Does anyone have a method for keeping the chlorine from eating away at the fabric of your swim suit? I recently started swimming as a past-time and in a few short months, my suit has begun to shred, even though I wash it in my machine at home after swimming. I've heard something about white vinegar and water but don't know the proportions. Thanks for any help with this!
I was going to suggest what Rascal said: Go to a fish aquarium supply and buy a product that removes chlorine from water and rinse your suit in that. However, I'd rinse it on delicate cycle to make sure it's thoroughly clean and then always drip dry it. I wash all my clothing on delicate, turned inside out, to prolong fiber stability. A trick my mother taught me was to put very delicate items in a pillowcase that was zipped or pinned shut with diaper pins, wash it on delicate and then drip dry by laying the clothing flat on a mesh drying rack out of the sun.
Swimming is such good exercise, don't make it so much trouble you don't want to do it. Just rinse the suit after each use and hang to dry. I put up a line just inside the basement door, on the first floor, so it can drip but is totally out of the way. I find that no matter who makes the suit, it lasts a matter of months, I just pay no more than $20 and don't worry about it. They make special rinses but the price is high and it's another step.
Go to a fish aquarium supply and buy a product that removes chlorine from water and rinse your suit in that. You don't have to machine wash it as that wears the suit out even faster.
I agree - washing it with a machine is harsh & will only help the suit on the way to shredding! Rinse off the suit by hand after swimming and leave to dry. That will help - but swimming regularly in a chlorinated pool is hard on swim suits - so be prepared to get a few - Mine last 6 months to a year. (Go to discount places like Ross, etc. for deals on swim suits...)
Any suit, no matter the quality will shred from constant use and chlorine. Here are some good tips from Linda Cobb, Queen of Clean.
Soak suit in cold water for 15 minutes or so with a little liquid fabric softner. Rinse in cool water, then wash in cool water with mild deter, rinse again and dry in shade. I do know that a machine is really too harsh for the fabric, hand washing is better. Good luck!
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