If you’re a beach bum, you probably spend as much time in your swimsuit as your street clothes during the summer months.
Just like any piece of clothing worn repetitively, swimwear will experience wear and tear but it’ll last much longer if cared for properly.
Unlike your regular clothes, swimwear is soaked in water, exposed to chlorine and spends longer hours in direct sunlight. These harsh conditions mean you need to take special care when washing and drying.
Most swimsuits are composed of spandex, which also requires more attention than a generic cotton T-shirt.
If you’ve finally found the perfect swimsuit that hugs your curves just right, you don’t want to see it deteriorate after just one summer. Follow these easy care tips that will keep your favourite suit going for many summers to come.
Your swimsuit will absorb less fibre-damaging chlorinated water if you rinse it out with fresh water before hitting the pool. A good shower or rinse is always advised prior to getting in. Not only will your suit get a good rinse, you’ll also be doing your fellow pool goers a favour by removing any dirt, oil or makeup from your body.
Even if you were just sunbathing on a perfectly clean towel, always wash or rinse your bathing suit immediately after use. You just spent a few hours sweating into a piece of clothing that clings to your body so even though you didn’t get in the pool, your suit is no longer fresh.
High content spandex clothing shouldn’t be tossed in with the rest of your laundry. Swimwear should always be hand washed if possible with a gentle detergent. Mild hand soap is an option if you don’t have the appropriate detergent. Serious laundry mavens may invest in a detergent specifically formulated for high performance fabrics like this Sport Detergent by The Laundress.
Turn your swimsuit inside out and place it in a sink filled with cold water. Swish it around the soapy bath for a few minutes and rinse thoroughly.
Grabbing your soaking wet suit and twisting it like a dirty rag is a cardinal sin of swimwear care.
Instead, gently press out excess water after washing. An easy method for removing the water is to roll it up in a dry towel and gently press on it until you’re confident most of the water has been absorbed.
Like sweaters, lay your swimsuit to dry flat. It spends enough time basking in the harsh rays of the sun so avoid drying it in direct sunlight as this will only result in fading. Before putting it away, always ensure it’s fully dry.
The dryer is not your pal when it comes to swimwear. The extreme heat will disrupt the elasticity of the fabric and we all know what saggy swim bottoms look like.
We know how hard it can be to find the one so if you’ve met your match, perhaps you should just go ahead and buy two. Your swimsuits will last longer if you have more than one to alternate between.
This might be stating the obvious but the less trauma you put your swimsuit through, the longer it will stick around.
Avoid sitting on rocky surfaces, always lie on a towel and avoid wearing your best swimsuit in the hot tub.
We all love a good soak but as mentioned earlier, heat can damage the fibres of your suit and cause it to stretch out.
Shop our fave swimsuits below: