Swimwear is prone to getting dirty and the delicate fabric also needs special treatment to avoid irreparable damage. Luckily, knowing how to wash and care for swimwear correctly will extend their lifespan, saving you money. In the next section, you will find everything you need to know about how to wash swimwear properly, as well as the tips and tools necessary to keep these items looking beautiful for years to come.
1. Clean immediately
The best thing you can do to preserve the beauty and lifespan of your swimwear is to clean it immediately after use. The easiest way to do this is to bring your suit into the bathroom with you and rinse it off when you shower, right after swimming.
This rule holds true if you swim in fresh water, salt water, or chlorine. You can also apply it when wearing swimwear for purposes other than swimming, as rinsing will help remove sunscreen, sweat, and other dirt on the body, which can cause discoloration and damage the delicate fabric of the swimwear.
2. Hand-wash if possible
Swimwear is best cleaned by hand rather than using a washing machine. For those who are unaccustomed, the thought of having to hand-wash can be daunting, but it is a quick and easy task, especially for small and lightweight clothing such as swimwear.
To make hand-washing swimwear easier, choose a detergent that does not require rinsing and follow these simple instructions:
– Dilute the recommended amount of detergent in cool water to fully soak the swimwear and create space for your hand to move in the water.
– Use gentle shaking motions, immerse the swimwear in the cleaning solution, and soak for 10 minutes.
– Rinse out the cleaning solution and gently press the swimwear down to push out the water; do not wring or twist the clothing, as doing so will stretch and strain the fabric fibers.
– Lay the swimwear flat to dry; do not hang swimwear in a dry place to prevent the fabric from stretching or distorting.
Additionally, wringing out swimwear will stretch the fabric fibers, weaken the elasticity, and cause the swimsuit to become misshapen. Instead, firmly press the clothing down to push out any excess water.
3. If machine-washing, follow these guidelines
Although hand-washing is ideal, machine-washing is an entirely acceptable option and one that most people will choose. If you choose to machine-wash swimwear, make these simple adjustments to your regular washing process to ensure that the delicate swimwear looks its best after washing.
– Wash swimwear in a protective mesh laundry bag, which helps prevent tangling and stretching of the swimwear.
– Wash swimwear with other lightweight or delicate clothing items, and avoid washing with heavy or bulky items such as towels, jeans, sweatshirts, etc.
– Swimwear should be washed in cold water, using the gentlest cycle available on your machine.
– Consider using a mild detergent designed for use on delicate clothing.
– Avoid using bleach when washing swimwear.
4. Dry immediately
Although machine-drying is a good option, when it comes to drying swimwear, skip the machine and opt for air-drying instead. The heat from the dryer can weaken the swimsuit’s elasticity and may cause fading for brightly colored or dark-colored suits. If you must use the dryer, use the no-heat setting.
When air-drying swimwear, lay them flat, on a drying rack, or on a dry, soft towel. Drying swimwear flat instead of hanging it in a dry place will prevent the swimwear from stretching.
5. Prevent color fading
Bright and dark-colored swimwear will fade over time due to exposure to sunlight, chlorine, saltwater, and regular washing. But there are some things you can do to prevent fading: Washing swimwear after each use will help the color last longer, as well as choosing a specially formulated detergent for dark-colored garments…
6. Deal with fading and yellowing immediately
Exposure to sunlight, chlorine, sunscreen, etc. can also cause issues with white or light-colored swimwear turning yellow. A saltwater soak solution will reverse that condition.
Start by dissolving half a cup of saltwater soak in 1 liter of cold water, then soak the swimwear in that solution for 1-2 hours. Rinse thoroughly and air dry.
7. Remove sunscreen stains
Sunscreen stains are a complex animal: Sunscreen creates a stain mixture of oil and minerals, which can be removed by different methods. An important component in most sunscreen formulas, avobenzone, tends to oxidize in water, leading to dark orange stains.
These stains look similar to rust stains, and in a way, when sunscreen containing avobenzone mixes with minerals present naturally in water, the resulting stains have a structure similar to rust stains. Those stains need to be treated similarly to how you would treat rust stains.
To remove rust-like stains from swimwear, use a commercial rust stain remover designed for use on laundry or try an overnight treatment using lemon juice and salt, following these instructions:
– Rinse out the stained portion of the clothing by submerging the fabric under a cool water tap. Do this quickly, allowing the stain to come into contact with the water for only as long as necessary to wet the area.
– Lay the clothing on a flat, undisturbed surface and leave it overnight. If the flat surface is metal, wood, or another material that shouldn’t get wet, place a creased towel between the clothing and the surface.
– Squeeze lemon juice directly onto the stain so that it is completely wet, then sprinkle a little salt on top of the lemon juice.
– Allow the lemon juice and salt to sit and soak and break up the stain overnight. In the morning, pour the salt into a sink or basin and proceed to launder the clothing as usual.
Hopefully, with these suggestions, you will be able to keep your swimwear looking its best for as long as possible!
According to phunuvietnam.vn