Be sure to use the “Gentle” or “Delicates” cycle, cold water, and a mild detergent such as ARM & HAMMER Sensitive Skin Free & Clear. Even if you decide to machine wash your suit, do not tumble dry unless you use the air fluff only cycle (no heat).
Yes, most swim suits are safe to wash in a washing machine on a gentle or delicate cycle with cold water.
"When cleaning a swimsuit in a washing machine, be sure to use gentle and cold cycles to help maintain the fabric's elasticity over time," says Morgan LaLonde, laundry brand manager for Whirlpool. "You should always use cold water. Hot water can fade colors and damage the swimsuit's elasticity."
Using mild or even no detergent at all is the best way to clean your suit. Corey Simpson, PR and communications coordinator at Patagonia told TODAY that washing in cold water without detergent is recommended, while Danehy recommends using mild detergents for machine-friendly swimsuits.
Try soaking your swimsuit in a baking soda solution for about 30 minutes. Then wash normally and add a cup of white venigar to the final rinse. Dry outside in the sun.
Ideally, you would wash your swimsuit every time you wear it, even if you don't end up actually getting in the water. Many sunscreens and mineral-based lotions and oils can damage the material of your swimsuit and lead to it breaking down over time.
Steaming and Ironing
The hot steam will also kill bacteria, eliminate odors and freshen up the textile.
Select the delicate cycle on your washing machine (usually the one with the shortest spin cycle and lowest speed) and ensure the water temperature is set to cold. Cold water protects the color of your suit and prevents shrinkage. Hot water can fade the color and cause your suit to lose its original size.
You can use mild hand soap, lingerie soap, or mild detergent. You can even try Blue Dawn Dishsoap – this seems to work wonders on everything! Swimwear should be treated gently so after the suit is washed, we recommend laying flat to dry. Avoid drying your bathing suit in the dryer.
Store Swimsuits in a Cool, Dry Place
If you can dedicate an entire drawer to your suits, that's great. If not, make sure the space you choose to keep them is dark, dry, cool, and has good airflow. Allowing the suits to breathe will prevent mildew - especially important if they get put away slightly damp.
Roll the swimsuit in a terrycloth towel to absorb excess water or simply hang it to air-dry in a spot with good air circulation, away from direct sunlight, which can cause colors to fade. Add a circulating fan to speed drying. Skip the dryer because high temperatures can permanently damage the fabric.
If you take good care of your suits and rotate them out each season, you can likely get 3-4 years. However, if you only wear your suit a few times per year or don't take proper care of them, they may only last 1-2 years.
If you want to know how to wash swimsuits in the washer safely, it's best to use a gentle cycle with cool water. However, to make sure your nylon swimsuit continues to look like new all summer, we recommend hand washing it with a dose of Woolite® Delicates laundry detergent instead.
One of the most common questions we get is: Can you put a swimsuit in the washer? Simply put, yes. Bathing suits can be washed in a machine as long as they are treated like delicate garments and extra precautions are taken. However, be sure to check the label first to follow any specific care instructions.
The short answer is -- yes. But you need to follow these instructions. You should turn your suit jacket or even your sports coat inside out and put it in a mesh bag. Depending on your washing machine you should find the gentlest washing option and make sure that the temperature is set on cold.
The typical duration for synthetics will be 5-7 hours. For air-drying fragile materials such as the swimsuits, you will typically wait 30-30 minutes.
Use cold-to-room-temperature water and a mild detergent—we recommend Soak, our pick for the best delicates detergent—to pamper your swimwear. While hand washing inside-out is the most gentle method, most suits can be safely machine-washed on a delicate cycle.
First, start by giving them a good wash in your washing machine. If the mold is particularly stubborn, you can add a cup of vinegar to the wash cycle. After washing, hang your so wet bathing suits out to dry in the sun. The sun's ultraviolet rays will help to kill any remaining mold spores.
Never put your wetsuit in the washing machine. Never use normal laundry detergent. Do not dry your wetsuit in direct sunlight. This is a quick way to shorten the lifespan of your wetsuit as it will break down the neoprene.
The delicate wash cycle uses high levels of cold water and a low spin speed for carefully tending to undergarments and delicate fabrics that need to be handled with care, like lace, lingerie, or silk neckties. Specialty items like electric blankets or stuffed animals may also benefit from a delicate wash.
But you should be careful about washing it. Sometimes, cleaning suits in the washing machine can ruin the fabric and lining of your suit. Furthermore, putting the delicate fabric in the washing machine can also cause damage.
Practical clothes such as sportswear or outdoor clothing and various synthetic materials such as viscose often need to also be washed on a delicates wash program. These types of materials are often referred to as "easy care laundry".
To help remove lingering chlorine smell, consider adding ½ cup of ARM & HAMMER Baking Soda or ARM & HAMMER Clean Scentsations Scent Booster with Odor Blasters to the wash water. Let soak for about 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly using cold water until there are no remaining suds.
Mix one part white vinegar with two parts water in a spray bottle, and lightly spritz the affected areas of your clothing. Allow it to air dry, and the vinegar smell will dissipate, taking the unwanted odors with it. This method works well for removing musty smells and is safe for most fabrics.