How to Wash Your Swimsuit So It Looks Fab All Summer!
Photo by mentatdgt:
No matter if you wear your favorite swimsuit daily during the summer or if you just put it on occasionally, knowing how to care for it is essential so it lasts for seasons to come. Because, let’s face it, finding a swimsuit that you actually love and feel confident in isn’t an easy task, so once you have one, you want to keep it around as long as you can. One way you can elongate its life is by washing it properly. That’s why we’ve broken down some of the dos and don’ts for washing your swimsuit below.
When to wash a swimsuit
It’s important to wash your bathing suit as often as you wear it. Doing so will make a huge difference in how it holds up its shape and color because swimsuit fabric faces a lot of wear and tear that can damage its material through things like pool chemicals, salt from the ocean, contact with sand, sweat and even sunscreen ingredients. However, before you fully wash your swimsuit, you should first fill a sink with cold water and soak it for roughly 30 minutes. This will help remove most of the harmful chemicals, debris and body soil that it’s soaked up throughout the day.
How to wash a swimsuit by hand
When it comes time to wash your bathing suit, washing it by hand is the best method. Why? Mainly because it is the gentlest way to clean it and prevents excess material stretching in the process. Start by filling up you sink or bathtub with lukewarm water and adding in one teaspoon of a gentle detergent formulated for activewear. Before you add your suit to the water, turn it inside-out and dab a tiny amount of the detergent to an old toothbrush. Then, use the toothbrush to softly scrub any areas that have sweat or sunscreen stains. Once finished, let it soak in the water for several minutes before rinsing it off in cool water. Then find a spot to lay your swimsuit so it can air dry.
How to wash a swimsuit by machine
If you don’t want to hand wash your bathing suit, there are certain rules you should follow when using a washing machine. For starters, wash your swimwear with similar synthetic fabric pieces, which means don’t wash it with your beach towels. Turn your swimsuit inside-out and dab any spots that have sunscreen stains with gentle detergent. Once done, instead of tossing your suit into the washing machine, place it inside a mesh laundry bag. Doing this will help keep its material from snagging and stretching out when it’s being washed. Then add in some gentle detergent and make sure your washer is set to “gentle cycle” and “cold water.” After it’s finished, let it air-dry.
The best way to dry your swimwear
While you’re probably in the habit of transitioning your wet clothes into the dryer, avoid doing that with your swimsuit if you want it to stay looking new. Placing it in the dryer will cause the fabric to stretch out and lose its shape because the high temperature will weaken the elasticity in the suit’s spandex over time. Besides altering its silhouette, the spinning motion combined with the heat will also cause the material to snag and break fibers on the surface of the suit’s fabric, AKA pilling. That’s why the best way to dry your bathing suit is to let it air dry on a flat surface. To help the drying process go faster, point a fan at it to create a breeze.
Avoid these don’ts:
Never hang your wet bathing suit up to dry on a metal rod. If you do, you might discover a rust mark on its fabric.
Do not use hot water to wash your swimwear. It can cause the colors to bleed and shrink your suit.
Try not to hang your swimsuit when it’s drying. Instead, lay it down flat to keep its straps from stretching out.
Never use bleach to get out stains because it will harm the fabric.
Don’t dry your bathing swimwear in direct sunlight. Doing so can lead to its colors fading in some spots on your suit.
Don’t ring your suit out when it’s wet because it puts pressures on the suit’s fibers and damages them. If your suit is really wet, place it on a dry towel, roll it up and then give it a gentle squeeze.
Morgan McMurrin is a fashion and beauty editor based in NYC where she lives with her husband and dog, Boo. She has over 10 years of experience writing for national publications like ELLE, Timeout New York, J-14 and JustJared.com. She loves creating editorial eye candy for all ages that can inspire people to try new trends and feel beautiful.
