How to Care for Your Outplay

How to Care for Your Swimsuit

We have some basic recommendations to make sure it lasts past the season.

A good suit isn’t going to be cheap and its something you want to take good care of.

Swimsuits should last you several seasons, and thankfully there’s something you can do about it. Here are a few key recommendations if you want to extend the life of your suit.

  1. Don’t leave it in the sun

This is rule number one. Nothing will ruin your suit quicker and dull the color faster, than leaving it out in the sun all day. Always make sure to hang your suit up to dry in a cool, shaded spot.

  1. Rinse it out

Besides the sun, your precious suit has to contend with salt and/or chlorine. Salt is a highly corrosive compound, it can wreak havoc on seams and closure systems and on the Lycra in general. Flushing out your swimwear in the shower after you're done will help minimize the salt or chlorine build up, and gets rid of unwanted sand. Even on the rare occasions you don’t get in the water, make sure to rinse it out anyway. This way you can get rid of any sunscreen residues, sweat and natural oils you leave behind. It doesn’t matter whether you go swimming in salt, fresh, or chlorinated water, always rinse it out. This will help keep its color and extend the swimwear’s life as any residues left behind cause the fabric’s fibers to become stained and can break down over time.

  1. Hand Wash or Wash with Delicates

It is best to wash your swimwear by hand, but let's be real, none of us are going to do that, so if you are going to wash it with everything else in the washing machine, try to wash it with other delicates and use detergent that is gentle on your clothes. We recommend you use cold water and never, EVER use bleach, not even color-safe bleach. We don’t recommend you use fabric softeners when washing your swimwear either, it can break the delicate stretch in the fabric.

  1. Air Dry it

If you wash your suit in your washing machine, make sure to wash it in cold water with like-colors and don’t even put it in the dryer. The dryer can make the stretch material dry and brittle and can dry and break seams and closure systems. Always air-dry your swimwear, preferably flat-dry in a place that will allow all-around ventilation.

  1. Wear sunscreen just make sure it doesn’t get on your suit

The chemicals in sunscreen can discolor your suit and can cause your suit to stain. We hope you always protect your skin, just make sure it doesn’t get on your suit. If it does, wash it off with fresh water as quickly as possible. If you do get some yellowing, especially on the litter colored swimwear due to contact with sunscreen, try a mix of lemon juice and salt or soak in some baking soda and fresh water (1/2 cup baking soda in 1 gallon of cold water) for about an hour and then wash. Please test anything you do first on a separate patch of fabric.

Now that you have all the tools you need to keep your bathing suits looking great for years to come, go have fun under the sun! Do you have any otters suggestions we’re missing? Let us know in the comments below.








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