Stop Washing Your Swimsuits! The Right Way to Clean Your Bathing Suit

Levi Strauss CEO Chip Bergh has told the public that they shouldn't wash their jeans. Kind of gross but all right.  It may be fine not washing jeans but for goodness sake please wash your swimsuits!

Bathing suits are somewhat on the expensive side of clothing and learning how to take care of them will help keep you looking great all season long. Whether you wear a swimsuit daily or just on occasion, the fabric can take a real hard beating from pool chemicals, the sun, sand, temperatures and lotions. So what is the right way to clean your swimsuit? How do you wash a bathing suit?

Wash It Right Away Or Your Suit May Stink

The most important thing you can do when cleaning a swimsuit is to rinse it off right after wearing, then wash it well when you get home. This will minimize the amount of time the fabric is exposed to harsh agents like sunscreen, perspiration, salt, and chlorine. Not to mention how intimately close your bathing suit has been to your body. The quicker you wash it the less likely your swimwear will smell like chlorine, the beach or just plain stink. The easiest way to do this is to wear your suit into the shower

Wash Your Bathing Suit By Hand

The agitation of a washing machine can damage the fabrics even if set on the gentle cycle. The dyes in the fabrics are also more likely to run and potentially ruin your other summer clothes. In fact washing your swimsuit in the washing machine is probably the worst thing you could do to a piece of women's swimwear. Bathing suits need gentle love and care. (See #4 of the Ten Commandments of Women's Swimsuits)

FOLLOW THIS GUIDE FOR CLEANING YOUR SWIMWEAR AND YOUR SWIMSUITS WILL LOOK LIKE NEW LONGER.

Don't Use Laundry Detergent, You'll Regret It Later

Many guides out there say to use a little bit of detergent to clean your bathing suits. But laundry detergents are far too harsh for most spandex swimwear and will often cause the color to fade, especially brighter colors. Even just a little bit of detergent can lead to color fading. And even on white bathing suits never use bleach! Instead, use mild hand soap that doesn't have added moisturizers. This will help that new bathing suit last much longer.

Despite Every Instinct To Do So Don't Wring Out Your Swimsuit

It is very tempting to do this but you need to resist. Wringing your suit is the fastest way to wear it out so the spandex loses its shape and elasticity. Lay it flat on a towel and roll the towel up and squeeze gently. Remove it from the towel and lay it flat to dry.

It Should Go Without Saying, Don't Use A Dryer on your Bathing Suit

The constant tumbling of a dryer combined with the excessive heat are a quick way to ruin your favorite swim piece.

 How Else Shouldn't You Dry It?

This may surprise you but it's best not to hang your swimwear to dry as water pooling at the bottom will stretch out the fibers. Dry the suit indoors or in the shade. Direct sun will fade the colors. Don't dry it over an air conditioner as you'll likely make the whole room smell of damp bathing suit. Mmmmmm lovely.

What If You Don't Have Enough Time To Dry It?

If you must dry your bathing suit quickly, you can use your hair dryer. Just make sure that it's set to blow cool air. If it doesn't have time to dry, stuff your wet suit in a plastic bag before you pack it up, it's a good idea to poke a few holes in the bag for ventilation and then wrap a T-shirt or towel around it to catch any drips. You'd be amazed how quickly mold starts to grow without the ventilation.

Let It Rest

You probably know that Women's swimwear is typically made from spandex fabric. But did you know spandex is actually a memory fabric? This means when it gets stretched out it goes back to it's original shape. Make sure you give your bathing suit a break. It usually takes about a day for a swim piece to get back to its normal condition. So don't wear the same swimsuit on consecutive days. Alternating between suits will allow them to breathe and return to their original shape. Besides, you probably have a bunch of beautiful designer women's swimwear in your wardrobe just waiting to be worn!

Washing and drying your beachwear can be a laborious task, but it will help make your favorite swimsuit last much longer and help you save money on your summer wardrobe. Remember, it's a really good idea to have more than one suit when you go somewhere because you should never ever wear a damp swimsuit. Damp one pieces and bikinis are a prime place for bacteria and mold, and it's is a good way to get a nasty skin rash or even an infection. So if you're buying a new bathing suit just to be on the safe side, you might as well buy two or three. Shop women's bathing suits online  inlcuding tankinis, bikinis, and plus size swimwear at SwimsuitsDirect.com. The perfect bathing suit for you is waiting and it's on sale now!