how to keep swim briefs clean

[twinkle]

I think the topic is clear: how do you keep your Speedos and stuff clean?

It's not that easy to wash swim briefs mechanically due to the low temperature needed for the material and some items should be washed by hand. Otherwise the elastic band could go baggy etc. Big issue to me is the hygiene as I predominantly wear my swim briefs in public pools. So sometimes I put them in the washing machine together with a special disinfectant detergant working with low temperatures (~30°C). The different colors are too not easy to handle...

So what about you guys? Are you regularly wash your stuff?

[Justin88]

So what about you guys? Are you regularly wash your stuff?

Yeah. I put them in the gentle cycle of a frontloader washer and use Woolite which is a mild type of liquid detergent you can buy in the U.S. The first time I wash a suit I run it by itself in case the color runs. I dry the suits flat on a rack we have over the bathtub.

[tannedbum]

If you read the care instructions on a swim suit about the only thing they leave out is avoiding water. I don't know about you guys, but I don't have time to hand wash my suits and lay them out flat to dry. I figure the salt in the ocean and the chlorine in public pools is way more damaging than anything my washing machine can do to it. I wear dozens of suits since I am in my pool numerous times a day and wear them around the house a lot most of the year.
For me, I toss them in with the shirts on a cold/cold delicate cycle. Most of the time I hang my shirts and suits to dry but sometimes they go into the dryer on the low heat cycle with the shirts. It may not be the best thing for them but I am still wearing speedos that are probably 20 years old. I do the same with the lycra blends. I have found that no matter how much you baby them they will last 2 years at best. Still love the Nylon!! The only suits that I really pay special attention to are the ones a friend made custom for me (she does show costumes in Vegas) Those do get the hand wash and flat dry.
On the opposite side, I recently went on a trip with a friend that buys baby soap and gently hand washes his in luke warm water and pats them dry between two 100% cotton towels, then lays them flat on another towel to finish drying. I felt like I was watching Monk! While he was doing that I jumped in the shower - in suit - washed me and it free of ocean water and hung them in the shower to dry. Got dressed went to the bar and was on my third Mai Tai by the time he had finished his laundry ritual. I laughed and asked if he turned on soft music for them.
It is a piece of clothing and will get treated as well as the rest of the clothes. I will no doubt tire of looking at it or wearing it before it is worn out or faded. Besides, isn't it too much fun every spring going to the swimsuit store and trying on a dozen or so suits then pick out a bunch for the season?

[Justin88]

...On the opposite side, I recently went on a trip with a friend that buys baby soap and gently hand washes his in luke warm water and pats them dry between two 100% cotton towels, then lays them flat on another towel to finish drying. I felt like I was watching Monk!...

LOL!!! That was so funny!

[loobUribefe]

grgrrgr

[...:::sam:::...]

I'm in and out of the pool all of the time so let the chlorine do its work. If they get washed they just go into the washing machine with whatever else. There's nothing to precious about them, just do up the draw string so it doesn't have to be put back in again!

[twinkle]

...On the opposite side, I recently went on a trip with a friend that buys baby soap and gently hand washes his in luke warm water and pats them dry between two 100% cotton towels, then lays them flat on another towel to finish drying. I felt like I was watching Monk!...

LOL!!! That was so funny!

That's really weird indeed. But I too wrap my wet swim briefs in my towel on leaving the public pool. Mostly I forget to unpack them at home and let them dry. But I got no "casualties" yet. Every piece is still in very good conditions.

Thanks for your tips and experiences.

[Justin88]

But I too wrap my wet swim briefs in my towel on leaving the public pool.

