Swim suit care?

[ny biker]

How do you wash your swim suits? Always by hand? What kind of detergent?

I've just had to spend a fair amount of effort finding a new swim suit that fits and looks reasonable. I don't want to ruin it but also don't have much time for clothes that require special care. Is occasional machine washing okay?

[Catrin]

I always washed mine in the machine, every single time as I HATE chlorine and hand washing never seemed to really get rid of that smell. That's just me though, others may have other advice. I don't put it in the dryer of course - and to be fair I rarely use it at all as I'm not all that fond of water sports so that may be the only reason I've gotten away with it.

[Pax]

I rinse after each swim, then hand wash in a little bit of laundry detergent in the kitchen sink every now and then. I get a long life out of suits, even when I'm in daily.

[Jolt]

I have always just rinsed them out after swimming…if you are at a pool you can shower with it on after you get out. Putting it in the washing machine once in a while in cold water is OK, but not in the dryer!

[OakLeaf]

Other than getting the chlorine out - which takes more washing, not less - I just figure that they take the same care as other lycra-type garments, like running or cycling shorts or yoga outfits.

I always rinse mine immediately, usually by showering in it (including soaping as much of it as I can reach). Then not letting it sit around wet is important, too - since I always have to drive to the pool, I'll squeeze (not wring) out any excess water, then roll it in my towel to wick out as much water as possible (same as I'd do with any hand-washed garment), then put it where it can get the most air circulation possible until I get home, and hopefully out of direct sun. Since I have a hatchback, that's not a big deal, but if my car had a trunk, I'd still put it in the passenger compartment. Hanging it off one of the headrests lets it get some air circulation and also helps keep the sun off. Then hang it to dry in the laundry room - call it good if I'm going to use the pool again before the next load of laundry, machine wash (front loader, delicate cycle, hang dry) with all the rest of my workout gear with the next load, and always before putting it away for any period of time.

I don't really know how long they're supposed to last, but the only places mine wear are (1) between the butt-cheeks, which I'm pretty sure is just because I only use it for deep water running and not actual swimming, which puts extra stress there, and (2) if there's a shelf bra, eventually the elastic will get brittle, like elastic in every other garment I have.

[Helene2013]

I mostly do the same as Jolt.

Mine also wear out in the crack. :) That's probably because of aqua aerobics and sitting on cement (pool stairs, etc).

I bought cheap and very expensive ones and none last any longer. The expensive ones are just thicker/feel tighter on me anyway. So to keep the expensive ones longer I do take better care of them and they can last me 2-3 summers without a problem. The cheaper ones will loose elasticity, etc by end of summer. No matter how well I rinse them, etc.

[Crankin]

I rarely do more than swish them out in the sink, wring out, and air dry. But, I rarely swim or go in the water anymore, so mostly it's just sweat. I hate chlorine smell, so I have washed suits before. Salt water makes my bum itch, so I go in the ocean even less!
I used to be a beach person; no more.

[Jolt]

Yes, the butt-crack area is a common place for suits to wear out…a good reason to look for ones that have lining in the back! I lifeguarded for quite a few years, and had several times where I had to tell people that they needed a new suit b/c their crack was showing--it's easy to be unaware of that until somebody says something!

[ny biker]

Thanks ladies. I bought a tankini and two swim skirts. I don't expect to wear them often. I'm not a beach person and am not into swimming, I just wanted something for occasional visits to a pool or beach and for canoeing and maybe trying kayaking. (I realize you're not supposed to get wet when you're in a canoe or kayak but of course sometimes you do anyway.) For now I want to wash everything before I wear it the first time, especially the tankini because I was probably not the only person to try it on in the store. I think I will do that in the washing machine. I have a top-loading machine; I'll put them in last because the clothes on top get agitated less.

I have some tri-tops that I wear for summer cycling because they're made with nice airy mesh fabric. I figured I could wear one with a swim skirt for paddle sports. I currently wash all my cycling clothes with cold water in the washing machine and air dry them, and they don't seem to have suffered for it.

I don't think I saw any suits that were lined in the back. Some bottoms that I saw were lined in the front. And of course they all had padding in the chest, some with molded cups, some with underwires, some with removable padding, some with padding that was not removable but not sewn into place so it moved to the wrong spot when you put the top on. This made the search for a top that fit very difficult -- several fit perfectly except the non-removable molded cups were too big. When I finally found one that fit, in royal blue and orange, there was no bottom to match. I had to go to a different store to get a royal blue skort. It was on sale for a great price and I liked the fit, which was why I bought a second one in navy.

[OakLeaf]

In a top-loading machine I'd put it in a lingerie bag. That will help keep it from wrapping around the agitator and getting all stretched out.

Have fun! Glad you found something you like.

[ny biker]

Success! I dug the giant lingerie bag out of the drawer where I keep the cycling gear for bad weather. I keep it there because I use mesh bags to keep small things organized within the giant tote bag of extra clothes that I bring to fall, winter and early spring rides. It was large enough for the top and both bottoms, and they came through the wash unscathed. Then I hung them to dry, and they're now good to go!

But then, as I was taking the other clothes out of the washer I discovered a hole in my favorite denim capri pants, right on the butt next to one of the pockets. I am bummed! I really like the way they fit and they're a dark wash which makes them okay in situations when I have to look reasonably neat. I'm going to see if there's a way I can patch the hole on the inside so they are still wearable. I wonder what caused the hole? And how long has it been there? Because I probably wore orange underwear the last time I wore them.