After a long beach day, it may be tempting to just toss your swimsuit in the dryer, but as a fiber scientist, I strongly discourage it (even if the brand says your suit is dryer safe). I recommend hand-washing your swimsuit and then letting it air-dry to help it stay in good condition, wear after wear.
The science behind why you shouldn’t put your swimsuits in the dryer
Loses its stretch: Swimsuits are made with high amounts of stretchy fibers like spandex/elastane, which can break down at high heat. The high temperatures in the dryer can cause these stretchy fibers to loosen, leading to an ill-fitting suit. If you ever notice little balls of fuzzy fibers on your swimsuits, they may be pieces of elastane that have broken down.
Snags on the fabric: Dryers use heat to tumble your clothes and dry them. This tumbling motion can cause friction, creating snags on the delicate fabric of swimsuits. Tumble-drying can lead to snags, pills, and even tears.
Color fading: Swimsuits are notorious for bleeding color, and the dryer doesn’t help. The high heat in the dryer can fade the color, leaving you with a dull, less vibrant swimsuit.
How to properly wash and dry a swimsuit
- Rinse the suit under cool water a few times to remove any sand, chlorine, or leftover sunscreen.
- Press the water out of the suit without wringing it out. Wringing out a wet swimsuit can cause it to stretch out.
- Air-dry the suit. Lay it completely flat on top of a towel and avoid direct sunlight. I often let mine dry off the side of my balcony, but that does put it at risk of (a) falling off and (b) getting stretched out from the weight of the water absorbed. If the swimsuit is still very wet after pressing out the water, you can roll it up in a towel, press out the remaining water, then lay it out to dry.
Bottom line: As a fiber scientist, I recommend always air-drying your swimsuit to prevent the stretchy fibers from breaking down and leaving you with a loose, see-through suit.