Works for me too!! It takes the excess moisture out of the suit and protects it from getting snagged on stuff in my backpack. In Florida they use coral stone for th pavers around pool so I sit on the towel to prevent snags. The coral stone is like sandpaper...not lycra-friendly.

jj

[SwimTeamSpeedo]

I do the same as Sam, mostly I wear mine in the shower and wash them there after my swims, to get out the chlorine. I figure the chlorine in the pool disinfects them and me and I am in the pool way long enough. I then leave them in the mesh side of my swim bag and they are just fine. If I wear them to swim at the lake or beach and hang out, I usually do the same, but if I think they need to be washed, I wash my running, cycling and swim sports clothes all together on gentle and hang them all to dry. I have learend the hard way to tie the drawstrings, sometimes they will get cauught on another and it can pull them completely out (that sucks!).

I did read somewhere long ago that if you do not do a good job of rinsing the chloring out, it will dry to crystals in the fabric and eat it away...same goes for salt in salt water.

[twinkle]

Do you keep the little plastic bags and use them to store your speedos?

I trash all the bags and tags and put the swim briefs in my closet. I just keep some special labels from high quality manufacturers.

[tannedbum]

do not keep speedos in plastic bags. The fabric is made of chemicals and they will actually breakdown if they don't get air. Nylon can pretty much take any abuse, but the blends with Lycra, Spandex etc will break down if kept in plastic. They breakdown fast enough from just using them, no use shortening that life span with a plastic bag. Using hangers with the pinch clips has the same effect - it breaks the synthetic threads. I was told by a manufacturer that the best way to store them is in a drawer out flat.

[swimmerboy]

I rinse mine out in the shower and that's all it needs.

[twinkle]

Using hangers with the pinch clips has the same effect - it breaks the synthetic threads.

Won't do this again.

I was told by a manufacturer that the best way to store them is in a drawer out flat.

I'm doing one thing right at least.

[Beach4WDer]

Mine get no special attention at all. Into the general wash with everything else [however my standard wash is 'warm', never hot].

I don't peg them out, rather just hang over a rail. Then into a drawer, roughly flat

[Texas_swimmer]

I just rinse them out in the sink and let them air dry.

[tannedbum]

I had the luck of having a seat next to a man from Speedo. He was returning from a photo shoot with new designs and patterns. He noted the hang tag from a suit I had just bought as a book mark. (glad I am anti electronic books!) He showed me pics of the new suits taken days before. There was a nice selection of the briefs as well as beach trunks.(as he called them) The are kind of a cross between the board shorts and running shorts.
I digress. I remembered this care question so I asked him. Figured if a man from the company that spends time around guys wearing the suits would know. He told me that heat is the biggest enemy of the brief suits. Hot water or hot dryers will break them down as will hot jaccuzzis or long hours in direct sun when it is hot. He said the when you take them off thoroughly rinse them in warm water until you are sure the salt or chlorine is out, then run cool water through them. If possible let them dry laying flat or drape them over the towels on a towel bar. Hanging them will pull on the threads and break them down quicker. Finally, he said the worst things for a suit is perspiration and sun tan lotions/sunblocks et al. He said that is why the elastic around the legs is usually the first to go. (especially the crotch) He said that if you are wearing them as underwear after swimming so be sure to rinse them then put them back on. So that is what the Speedo exec said. Hope it helps.
By the way, he said he wouldn't got to all the hassle himself, he'd rather just get a new one when they start to fade or lose stretch. "Variety is the spice of life" says he. I laughed and said that was easy for him to say, he gets them free. He laughed and said the only time he gets free suits is when he gets the ones the models wear for photo shoots. His office is no where near a warehouse. He usually get his at the store, just like us. At least we got some care tips from a real Speedo man.

[5t9]

The Speedo brand rinsing solution, diluted in cold water works well.

In college, our gym/pool area had one of those centrifugal dryers that got rid of most of the water. After that, we'd lock our suits onto the latches of our lockers on the outside to let them dry and air out. Ridding the suit of excess water went a long way to keeping the shape. The chlorine did its usual toll on the colour. The entire cavernous changeroom was row after row of "speedo flags" on the lockers, and its was easier to find your own locker this way. Always interesting to speculate on who filled out the crazier or tamer patterns/cuts! When the dude showed up, surprising...then, sometimes not! Also, they were great "ice breakers", sometimes (or not!). Ah, the memories!