Care Guide

Extend the lifespan of your swimwear by following this comprehensive guide.

Washing and drying

• leave your swimwear in a sink filled with cool water and a mild soap (mild hand soap or a detergent liquid for delicates) for 30 minutes if you can, to remove residues of chlorine, salt, sunscreen, tanning oil and fake tan. To finish, rinse swimwear thoroughly in cool fresh water to remove soap
• wash newer swimwear on its own for the first few launderings, to minimize the chance of the dye bleeding onto any other fabric in the same water
• avoid washing your swimwear in a machine – even on a gentle cycle. If you do, put the swimwear into a ‘delicates’ wash bag
• wringing your swimwear out when wet and hanging the swimwear by the spaghetti straps will stretch the delicate fabric. Instead, lay the swimwear flat on a towel or chair to dry out of direct sunlight
• heat and chemicals are not your swimwear’s friends. Do not put your swimwear in the dryer, dry clean your swimwear, bleach your swimwear or iron it

Stretching, marking and colour fading

• chlorine pools and heated pools and/or spas/hot tubs that do not have the correct pH balance can cause dye loss or fading as well as damage to the spandex on swimwear
  chemicals, oils, salt and sunlight all take their toll on fabric colours and spandex
• immediately after swimming or sunbathing, please shower in cool, fresh water whilst wearing your swimwear or rinse swimwear in the same
• spandex is a ‘memory fabric’ which needs 24 hours to return to its original shape/size. If you are taking your swimwear on holidays, you may want to consider taking a few pairs so they have time to completely dry and return to shape
• although we use the best dyes available, we cannot guarantee complete colour fastness on all swimwear. Therefore, please avoid wearing light coloured clothing over wet bright coloured/new swimwear, as colour transfer may occur
• tanning oils, fake tanning products and some sunscreens will mark and damage swimwear if they come into contact with fabric before completely dry – take extra care when using these products

Snagging

• when wearing your swimwear, be mindful of what you sit on or brush against. Our fabric is gloriously soft, but it is also delicate and can snag. Bring a towel or sarong if you want to sit by the pool…

This guide has been inspired by the Sunplay ‘Ultimate Guide to Swimwear’, published Feb 25, 2014. For the full article, please click here.