How to Keep a Bathing Suit from Fading

Three things cause a bathing suit to fade faster than anything else: chlorine, strong detergents and sunlight. Any of these alone will fade a bathing suit, but when combined, your swimsuit has little chance for retaining its brilliant color. Both chlorine and sunlight bleach fabrics, and strong detergents can break down color in fabrics, resulting in color loss over time. You can keep a swimsuit from fading and make the suit look beautiful much longer by cleaning and drying it properly.

Prevent Bathing Suit Fading:

1. Rinse the bathing suit in cold water immediately after use. Whether you were on the beach or at a swimming pool, the bathing suit may have been exposed to substances such as chlorine or salt spray that can fade the suit if you don't rinse it well.

2. Fill a sink basin with clean, cold water. Add a mild detergent that states it won't fade colors -- just a teaspoon per gallon of water.

3. Wash the suit gently by hand. Do this by stirring the water and carefully rubbing the suit. There is no need to soak the bathing suit in the soapy water unless the suit has acquired a difficult stain.

4. Let the water drain from the sink. Rinse the bathing suit under the faucet with cold water so that no detergent residue remains.

5. Hang the bathing suit to dry indoors. Bathing suits hung in the sunlight will fade. Open a window or turn on a fan to speed up drying. Wet cloth will develop a musty odor if not dried quickly in warm weather.

Tips:

1. A mild shampoo, such as baby shampoo, can be a substitute for the detergent.

2. If your bathing suit has molded bra cups that absorbed a lot of water, gently squeeze out excess moisture before you hang the suit to dry.

3. Wash the suit alone or with similar colors only. Don't dry the bathing suit in a dryer.