There is no better feeling than finding the perfect sexy bikini that flatters your figure and hugs all the right places, but what comes after? Now that you have your ideal swimsuit, it is important to preserve the swimsuit material to make sure it can last far beyond one season and continue looking appealing and fashionable. But how do you properly preserve your swimsuit material? If you’ve ever wondered this, you are not alone! To help you provide the care your swimsuit needs to last, we have compiled the best tips and tricks for preserving your swimsuit material. Our complete guide gives you all the information you need to know about wearing, washing, and storing your favorite bikinis and one-piece suits. Keep reading to learn more!

The Importance of Investing in High-Quality Swimsuit Material

Before we dive into how to preserve your swimsuit material, it’s vital to understand the importance of investing in a swimsuit that is made with high-quality materials. Even if you wear, wash, and store your bikini properly, if it is made with low-quality materials, it is going to fade, stretch, and wear faster. While a bathing suit made with lower quality materials may be less cost initially, it will have to be replaced much more frequently. If you invest in a swimsuit made with high-quality materials and care for it properly, it will far outlast a cheaper, less quality bathing suit. But how do you know the best swimsuit material to look for?

Many swimsuits are made from a blend of materials, which means that there is more than one type of fabric used to make the material. We recommend looking for Lycra blend fabrics in your swimsuits. Lycra provides enviable elasticity that will keep your swimsuit hugging all of your curves perfectly and stretching to your movements. Lycra blend fabrics are also extremely soft and comfortable, making them ideal for all-day wear and any activities you may want to partake in. In addition, Lycra blend swimsuits are also very durable and quick-drying, which will help them last for years to come (especially when cared for properly!). We know Lycra blend is the ideal swimsuit material, which is why we craft our swimsuits using our unique and soft XTRA LIFE Lycra blend. So whether you are trying to preserve your Brazilian bikini bottoms or your favorite bandeau bikini top, we’ve provided some tips and tricks for keeping your designer bikinis good as new.

How to Preserve Swimsuit Material: Wearing, Washing, & Storing

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f you’ve found the perfect bathing suit that makes you feel confident, it’s important to make sure you know how to preserve your swimsuit material so that you aren’t left searching for another new suit at the beginning of every season. Investing in a high-quality swimsuit may require an additional financial commitment initially, but if cared for properly, you can make sure the high-quality swimsuit you have invested in will last and look its best for years to come. By incorporating a few simple tips and tricks into your swimsuit care routine, you can make sure your bathing suit material retains its shape and appearance and you never have to experience unsightly swimsuit elastic sagging. Keep reading for tips into everything you need to know when wearing, washing, and storing your swimsuit to keep it looking fashionable so it fits and feels great.

Wearing Your Swimsuit: Handle with Care

Proper swimsuit care begins with all the actions and precautions you take when wearing your swimsuit. By incorporating a few simple tips, you can avoid many common swimsuit issues that result in unnecessary wear and tear.

• Skip Activities That Are Rough on Your Swimsuit: To prevent damage from occurring, it is important to be mindful of the types of activities you are planning to do in your swimsuit and cover-up prior to activities that will cause accelerated wear and tear in your swimsuit. Activities in which your swimsuit is rubbing against an object, such as a surfboard, are likely to cause wear to your swimsuit. We recommend covering up before these types of rough activities that will damage your favorite swimsuits or dedicating one swimsuit to rougher activities.
• Wear a Rash Guard or Wetsuit: As mentioned above, activities that cause friction of your swimsuit against another object, such as a surfboard or boogie board, can cause wear and tear. To prevent this, we recommend wearing a rash guard or swimsuit for any activities you are planning to participate in that will cause this type of friction to occur. The next time you go to catch a few waves with your friends, pack a cute rash guard that you can easily throw on while you are surfing and peel off when you transition to sunbathing on the shore.
• Rinse-Off Before Swimming in Chlorinated Water: Many people know that common substances that come into contact with swimsuits can be damaging over time, such as chlorinated water. Chlorinated water can damage the fibers of bathing suit material over time due to its chemical composition. To minimize the absorption of chlorinated water into your favorite swimsuit, simply rinse off with fresh water before you jump in the pool. By soaking your swimsuit through with fresh water, you will be able to minimize the amount of damaging chlorinated water that will be absorbed into the fibers of your swimsuit. As a bonus, rinsing off before entering the pool will also help to rid your skin of any oil, makeup, or dirt which will help to keep pool water clean.
• Apply Sunscreen, Oil, Lotion, and/or Deodorant 15-30 Minutes Prior to Wearing Your Bathing Suit: As with any fabric, many different products and substances can have adverse effects on the fibers of the fabric with repeated exposure over time. A few of the most common products your swimsuit is likely to come into contact with during its lifetime are sunscreen, tanning or body oil, lotion, and deodorant. Unfortunately, these products can be harsh on bathing suit materials like polyester and spandex. But how do you avoid these products damaging your swimsuit while still reaping their benefits? The answer is simple! By applying your sunscreen, tanning or body oil, lotion, and/or deodorant fifteen to thirty minutes prior to wearing your swimsuit, you can help to prevent these substances from deteriorating the elasticity of your swimsuit or discoloring and staining your swimsuit.
• Always Sunbathe Before Swimming (Not After): No true summer experience is complete without sunbathing. Sitting in the sunshine allowing your body to soak up the warm sun’s rays and turn your skin to that perfect sun-kissed hue (with proper sun protection, of course) is an experience many look forward to each summer, but how do you make sure sunbathing doesn’t damage your favorite bandeau top or cheeky bottoms? We have all found our perfect swimsuit only to be disappointed to see it faded and in need of replacement a short time later, but that doesn’t have to be the case. To help slow discoloration and fading of your favorite bathing suit, sunbathe before you go swimming rather than after. Sunlight fades bathing suit material, but this fading process is accelerated when your bathing suit is wet.

