Q: How should I advise customers on keeping their swimwear in swimmable condition?
A: As the summer winds down, your customers may realize that their swimwear doesn’t look as good as it did when they bought it a few months ago. Most likely, this is a result of excessive exposure to chlorine.
Most swimwear is made of spandex, a synthetic rubber with a terrific ability to stretch and relax back to its original dimensions. Although spandex has good resistance to sunlight damage, mold, and mildew, it can be damaged by the chlorine found in swimming pools, spas, and hot tubs.
Chlorine can cause both fiber damage and color loss. Here are some tips you can give your customers on caring for their swimwear properly:
- Rinse the chlorine from swimwear directly after swimming.
- Do not assume that towels will protect upholstery from swimwear. Upholstery can experience color loss simply by coming into contact with absorbed pool water.
- Do not lay towels wet with pool water on other textile items, such as beds, carpets, or upholstery, in order to avoid color loss.
- Launder or thoroughly rinse items that are regularly wet by pool water. This includes outdoor furniture, towels, clothing, and swimwear. These items may not be dirty, but the damage caused by residual chlorine can make it expensive to replace them.
- Line drying or laying the garment flat to dry are typically recommended, as high drying temperatures can damage swimwear.