your washing machine without a second thought, is a cruel mistress—particularly in the case of your more, ahem, intimate items. A simple rule: baby-making clothes should be washed in baby-safe shampoos. Your standard Johnson's will work, but we're partial to the chamomile Para Mi Bebe, found at many a local pharmacy or bodega—the bottle is adorable, and it smells sweet and sugary, not soapy. To keep lingerie in almost-new shape, make sure to hand wash in lukewarm or cold water and lay on a towel to dry—all of which will help the elastic bounce back appropriately, and keep everything else happily bouncing how it will.

Photos by Tom Newton.