So if you took us up on our Swimsuit Buying Tips from our last post, you’ve found your perfect suit and you’re (almost — weather providing) ready to wear it to the beach. After a few weeks, those great bright colors start to fade out, those little ball-shaped pieces of fluff start to appear and you can feel the lycra-spandex blends slowly slipping away from the places it should cling to.
Wait! What happened?! I just bought this suit!
The likeliest culprit was — well, you. A little bit of simple bathing suit care can go a long long way. The main offenders here are salt, sun, hot tubs, sun lotion, and chlorine. The material that allows you to achieve that great stretch and comfort in your suit, Lycra, is more fragile than most wearers are aware of. It’s easily worn down by chlorine and chemicals and abrasive surfaces like concrete patios can tear the fabric. Hot water is the first step to stretching the elastic and once it hits the perilous environment of your washing machine, consider it destroyed. While you can’t avoid most of these elemental wears and tears, a little bit of Swimsuit TLC can help prolong the life of your bathing costume. read more