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Rinse a metallic swimsuit in cold or lukewarm water as soon as you leave the pool or ocean. Hand-wash it gently with a mild detergent, press the water out without wringing, then lay it flat in the shade to dry. Skip the washer, the dryer, bleach and fabric softener. Those five habits protect the shine, the stretch and the fit, and the rest of this guide explains each one and how to keep the suit between trips.
Metallic finishes catch light because of a reflective surface or metallic thread. That surface is also what rubs, snags and fades first if the suit is treated like everyday laundry. The routine below takes about ten minutes after a swim, and it applies to the metallic one-pieces, bikinis and trunks you wear most.
Most swimsuits are a blend of a synthetic base and elastane, the stretch fiber that lets a suit hold its shape. Metallic swimwear adds a shiny layer on top of that: foil, coated yarn or metallic thread, depending on the design. Every care step that harms an ordinary swimsuit harms a metallic one faster, because friction can dull the shine and heat can stress the stretch fibers underneath.
Two things do most of the damage:
The good news is that the fix is simple and cheap. You need a clean sink, cold water, a mild detergent and a towel.
The first rinse matters more than any later wash. Chlorine, salt and sunscreen keep working on the fibers for as long as they sit there.
Persil’s U.S. swimwear guide says a fresh-water rinse before you get in may reduce how much chlorine, salt or sunscreen the fabric absorbs. A fabric that is already damp with clean water takes up less of what is in the pool. On vacation, a pool shower before you swim costs you nothing.
If chlorine odor is your main concern, our guide on how to remove chlorine from a swimsuit covers it in more detail.
A rinse removes most of what is on the surface. A proper wash after each wear, or after every couple of wears if you only dipped briefly, clears body oils and sunscreen that a rinse leaves behind.
Our designer’s own routine is in 6 steps to wash swimwear in 5 to 10 minutes, and the comparison of hand washing and machine washing swimwear explains why we recommend the sink.
| Product | Why to skip it |
|---|---|
| Bleach | Can make elastane lose stretch and turn yellow (The Conversation) |
| Fabric softener | Can coat fibers, trap odors and bacteria, and degrade elastane (The Conversation) |
| Hot water | Heat is linked to brittle elastane and fading, so keep every step cold or lukewarm |
| Harsh stain scrubbing | Rubbing is the quickest way to dull a metallic surface |
If sunscreen has left marks, see our tips on removing sunscreen stains from swimwear before you reach for anything stronger.
Drying is where most metallic suits get ruined. A wet swimsuit is at its most stretchy and its most fragile, so how you handle it for the next few hours decides how it fits next summer.
A hanger or a line can stretch a wet suit under its own weight, especially straps and a one-piece’s torso. Our full guide to drying swimsuits safely covers hotel rooms and travel situations.
You are rarely at home when the suit gets wet. A few habits help in a hotel or rental:
Storage is the step that decides whether the suit looks the same in the spring as it did in the fall.
Wash promptly after every wear and dry fully before putting the suit away. That is the advice in Wirecutter’s swimsuit guide. A suit that goes into a drawer or a travel bag damp is the one that picks up mildew and odor.
Forbes Vetted advises making sure swimwear is completely clean and dry before storing it between seasons to prevent mold or mildew. Once it is dry, store it stacked flat like other clothing. Avoid folding or compressing suits with underwires or padding, so creases do not become permanent.
For metallic pieces, a few practical rules follow:
| Problem | What probably happened | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Shine looks dull | Friction, leftover detergent or sunscreen film | Rinse again in cold water, handle gently, and do not scrub |
| Suit has lost stretch | Heat, bleach or a dryer stressed the elastane | Prevention only: cold water, no bleach, no dryer |
| Colors look faded | Sun exposure while wet or drying | Dry in shade; see our guide on preventing swimsuit fading |
| Musty smell | Suit stayed damp in a bag or hamper | Wash again by hand, dry completely, then store in a breathable place |
| Snagged threads | Rough surfaces such as a pool edge or a zipper | Do not pull the thread; sit on a towel and keep the suit away from rough edges |
Swimwear is a piece you wear in the harshest conditions a garment faces: sun, salt, chlorine, sunscreen and a lot of movement. That is why we design our pieces with attention to detail and quality, and why we write care guides alongside the collections.
Our view on a shiny suit is simple. The finish is the first thing you notice, so it is the first thing to protect. Cold water, a gentle wash and a flat dry in the shade cost almost nothing and keep a swimsuit looking the way it did when you first tried it on.
We also think a good suit should be easy to look after. Timeless style means you wear a piece for many seasons, and a short routine after each swim is what makes that possible.
Lital
If you are shopping for a metallic one-piece, the care routine above is half the decision. The other half is what you check before you buy. No single rule fits every design, so here are the questions to ask of any suit.
Look at the fiber content and the care instructions. Most swimwear is a synthetic blend with elastane for stretch. A suit that says hand wash cold and dry flat is one that fits the routine in this guide. Check whether the metallic effect is a coating on the surface or a thread built into the knit, because that tells you how gently the surface needs to be handled.
A full lining makes the suit more comfortable and more opaque, and it keeps the shiny face from sitting directly on your skin. Look at the lining at the bust and the front panel, since those areas matter most for coverage and shape. Feel the inside seams. They should lie flat and not feel stiff.
Metallic fabrics reflect light, so they highlight every line and fold. A well-cut suit with good construction through the torso, straps and leg openings looks smoother than a loose one. Try on, move, sit and reach. Look at how the suit sits at the hips and bust, and whether straps hold their position.
When you are ready to compare styles, our one-piece swimsuit collection shows the full range of cuts, and our cover-ups are made to go with them.
L’ANIMAL was created by designer and stylist Lital Simel-Rhedrick to feature her swimwear designs for women and men, along with collaboration collections with online fashion influencers. We focus on attention to detail, quality and timeless style, so each piece is made to be worn season after season.
Browse bikinis, one-piece swimsuits, cover-ups and men’s swim shorts, or start from the L’ANIMAL home page for the full collections.
Free shipping applies to US orders over $150.
Here is the whole thing in one place, so you can run it after any swim:
If you swim every day on a trip, rotate two suits so each has time to dry completely. For more on the routine, see our guide on drying swimsuits, and on washing swimwear.
We recommend washing by hand. Hand-washing in cold water with a detergent made for synthetics, without twisting or scrubbing, is the method Persil’s swimwear guide describes. Machine agitation rubs the shiny surface and stresses the elastane. Always follow the care label on your own suit first.
No. A dryer’s metal spokes can beat the fabric and make elastic fibers more likely to break, according to a Forbes Vetted expert. Lay the suit flat on a clean towel in the shade instead.
Rinse it after every swim and wash it promptly after every wear, as Wirecutter advises. If you only had a short dip in clean water, a thorough cold rinse followed by a flat dry may be enough, but a proper wash clears sunscreen and body oils.
No. According to The Conversation, bleach can make elastane lose stretch and turn yellow, and fabric softener can coat fibers and degrade elastane. Use a mild detergent only.
Check the fabric label and care instructions, look at the lining at the bust and front, and try on the suit to judge how it fits when you move. Choose a style whose care routine matches how you swim, and pair it with a cover-up between swims.
