Things That Will Hurt Your Swimsuit

Don't you love it when you find the perfect swimsuit? It's a gorgeous color or a fun, cute pattern and cut you've always dreamed of. It's also the perfect representation of your unique personality and sense of style. Finding the right swimsuit can be such a hassle, but when you do, you no doubt want to wear that swimsuit everywhere. Unfortunately, there are a few things that can accidentally cause your favorite swimwear to wear out or worse, things that will hurt your swimsuit.

Nobody wants to take their favorite swimsuit out of the drawer and notice that there's a spot, tear, or something that makes it unwearable. Especially after the ordeal it can be to find a suit that is everything you've wanted. If you adore your swimwear from us and want to know how to make it last a long, long time and what to avoid, your swimsuit experts are here to help!

Gentle General Care

The first thing and the best thing you can do for the longevity of your bathing suit is to never, ever skip rinsing it out after you've taken a swim. It doesn't matter if you've swam in fresh water, salt water, or chlorinated water. It also must be rinsed even if you did not swim in it and simply used it to relax by the water.

This is because salt, chlorine, our bodies' sweat, sunscreen, and natural oils can all cause the fibers of your swimsuit to become stained. And, if left on your swimsuit too long, this residue will begin to break down the fibers of your suit.

The ultimate and easiest way to rinse off your swimwear? Walk into your shower while wearing your swimsuit!

When it comes time to laundering your swimsuit, hand washing will always be the best thing for it. However, you can get away with machine washing it if it's more realistic for you. You will need a protective mesh laundry bag to protect the fibers of your suit and to ensure it doesn't get tangled up in other laundry and getting stretched out.

• Place your swimsuit into a protective mesh laundry washing bag. This helps prevent it from tangling up with heavier, bulkier clothing and from it getting stretched.
• Always use very gentle detergents designed for use on delicate.
• Always wash on a gentle cycle.
• Never wash with bleach.
• Tumble dry on no heat, or air dry. When air drying, lay the suit flat on a towel or on the rungs of a drying rack to prevent stretching. Also avoid wringing your swimsuit, as that will twist and stretch the fibers too.

Fade Fight

If you love a dark colored bathing suit or a classic all-black, fading unfortunately will happen over a long period. Exposure to the sunlight will eventually begin to fade the darker color suits which is a natural occurrence—but if you are a pool queen, the chlorine found in a swimming pool will fade it extremely fast without the post-wear rinse. So, make sure to never forget to rinse off your suit after getting out of the pool. And ensure you are using a mild detergent specially formulated to wash dark clothing. This will help prevent fading and make your beautiful dark suit last longer.

Avoid Yellowing

On the opposite side of things, you might have noticed if you love white or light-colored bathing suits that over time any white or white parts appear to be yellowing. Chlorine is part of the culprit, the other part shockingly is the build-up of shed skin, body oil, and sweat. Again, make sure you rinse before washing to wash most of this off and that you use a gentle detergent that has enzymes to break down sweat, skin, and body oils.

Hot Water/Heat Dry

Did you know that very hot water or using the heat dry in the dryer is bad for your suit? Avoid using hot water when washing, heat when drying. And you may want to make sure to rotate your suits if you love dipping into the hot tub or dedicate a single suit for the hot tub and one for cooler waters.

Avoid the Pile

It can be very tempting when getting out of the pool or the hot tub to sit on the side. Maybe before you leave you want to just dip your feet back in, or you take a moment to settle on a wooden bench. If it's a rough surface, avoid sitting directly on it by placing a towel down on the rough surface first. This is a great way to prevent the pulling and piling that can happen when your suit meets a scratchy surface.

If you find yourself forgetting to sit on a towel, but remember a sarong or your swimsuit cover-up, these work to protect your suit as well.

If you have started to notice a bit of piling on your swimsuit, you may be able to use a de-piler on it, but it is best to protect your suit from piling worse.

Other Tips and Tricks

• It might be tempting to try and soak your suit overnight. Avoid doing this! Long soaks even in the gentlest detergents can still loosen fibers.
• Don't let your swimsuit dry directly in the sun. You can't avoid the sun of course when wearing yours on a beach or outside but limiting your suit's exposure to the sun prevents fading.
• Don't use heat if you decide to put your suit in the dryer.
• Avoid hanging your swimsuit to dry. Lay it flat instead. Hanging when it is wet will slowly stretch out your suit over time.

And with that, you're now ready and armed to protect your gorgeous Lime Ricki swimsuit so that you can enjoy it even longer! Remember these things that will hurt your suit and avoid them and you'll no doubt be feeling fabulous in your swimsuit again and again!