In Bondi, swimwear is not seasonal - it is infrastructure. A good one-piece does the early lap at the ocean pool, the Saturday swim at Gordons Bay, the week away that was booked on a whim. And because the pieces we choose to stock are made properly, the single biggest factor in how long they stay beautiful is not the label or the fabric. It is what happens in the twenty minutes after you take them off. Salt, chlorine and sunscreen are quietly corrosive to elastane, and the difference between a suit that lasts two summers and one that lasts ten is a care routine so simple it barely deserves the name. This is that routine - and it is also the most sustainable habit in swim: the greenest suit is the one you do not have to replace.
The Rinse Rule: What Happens in the First Twenty Minutes
Chlorine keeps breaking down elastic fibres for as long as it sits in the fabric, and salt crystallises as it dries, abrading the weave from the inside. So the non-negotiable is this: rinse in cold, fresh water as soon as possible after every wear - beach, pool or spa, worn or just worn under the sun. A shower at the beach, a basin in the hotel bathroom, the outdoor tap at home: any of them will do. This single habit does more for the lifespan of the pieces in our luxury swimwear edit than everything else in this guide combined. What the rinse does not need is soap - save that for the proper wash.
How to Hand Wash Swimwear, Step by Step
Every few wears - or immediately after heavy sunscreen, spas or very chlorinated pools - give the piece a real wash. Fill a basin with cool water and a small amount of mild detergent; a gentle wash formula is ideal, and anything harsh, bleaching or heavily fragranced is not. Turn the piece inside out, submerge, and work the fabric softly with your hands for a minute or two, paying attention to the areas where sunscreen sits - the waistband, the neckline, the back. Let it soak for fifteen to thirty minutes, no longer. Rinse until the water runs clear, then press - never wring - the water out between your palms or in a clean, dry towel. Wringing twists the fibres and distorts the shapes that make a well-cut suit fit the way it does. Machine washing is the shortcut that costs the most: agitation, hooks and zips in the drum, and spin cycles are collectively the fastest way to age a good suit. If a machine is truly the only option, a lingerie bag, cold water and the gentlest cycle are the minimum terms - but the basin is always better.
Drying Without Damage
Heat is the other enemy. Never tumble dry swimwear, never dry it on a radiator, and - counterintuitively for a beach product - do not leave it baking in direct sun for hours, which fades colour and degrades elastane. Lay the piece flat on a towel in the shade, or hang it by the gusset rather than the straps so the weight of the water does not stretch the parts that hold you in. Flat is best for anything structured. And resist the wet-suit-in-a-plastic-bag habit after a swim: trapped damp breeds mildew and smells that are hard to shift. Wrap it in your towel, get it home, rinse it properly.
Crinkle, Rib and Texture: Caring for Special Fabrics
Textured swim rewards slightly more attention. The signature crinkle that makes Hunza G pieces fit the way they do is exactly why heroes like the Square Neck swim in black and the Pamela swim keep their shape across years of wear - and the care rules above apply doubly. Cold water only, no wringing, dry flat: the texture is the structure, so you never iron it, stretch it while wet or hang it heavy. Ribbed and seamed styles, like much of the edit from Fae Swim, appreciate being reshaped gently with your hands while damp so seams sit straight as they dry. Anything with hardware, ties or delicate straps - common across the Montce Swim range - should be washed alone rather than tangled with other pieces, and fastened before soaking so hooks cannot catch the knit.
Storage, Rotation and the Travel Question
Two habits finish the job. First, rotation: elastane needs around a day to recover its shape after wearing, so alternating between two suits will make both last dramatically longer than doubling down on a favourite. It is the same slow-wardrobe logic behind our broader guide to caring for your clothes - buy well, care simply, replace rarely. Second, storage: completely dry before it goes in the drawer, folded flat rather than crumpled, away from rough fabrics and velcro that snag. For travel, pack swim in its own pouch, and pack a small bottle of gentle wash so the basin routine travels with you. On the sand itself, a proper towel matters more than it seems - laying your suit on a soft beach towel rather than hot concrete or rough rock spares the fabric a surprising amount of wear. If your linen needs the same attention, our companion piece on how to wash linen applies the same philosophy to the other half of the summer wardrobe. And if you are nearby, visit us on Hall Street - the team can advise on care for any piece we stock. Tuchuzy ships worldwide, including to the United States, where our northern-hemisphere customers are deep in swim season right now while Bondi counts down to spring.
Your Questions Answered
How often should I wash my swimwear? Rinse in cold fresh water after every single wear, and do a proper gentle hand wash every three to five wears - sooner after spas, heavy sunscreen or strongly chlorinated pools.
Can I put swimwear in the washing machine? We advise against it. Agitation and spinning are the fastest way to break down elastane and distort shape. If you must, use a lingerie bag, cold water and the gentlest cycle - and never the dryer.
How do I get sunscreen stains out of swimwear? Treat them early: a gentle detergent worked softly into the mark with cool water before a short soak usually lifts fresh sunscreen. Avoid bleach and hot water, which set the stain and damage the fibre.
Why does chlorine ruin swimwear faster than salt water? Chlorine actively breaks down elastane, the fibre that gives swim its stretch and recovery, and it keeps working while it sits in the fabric. Salt is abrasive but less chemically aggressive - either way, the cold rinse straight after swimming is the fix.
How should I dry a crinkle-fabric swimsuit? Press the water out gently without wringing, then dry it flat on a towel in the shade. The crinkle texture is the structure of the piece, so never iron it, hang it dripping wet or leave it stretched over a hot surface.