How to Wash Swimsuits
Updated July 2026
The short answer
Rinse your suit in cool water as soon as you can after every swim, because chlorine, salt, and sunscreen keep attacking the stretch fibers as long as they sit in the fabric. Wash it properly with a small amount of mild detergent in cold water, by hand or on a label-approved delicate cycle, then press the water out gently and dry it flat in the shade. The dryer is the fastest way to kill a swimsuit; heat breaks down elastane, and so does prolonged direct sun.
Before you start
- Check the care label, especially on padded, underwired, or embellished suits; some are hand wash only.
- Rinse promptly after wearing, even when a real wash has to wait. Thirty seconds under a cool tap or shower removes most of the chlorine and salt load.
- Use mild detergent. Skip fabric softener entirely: it leaves a coating that interferes with stretch and quick-dry performance.
- Never bleach a swimsuit. Chlorine bleach attacks the exact fibers you are trying to save.
- Turn the suit inside out for washing.
Steps: washing a swimsuit
- 1Rinse first in cool, clean water. After a pool or ocean day this step does half the job.
- 2Hand wash when possible. A basin of cold water with a small dose of mild detergent, a few minutes of gentle swishing and light squeezing, then a thorough cool rinse.
- 3Machine wash only per the label. Delicate cycle, cold water, mesh bag, with towels and rough fabrics kept out of the load.
- 4Press the water out; never wring. Twisting stretches and breaks elastic fibers. Lay the suit on a towel, roll it, and press.
- 5Dry flat in the shade. Hanging a wet suit stretches straps; sun and heat age the elastic. Flat on a towel or rack, out of direct sunlight, is the whole technique.
- 6Fully dry before it goes in a drawer or gym bag. A damp suit sealed in a bag turns musty fast.
Situations that deserve extra care
Heavy chlorine exposure (pools and hot tubs):
Rinse immediately and wash soon after. Hot tubs are the hardest case: hot chlorinated water is the most aggressive thing a suit meets.
Salt water:
Salt crystals abrade fibers as the suit dries. A prompt fresh-water rinse solves it.
Sunscreen and body oils:
These build up along waistbands and edges and can discolor fabric. A little extra detergent attention there during hand washing helps; for set-in marks, see the sunscreen stain guide.
Padded, molded, and embellished suits:
Hand wash, reshape cups while damp, and dry flat; never wring molded padding.
What not to do
- Do not put a swimsuit in the dryer, on any setting, unless the label explicitly permits it.
- Do not use fabric softener or chlorine bleach.
- Do not leave a wet suit balled up in a bag or car.
- Do not dry it in direct strong sun for hours; UV fades color and degrades elastane.
- Do not wring it out.
- Do not expect one wash to reverse chlorine damage; prevention is the game, because stretched-out elastic does not come back.
What to expect
With a prompt rinse and gentle washing, a suit keeps its stretch, color, and shape for many more swims. Care slows elastane aging; nothing reverses it. A suit that has already gone baggy, sheer, or crispy has finished its service, and no washing method restores it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I really need to rinse after every single swim?
It is the single highest-value habit in swimwear care. Chlorine and salt keep degrading fibers while the suit sits in a bag; a quick cool rinse stops the clock.
Can swimsuits go in the washing machine?
Many can, if the label agrees: cold water, delicate cycle, mesh bag. Hand washing is still gentler and takes about three minutes.
My suit stretched out. Can I shrink it back?
Not meaningfully. Heat tricks that claim to re-tighten elastane also damage it. Once the stretch is gone, it is gone; retire the suit to backup duty.
How should I handle a suit after a hot tub?
Rinse immediately in cool water and wash it soon. Heat plus chlorine is the most aggressive combination swimwear faces.
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