How to Care and Keep Your Swimwear
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The Basics
Caring and keeping your swimwear shorely beautiful is both similar and different from caring for the other garments in your wardrobe. Below I walk you through what I call “The Basics” of caring and keeping your swimsuits. My tips are based on years of experience wearing and loving swimsuits. I hope you’ll find this helpful as you invest in quality pieces that you’ll wear for seasons to come.
Read the Labels and Tags
Your swimsuit’s label is the best place to start to learn about its care and any special recommendations from its manufacturer. Here you’ll find the fabric composition as well as suggested washing instructions. My suggestion is to consider both of these elements of the garment before purchase. Most retailers include this information on the product page, or if you’re lucky enough to be shopping in person, check the label or any hanging tags in the store. Even if you’re familiar with the fabric and care instructions, it’s a good idea to read the label and any tags once you have your garment in hand. Some dyes or fabrics wear best if they are washed before their first use. When in doubt, you can always contact the manufacturer for product specific guidance.
Wash Gently
Most swimsuits are made of synthetic fabrics. The best way to care for these nylons and polyesters is to gently hand wash in cold water, even if the care instructions direct you to do otherwise. It just so happens that this method is also the most eco-friendly, preventing additional micro-plastics from entering waterways.
Here are my suggestions for a successful gentle wash:
? Generally, you’ll want to gently wash your suit after each wear, especially if you swam in chlorinated or salt water. Both chlorine and salt water can degrade swimwear fabric. If you’re pressed for time and can’t do a wash, rinse your swimsuit in cool water after wear to prevent any chemical or salt residue from drying into the fabric. Then wash when you are able.
? Swimsuits are intimate garments. If you wore your suit but didn’t swim or get it wet, you may want to consider rinsing it in cool water. If you wore sunscreen, deodorant, or sweated in your suit, it will benefit from a quick rinse.
? If you have the option to wash your swimsuit while it’s still wet from pool or ocean water as opposed to after it has dried, that is best. Along the same lines, avoid leaving your wet swimsuit in a bag (I use waterproof and reusable Aloha Collection pouches) or crumpled in a ball for extended periods of time. This can give mold, bacteria, or other unwanted organisms a chance to grow in the swimwear fabric. Not only is this bad for the swimsuit fabric, but it’s bad for your health. Not to mention the smell! Be sure to clean out your wet swimsuit bag and let it air dry, too.
? To wash, submerge and gently swish your suit in cold soapy water, then soak it for 10 – 15 minutes in a sink, basin, or bucket. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry with a towel.
? For the soap, you want something mild and made for hand washing or the gentle cycle. Ideally, it should be without color dyes as these can stain fabrics if applied directly to fabric or in the wrong concentration. I use Branch Basics to wash my swimsuits and clothes (you’ll get $10 off your order by clicking the link!). Follow your soap’s instructions on hand washing for the amount.
? Use cold water only. Warm or hot water is harder on the fabric and can lead to degradation, which is bad for you (it can cause the suit to wear faster) and the environment (micro-plastics).
? You want to make sure your suit is immersed in the soapy water, but you do not need to scrub or mash the fabric together to creating soapy friction. Whatever you do, do not wring or twist the fabric as you wash or rinse! This will weaken and strain the fabric, possibly leading to stretching and degradation.
? Be mindful of any belts, beading, or other features of your suit that may snag the swimsuit fabric while washing. For example, if there is a belt, you may want to remove it so you don’t accidentally swish it against the body of your suit and snag the fabric. Similarly, remove any rings or bracelets that might catch on the swimsuit fabric. I learned that one the hard way!
? Do not lay your swimsuit in the sun to dry. Tempting as this may be, the sun is strong and can not only fade the fabric, but degrade the elasticity. The best place for your suit to dry is on a clothing rack away from direct sunlight, flat or gently hang.
? Consider the shape of your suit when laying or hanging it to dry. For example, if your suit has cups you want to lay it flat cup-side up to retain the shape. You may also want to remove any belts or similar accessories so the suit will dry evenly.
Store Smart
When storing your swimsuits in-between uses, first make sure they are clean, then consider the shape of your swimsuit and fold or hang it accordingly. Think of cups, padding, boning, or any other features that will look best if their shape is retained. You want to be sure that however you fold or hang your swimsuit will not create more kinks or misshape your suit. If it has cups, consider storing socks in them to retain their shape. Similarly, if there is a belt that may catch the fabric, consider storing it separately rolled in an old sock. If you have multiple swimsuits, stack or layer them in a way that supports their features and shapes, i.e., one-pieces stacked with an old shirt in between them to protect the one that doesn’t have beading.
If you have the choice of hanging or folding, my suggestion is to fold. Hanging may stress the elasticity of the suit and cause it to stretch unnecessarily.
Lastly, you want to keep your swimsuits out of the sun. When I was growing up in Florida, I had friends that kept their swimsuits in cars so they always had one on hand. I love the sentiment but cringe thinking how much that distressed the swimwear fabric. If you want to keep a swimsuit handy, pack it in a waterproof bag such as an Aloha Collection pouch, and keep it in your tote while you’re on the go. The waterproof bag also prevents you from needing a plastic bag on your way back from your watery adventure.
Final Thoughts
As Joan Crawford says, “Take care of your clothes like the good friends they are.” Show your swimsuits some love and take special care to keep them shorely beautiful and splash worthy for seasons to come!
How do you care and keep your swimsuits? Share with me below!
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