Swimwear Care Guide
Quality swimwear is an investment. Each summer, many of us spend hours perusing online swimwear stores or browsing in shops to find the perfect swimsuit for the season. To ensure our valuable time and money isn’t wasted, it’s imperative to take care of our new swimwear and extend its life for seasons to come.
While our swimwear tags include washing instructions, sometimes it’s easy to dismiss these or cut them off and discard them. If you’re unsure of how to best treat your new swimwear, read on for our care guide and tips for choosing and washing your swimsuits.
Please note that both regular and chlorine resistant swimsuits should be cared for the same way.
- Choose your swimsuit
- Care when wearing your swimsuit
- Rinse your swimsuit
- Wash your swimsuit
- Dry your swimsuit
- Store your swimsuit
Choose your swimsuit
Shopping for new swimwear is a different experience for everyone. It can be a breeze for some women and an arduous task for others. Either way, there are things everyone needs to consider when purchasing a new swimsuit.
If you’re investing in a new swimsuit and you want it to last beyond one summer, you need to be honest about where and how often you’re going to be wearing it. Do you just need it for the occasional trip to the beach, or are you an avid swimmer at your local pool?
For women who choose to exercise at their local pool, participating in swimming, aqua aerobics, or hydrotherapy, we advise investing in chlorine resistant swimwear. Swimsuits made from 100% polyester can withstand the damaging effects of harsh pool chemicals and heat.
Choosing chlorine resistant swimwear will ensure your pieces will maintain their colour, shape, and elasticity for seasons to come.
If you spend your summer by your own pool or at the beach, you can choose from the full selection of swim fabrics on offer, including recycled swim ranges, such as our sustainable Leopard print collection.
Care when wearing your swimsuit
Proper care for your swimwear begins from the moment you put it on. To ensure you keep prints and light colours looking fresh and free from stains, be mindful what types of sun SPF, self-tans, bronzers, and moisturisers you use.
Avoid colour transferring products or those that could leave an oily residue on your swimsuit. Fast drying products with a matte finish are preferable to prevent your swimwear from discolouring.
Take care to avoid rough services or sharp objects that could cause your delicate swim fabric to pill, snag, or tear.
Rinse your swimsuit
The most important step in caring for your swimsuit is rinsing it once you’ve taken it off. This step is often all you need to keep your swimsuit clean and fresh, ready to wear again.
Utilise showers at the beach or by the pool to rinse off the bulk of the sand and chlorine before taking your bathers off at home or in the change room. If you’ve rolled them up in a towel, don’t forget to take them out immediately when you get home.
Once you’ve removed your swimsuit, rinse them again with clean, cold water and gently wring out any excess. Unless your swimsuit is visibly soiled, this should be enough to keep them clean for your next wear.
Wash your swimsuit
If you do need to wash your swimsuit, be sure to hand wash them only using cold water and a mild soap or detergent. Swimwear is even more delicate than lingerie as it is in contact with chlorinated and salty water as well as the sun’s harsh rays. It needs to be treated with care.
DO NOT wash your swimwear in the machine, even on a gentle cycle. The heat can affect the elasticity in your bathers and the aggressive tumbling can cause the fabric to pill and colours to fade.
Dry your swimsuit
Once you’ve rinsed and/or washed your swimsuit, it’s time to dry it correctly.
Be sure to dry them in the shade if possible, by lying them on a towel or gently over a drying rack. If you’ve rinsed them off in your bathroom or laundry, hang them on a hook or over the shower head to gently dry.
DO NOT dry your swimsuit in a tumble dryer. While this might seem like common sense, you’d be surprised how many people ruin their new swimsuit by throwing it in a hot dryer.
Heat is not a friend to stretch fabrics as it will destroy the elastic, fade colours and bend underwires out of shape. Trims and fabric will pill easily, altering the texture of your bathers and making them look well worn, even after only one wash and dry cycle in the machine.
Store your swimsuit
Take care when storing your swimwear. It might not seem like an important step, but properly storing your pieces will ensure they keep their shape and look better when you next wear them.
Make sure fabrics are smoothed out to prevent wrinkles and creases, and fold or roll your bathers neatly. Straps should be attached and not twisted. Store swimsuits with moulded cups correctly to maintain their shape, or remove the cups entirely and keep them stacked neatly.
You can learn more about storing your swimwear by reading our detailed blog, How To Store Your Bikinis.
