Buying a great swimsuit feels amazing, but chlorine, salt water, sun cream etc can quickly ruin the fabric and stretch it out.
If you want to keep your swimwear looking like new, follow these simple rules.
1. Be Careful Where You Sit
Rough surfaces can easily snag and ruin the smooth fabric of your swimsuit.
- Avoid sitting directly on concrete pool decks, wooden benches, or rough rocks.
- Don't drag yourself out of the pool over the wall. Use the stairs or ladder instead.
- Whenever possible lay a towel down before you sit or lie down.
2. Keep Sun Cream Off the Fabric
Sunscreen and tanning oils protect your skin, but they can stain your swimwear and damage the elastic.
- Put your sun cream on 15 minutes before you put your swimsuit on so it has time to dry into your skin.
3. How to Wash and Dry It
The way you clean your swimsuit makes the biggest difference in how long it lasts.
- As soon as you take it off, rinse it thoroughly in cold, fresh water to get rid of chlorine, salt, sand etc.
- Hand wash or use a cold, gentle cycle in the washing machine with a mild laundry detergent.
- Don't leave a wet swimsuit bundled up inside a towel or sitting at the bottom of your bag. It will start to smell and ruin the shape.
- Never use bleach, never iron it, and don't put it in the dry cleaner. You should also avoid those fast spin-dryers in changing rooms.
- Gently squeeze the water out (don't wring it tightly) and lay it flat in the shade to dry. Hanging it up by the straps can stretch it out of shape.