When you think of swimwear, your mind probably goes to lounging on a beach, diving into ocean waves, or relaxing by the pool. What you likely don’t think about is washing your swimsuit. However, if you want your favorite suit to stay vibrant and maintain its perfect fit, proper care is essential.

Fortunately, washing a swimsuit is simple once you know the right steps—and what to avoid. To make it easier, we’ve put together a guide with our top ten tips for cleaning your swimwear without damaging the fabric or fading the color. Whether it's a one piece or bikini, keep reading to learn how to hand wash your swimsuit and dry it properly, all while preserving its shape!

Choosing the right detergent for washing your swimsuit can significantly impact its longevity. It’s crucial not to use the same detergent you use for your regular laundry, as those can be too harsh for swimsuit fabric. Instead, select a mild detergent specifically designed for delicates or fabrics with high spandex content.

A detergent formulated for swimsuits will effectively remove chemicals and oils, such as chlorine, without harming the delicate materials. Additionally, these specialty detergents often include ingredients that neutralize the harsh chemicals found in pool water, further protecting your swimsuit’s fabric from damage, like color fading.

Sometimes life happens and you may wear your bathing suit but not have a mild detergent on hand to use when washing it. What then? In such cases, white vinegar can serve as an effective cleaning alternative. Its antibacterial and deodorizing properties can help clean your swimsuit and eliminate the presence of bacteria.

If you find yourself without either gentle detergent or white vinegar, simply rinse your swimsuit thoroughly with clean, cool water. Be sure to avoid hot water during rinsing, as it can cause colors to bleed or fade.

Have you ever been to the beach and then come home only to find sand filling every nook and cranny of your favorite bathing suit? Don’t give in to your impulse to call it a lost cause! A few simple steps can help save your swimsuit from a sand-filled fate in the trash can.

If you find yourself with a sand-filled swimsuit, first be sure to take it outside and shake it off. By vigorously shaking your swimsuit, you can get off most of the external sand stuck to the fabric. Once you’ve done an initial shake, turn your garment inside out and shake it again.

Once you do that, now it’s time to wash. Rinse your swimsuit in cool water for ten minutes. Target areas where you can see sand in the fabric to rinse it out. After that, lay it out flat to dry (somewhere away from direct sunlight).

When your swimsuit has dried completely, it's ready for another vigorous shake outside to remove any remaining sand in the fabric. If for some reason you have some sand remaining, break out your blow dryer on the cool setting and blow out the last of the sand.

The washing machine may seem like the most logical place to wash your swimsuit after each wear, but you should never use the washing machine to wash a swimsuit. The agitation and movement in the washing machine are too rough for the delicate fibers of swimsuit fabric and can cause them to stretch, strain, and break down. This can ultimately leave your swimsuit damaged and ill-fitting. If you are looking to wash your swimsuit, always skip the washing machine and opt for a traditional hand wash.

Speaking of hand washing, there is a method to hand washing to make sure your swimsuit comes out clean and undamaged every time.

1. To properly hand wash your garment, fill a tub or sink with cold water and mix the cold water with one capful of gentle detergent until it is completely dissolved. If needed, substitute the mild soap or detergent for white vinegar.
2. Once you have successfully made your cleaning solution, let your swimsuit soak in the soap solution for up to thirty minutes. Once time is up, remove your swimsuit from the cleaning solution and rinse it with cold water until all of the cleaning solution is gone.
3. Place your clean swimsuit on a fresh, dry towel and gently press the towel into the swimsuit to remove excess water. You can also gently roll your swimsuit in the clean towel and press it to remove excess water. 
4. Once you have removed all of the excess water, lay your swimsuit out flat to dry.

You may feel the urge to throw your damp swimsuit in the dryer to get it dry quickly, but faster isn’t always better. The dryer can actually be harmful to your swimsuit because it can agitate the delicate fibers of the swimsuit material causing it to become damaged and its high heat can compromise the elasticity of the fabric. Instead, lay your swimsuit flat out to dry.

Hanging your swimsuit to dry from a hanger or off a doorknob can seem like an appealing option, but doing so can risk damaging your swimsuit -- possibly stretching it, which compromises its fit. When a bathing suit is hung to dry, the remaining water in the swimsuit will pool at the bottom of the swimsuit and can also stretch the fibers out. Additionally, drying it draped over something or hanging can deform the shape of the swimsuit. Always lay your swimsuit flat to dry to preserve its shape.

When your bathing suit is sopping wet after rinsing, it may seem tempting to take it and wring out all of that excess water, but wringing your bathing suit can be damaging. When a bathing suit is wrung out, the fibers in the fabric can loosen, which can reduce the overall elasticity of the fibers of the swimsuit material. This reduction in elasticity can mean that over time instead of a perfectly fitting swimsuit you are now left with sagging bikini bottoms! Case in point: don’t wring out your bathing suit. To preserve its shape for years to come, simply pat it dry with a towel instead.

• Avoid sitting on rough surfaces. Rough surfaces like concrete and wood can snag and damage the delicate fibers of your swimsuit. Always put down a towel before sitting or laying down to ensure your swimsuit is not damaged by rough surfaces.
• Prep your new swimsuit before your first beach day. Before your first beach day, some experts suggest that you can help preserve your new swimsuit to prevent the dye from bleeding with this trick. Combine one tablespoon of white vinegar per quart of cold, fresh water in a sink or basin and soak your swimsuit in the mixture for thirty minutes. The vinegar and water mixture will prevent the dye from bleeding. (Note: we haven’t tried this one yet--let us know if you think this helps!)
• Don’t wrap your swimsuit in your beach towel after taking it off. Above we discussed how many common products, like sunscreen, can damage your swimsuit fabric. If you wrap your swimsuit in your beach towel that was also exposed to those products, you are continuing to expose your swimsuit to potentially damaging elements.
• Rotate your swimsuits. The high elasticity in the fibers of the swimsuit material needs at least twenty-four hours to tighten up and return to their original form. If you are wearing your swimsuit frequently, be sure to rotate swimsuits to allow the fibers time to tighten back up.

Sources: 

https://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/clothing-care/how-to-care-for-swimsuit

https://www.summersolutionsswim.com/15-swimsuit-care-tips-extend-life-swimwear/

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/06/23/how-to-make-swimwear-last-longer_n_10618504.html

https://www.tommybahama.com/live-the-life/tb-style/fashions-and-passions/extend-life-swimwear.html

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/05/28/make-your-swimsuit-last-longer_n_1545722.html

https://www.bustle.com/articles/163893-how-to-get-sand-out-of-your-swimsuit-and-survive-beach-season