How to Wash Swimsuits and Bathing Suits the Best Way

Hours under the sun, sand, water, and sweat often results in your swimwear looking, feeling, and smelling less than fresh. We’re diving in to learn how to properly wash the clothing MVP of the summer: swimsuits and bathing suits.

Your swimwear takes a beating from harsh conditions and chemicals, yet most people just rinse them out and call them clean. Wonder why your beach bag stinks? It’s probably your swimsuits!

Read our quick guide to learn the best way to wash swimsuits and bathing suits and help keep odors out while maintaining peak performance for your swimwear all year long.

Use laundry detergent made for swimsuits

One of the major causes of your stinky swimwear is using regular laundry detergent. Instead of removing odors, traditional detergents actually trap odor-causing bacteria inside the notoriously tight-knit synthetic fabrics that make up today’s swimwear.

Modern bathing suits are typically made of synthetic fabrics: nylon and spandex (in all the colors under the sun). The brand Triangl even uses neoprene, giving their bikinis the durability of wetsuits!

The trick to getting the best clean for your swimwear is using a detergent specifically designed to penetrate and clean synthetic fabrics without hurting its performance. HEX Performance Laundry Detergent is perfect for swimmers and beach-goers looking to have their swimsuits looking, feeling, and smelling their best.

How to wash swimsuits by hand

If the tag says not to machine wash, or if you want to play it safe, HEX Performance is perfect for hand washing swimsuits. Get all the sand and salt out, and prolong the life of your swimwear with these easy steps:

1. Fill a sink, basin, or bucket with cool water
2. Add approximately a teaspoon of HEX Performance Laundry Detergent
3. Soak your delicate swimsuits for at least 5 minutes and scrub thoroughly. Focus on any discolored parts of the suit (agitation is key in cleaning!)
4. Lay your swimsuit out to air dry, or toss it in the dryer with HEX Performance Wet Dryer Sheets to help keep the fabric soft (without leaving behind a waxy residue), maintain its stretch and fit, and boost its odor protection.

How to wash swimsuits in a washing machine

If the tag on your swimwear says ‘machine wash,’ let the machine and HEX Performance do the work! Whether you prefer liquid laundry detergent or single dose detergent, HEX will get your swimwear clean. It’s easy, follow these steps:

1. Toss your bathing suits in the washing machine. Feel free to include other types of clothing to make a medium size load.
2. Add HEX Performance Laundry Detergent.
3. Adjust settings on the machine to cold water and a delicate cycle, then press start.
4. Instead of wasting time and energy with air drying, make it easy and put your swimsuit in the dryer with HEX Performance Wet Dryer Sheets. They’ll look, feel, fit, and smell better!

Whether you choose to hand wash or machine wash your swimwear, washing your swimsuits and bathing suits the right way is easy with HEX Performance.