You love your swimsuits, whether you use them once or twice a year or on a regular basis. The chemicals from the pool, high temperature, sunscreens and sand can be really harsh on your expensive swimming suit. Proper care can make your swimsuits last a long time, the fabric and the colors will look fresh and new. It’s not very hard to take care of your swimsuit, and there are certain tips which are really effective.
Considering swimwear to be an investment, as it can sometimes cost hundreds of dollars, you have to care for it in a way that it lasts long. For that matter, considering all your clothes to be precious, whether they’re pricey or they cost just a few dollars, you have to take good care of them. That goes for delicate swimsuits too. There’s a lot of information about washing swimsuits which might seem pretty confusing. Here are some swimsuit washing tips that would keep your swimsuits pretty and make them last for many seasons:
Give it a good soak
Better than just rinsing is to let the swimsuit soak in cool water for about half an hour. Soaking is very good and it’s a swimsuit washing tip which you will always be grateful for. That’s because soaking removes the salt, chemicals, sand and body oil which can cause damage to the fabric. Most suits contain lycra or spandex so getting the chemicals out of them is necessary, or else the shape would change.
Rinse it ASAP
Girls swimwear of good quality can be quite pricey, as we all know. So to keep it looking like new, rinse it immediately, the moment you come out of the pool. Rinse your suit in tap water (which is cool, not warm or hot) every time you wear, whether you’re just sunbathing or swimming. Body oils and sweat react with the swimwear fabric’s elasticity causing them to stretch. So you have to remove them as soon as possible to help your swimsuit keep its shape. Rinsing helps in getting chlorine out of bathing suits, or else your suit might even change color.
Scrub gently
Girls swimwear has to be treated gently. You have to scrub gently the parts of the swimsuit where there might be sunscreen – shoulder straps, neckline and so on.
Hand wash the suit
Do not cringe at the mention of the words ‘hand wash’. It’s quite simple and easy really. If you want to elongate the life of your bathing suit, you must wash it yourself. Do not bung it into the washing machine – it will reduce your labor, but will ruin your swimsuit. One of the Swimsuit washing tips to prolong the life of your swimsuit is to wash it by hand.
Using liquid detergent is easier and quicker. Pour around 2 tablespoons of liquid detergent in a plastic pan or in the sink, if you have a stopper. Fill the sink or pan with some lukewarm water. Soak your suit in the soapy water for 30-60 minutes. After every 15 minutes, swish the bathsuit around.
Drying properly
Clean and dry wash the bathing suit – hang it in laundry room or shower and let it drip dry. You can lay it flat out to dry in indirect sunlight. If you dry it in direct sunlight, the harsh rays of the sun would fade the color, and break down the fabric’s fibers. It’s best never to machine dry your bathing suit, as it will surely ruin its elastic. Your swimsuit will lose the shape in just a few runs through the dryer, and will not fit in the same way.
The right way to machine-wash
If you MUST wash your swimsuit in the machine, (sometimes it might be more convenient to do so), then do follow these simple instructions. Wash it on gentle cycle whenever you wash your bathing suit in the machine.
One of the must-do Swimsuit washing tips for washing machine is putting it in a mesh bag and wash. Don’t wash with anything which might pick the suit’s fabric, for example zippers or Velcro.
Use lukewarm water
Lukewarm water is the best for the delicate fabric of your bathing suit. Rinse the suit thoroughly in lukewarm water. Use enough water to rinse the swimsuit completely, so that all the chemicals, dirt and sunscreen as well as detergent is washed off. Rinsing for 2 minutes approx. should be sufficient to wash away all the suds.
Get rid of stains with natural products
Do not use chlorine bleach to remove stains or to whiten your swimsuit. Sometimes, just a dab of shampoo (without conditioner) will do the trick. Sprinkle a good amount of baking soda on the stain directly, and let it stay up to two hours, before washing. One hour should be enough too, if you don’t have enough time.
To remove stains with vinegar, you have to soak your swimsuit in 3 parts lukewarm water and 1 part white vinegar (distilled).
Alternate suits
A great tip to helping your swimsuit last longer is that by giving it time to regain the memory shape. Give your swimsuit at least 24 hours rest and alternate between two suits. This will help both of them last longer.
Never use warm water in the machine
Wash your swimsuit in the machine in the gentle mode, using only cool water. This is the opposite of handwashing, in which you have to use lukewarm water.
No wringing
After rinsing, be careful to squeeze your swimsuit carefully. If you wring it in the same way as you would wring a dish cloth, it would definitely damage your suit.
Careful when sitting down
Be careful where you lie or sit down. The surface may seem gentle to you, but it’s actually not so. Always sit on a towel as this will protect your swimsuit.
Sunbathing before swimming and being careful not to snag it anywhere will help to make it last a long time. A little TLC will keep your suit looking fresh and pretty for years altogether.