With these tips and tricks in mind on how to wear your swimsuit to help extend its life, it’s important to explore your swimsuit to make sure you are preserving your swimsuit material rather than damaging it.

Washing Your Swimsuit Like a Pro

Washing your swimsuit may seem like a simple task, just throw it in the washing machine and go, right? Unfortunately, throwing your swimsuit in the washing machine with any old detergent can be harmful to the bathing suit material and significantly shorten your swimsuits’ lifespan. Swimsuit material requires a more methodical approach to washing to give your bathing suit the proper care it needs, but by taking a few simple steps you can make sure you are preserving your swimsuit material and extending its lifetime. Below are our top tips for properly washing your swimsuit to preserve your swimwear lining and material.

• Wash Your Swimsuit After Every Wear: Your bathing suit comes into contact with many different products when you wear it, even if you don’t go in the ocean or a pool. Common products that come into contact with your swimsuit that can damage or discolor it over time include sunscreen, body or tanning oil, lotion, and/or deodorant (among others). In addition to these products, water with chlorine is also much harsher on swimsuit fabrics than fresh or salt water and can cause colors to be more susceptible to fading. To avoid damage, stains, or discoloration due to sunscreen, oil, lotion, deodorant, or chlorine, it is important to wash your swimsuit after every wear.
• Be Mindful of How You Hand Wash Your Swimsuit: To properly hand wash your swimsuit, simply fill up a sink or basin with cool water and one capful of mild detergent, After letting your swimsuit soak in the cool water for thirty minutes, rinse your suit out using cold water. Avoid using hot water as this can make your swimsuit garments fade over time. Gently press into your swimsuit with a clean towel to remove excess water and lay your swimsuit out flat to dry. Do not wring out your swimsuit to remove excess water (as tempting as it may be) as this will cause the polyester spandex fibers to be damaged. Similarly, do not put your swimsuit in the dryer as this can disrupt the elasticity of the bathing suit fibers.
• Don’t Leave Your Swimsuit Baking in the Sun to Dry: We know it can be appealing to leave your swimsuit out to dry in the sun, such as on a patio or by the pool, but leaving your swimsuit baking in the sun to dry can cause the vibrant colors of its design to fade faster. Instead, always dry your bathing suit in the shade. It may not dry as quickly, but it will help to preserve the color and material of your swimsuit.
• Don’t Leave Your Swimsuit Soaking in a Bag With other Wet Gear: When you are leaving a day at the beach or pool, it is easy to throw your swimsuit into your bag with your other gear and then go about the rest of your day, but this can actually damage your swimsuit. When it is surrounded by other items in your bag, your bathing suit can be exposed to factors and products that can cause damage and discoloration, such as chlorinated water, salt water, sunscreen, lotion, chapstick, body oil, and deodorant, to name a few. Instead, we recommend tying your swimsuit to the side of your bad to let it air out or laying it flat on a clean towel.

How to Properly Store Your Swimsuit

Once you’ve washed your swimsuit with cold water and it is completely dry, the next step is to properly store your swimsuit between uses. To allow your swimsuit to maintain its shape, it is important for it to be stored laying flat. Hanging your swimsuit can change its shape over time. By laying your swimsuits flat on a shelf or in a drawer, you can help preserve their swim form over their lifetime. Want to learn more about our designer swimwear collection? Explore our blog for other bikini maintenance tips and help with your vacation packing!

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