How to look after your swimwear
Whether you’re heading to the local pool, off on a weekend spa break or finally packing up your suitcase for a vacation (or staycation) - it's swimwear season, and we bet you’ve got a number of favourites ready to pack. From costumes to bikinis, swimwear comes in all different shapes, designs and prices too, so it’s worth knowing how to properly care for them so they stay in shape and look great whenever it's time to enjoy some sun.
From pool chemicals and salt water to sand, high temperatures and sunscreen, swimwear fabrics often take a beating when they’re worn. Almost every swimsuit contains elastane, a delicate fibre that's easy to damage. Combine that with chlorine found in most pools and hot tubs, and it's a recipe for fabric elasticity to be impaired and fabric discolouration - but don't panic, we're here to help!
RINSE
First things first: as soon as possible after you’ve worn your swimwear, always rinse it out in cool water. Avoid leaving your pieces rolled up in the towel after use as this allows the chlorine more time to impregnate the fabric and allows bacteria to breed. Removing any contaminants as soon as possible will really help your swimwear stay fresh. If you have time, allow to soak for 30 minutes. Soaking will remove most of the chemicals, salt, sand, and body oil that can damage the fabric.
WASH
For best results, always wash your swimwear by hand and use a detergent specifically designed for delicates or high elastane-content fabrics like our Wool, Silk and Delicates Wash. Mix a tablespoon of the wash into 5L (a small basin) cold water and submerge your swimwear. Swish around the several minutes to ensure the wash thoroughly cleans your pieces before rinsing well with cold water. If you are machine washing, remember to use a gentle cycle with cold water and always place your swimwear into our mesh laundry bag before loading into the drum.
DRY
Although it’s very tempting, never wring out your swimwear. Wringing is a fast-track to causing microscopic ruptures in the elastane fibres that can cause swimwear to lose shape and stretch. Instead, after washing, gently squeeze out before rolling up in a clean, dry towel to remove the excess water. Reshape the pieces and lay them flat to dry, avoiding direct sunlight. Hanging swimwear to dry can cause the fabric to stretch out of shape, as water may gather in the bottom.
We told you it was plain sailing! Now you know how to properly look after your costumes and bikinis, it’ll all go swimmingly the next time you’ve been for a dip.
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