The best way to clean bathing suits is to hand wash them in cold water with a mild detergent or specialized swimwear cleaner to strip away chlorine, saltwater, and sunscreen. Avoid washing machines and dryers, which can ruin delicate elastic fibers and cause stretching.
If you're noticing a yellow-colored stain on your suit, it's probably from either sunscreen or chlorine. The same white vinegar trick from earlier should do the job for these types of stains as well.
You want to use a specially-formulated detergent that is designed for delicates, spandex athletic wear, or specifically swimsuits. One capful should be more than sufficient. If you don't have a specialty detergent in your home already, however, don't worry. You can make your own with baking soda and water.
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.
Swirl the suit around in the warm, soapy water and let it soak for several minutes. Drain and refill the sink with cold water. Thoroughly rinse the suit of any soapy residue and gently squeeze – don't wring – out excess water. Wringing will stretch out the suit's fabric.
Washing your bathing suit in a mild vinegar solution of one tablespoon of white vinegar mixed with a quart of water for 30 minutes can help neutralize odors, remove residue, and prevent fading.
It is always best to use a swimsuit cleaner. It neutralizes chemicals that eat away at the material and extends the life of your new bathing suit. Regular soap can not do this. If you don't have swimsuit cleaner, use a mild liquid soap (NO WOOLITE!).
Yes, you should at least rinse your swimsuit with fresh, cool water after every use, but you do not need to machine-wash it with soap every single time.
Though dish soap is great as a stain pretreatment option, it's not meant for direct use in a laundry washing machine. That's because dish soaps are uniquely formulated to break up grease and stuck-on food particles with foamy suds—something you don't want to happen in your washing machine.
Sanitize a used swimsuit by soaking it in a basin of cold water with a specialized laundry sanitizer (like Lysol Laundry Sanitizer) for 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly, gently squeeze out excess water, and lay flat to dry. Avoid hot water and high-heat drying, as they destroy elasticity.
Always wash bathing suits in cold water. Hot or warm water breaks down the spandex, fades colors, and causes the fabric to stretch out prematurely.
Caring for your Swimwear
While you can use a washing machine for most swimsuits, hand washing is always the safest method to prevent fabric snags, elastic stretching, and color fading.
Yellow sheets on your boyfriend's side of the bed are completely normal and usually come down to biology. Men naturally have more active sweat and oil glands and higher testosterone levels than women, which leads to body oils and sweat oxidizing in the fabric.
You can use color safe bleach to whiten white items you can't wash with regular bleach. An overnight presoak using Clorox 2™ for Colors Powder will be very helpful. Dissolve 1 scoop powder in 2 gallons of hot water, then fully submerge the suit in the soaking solution, and let it soak overnight.
Yes, distilled white vinegar is a highly effective, natural way to remove and brighten yellow stains on fabrics. Its mild acidity naturally breaks down sweat, deodorant buildup, and soap residues without using harsh bleach.
A vinegar and water solution effectively removes chlorine buildup from swimsuits, preventing yellowing and fabric breakdown. Mix 1 cup of white vinegar with 1.5 liters of cool water and soak the suit for 30 minutes before rinsing thoroughly.
No, you should avoid putting swimsuits in a standard clothes dryer. The heat and tumbling action break down the delicate elastic fibers (like Lycra or Spandex). This causes the material to lose its shape, stretch out, and fade much faster.
Your white bathing suit is likely turning yellow due to a chemical reaction between sunscreen, body oils, and pool chlorine. These substances interact with the synthetic fabrics (like nylon and spandex) used in swimwear, causing the white fibers to oxidize and discolor.
Many Amish households use standard, commercially available detergents like Tide or Gain, as they often shop at the same local supermarkets and bulk stores as non-Amish communities. However, many others prefer to live sustainably and avoid harsh chemicals by using simple, natural, and highly effective DIY detergents.
While there is no single "impossible" stain, hair dye, mustard, and oil/grease are widely considered the hardest to remove.
Yes, you can safely mix Dawn dish soap and OxiClean. Combined, they create a powerful stain-fighting solution. Dawn cuts through grease, while OxiClean’s oxygen-based bleach lifts away organic stains.
The "swimsuit rule" generally refers to a foundational child safety concept or strict athletic uniform regulations. The concept dictates who is allowed to touch a child, while in athletics, it defines the legal cuts and materials for competitive swimwear.
The best detergents for bathing suits are gentle, mild cleansers designed for delicates or synthetic activewear. Top options include specialized formulas like Tommy Bahama Swimsuit Cleaner, Molly's Suds SWIM, or everyday gentle choices like Woolite or Soak.
Yes, you absolutely can, provided you rinse it out in fresh water and let it fully dry between wears. However, since tight, damp fabrics create a breeding ground for bacteria and yeast, it is generally recommended to alternate between at least two suits to avoid putting on a clammy, wet swimsuit on the second day.