Swimwear dies from neglect, not from wear. Chlorine, salt, sunscreen, heat, and rough surfaces are what break down the fabric and the stretch. None of this is fussy. It takes about two minutes and it’s the difference between a set that lasts a season and one that lasts years.

Rinse it right away

Cold fresh water, as soon as you’re out. Don’t wait until you get home. Chlorine and salt keep working on the fibres the entire time they sit there, and sunscreen is worse than both.

Hand wash only

Cold water, a small amount of mild soap. No detergent with bleach, no fabric softener, no stain remover. Softener coats the fibres and kills the stretch, which is the whole point of the garment.

Never put it in a washing machine, even on delicate, even in a mesh bag. The agitation destroys elastane.

Don’t wring it

Press the water out with your hands, or roll it in a towel and press. Twisting stretches the fabric permanently and it doesn’t come back.

Dry flat, in the shade

Lay it flat somewhere with air moving. Not in direct sun, which fades colour and degrades the fibre, and never in a dryer. Heat is the fastest way to ruin a suit.

Don’t hang it wet either. The weight of the water pulls the shape out.

Sunscreen and oils

Both stain, and some chemical sunscreens will yellow light fabric permanently. Let sunscreen absorb fully before you get dressed, and rinse the set as soon as you can afterwards.

Watch what you sit on

Pool decks, concrete, boat surfaces, and rough rocks will pill and snag the fabric. On a micro cut there’s very little material and damage shows immediately. Put a towel down.

Skip the hot tub

Heat plus concentrated chlorine is the single fastest way to destroy elastane. If you wear a set in a hot tub, expect it to lose its shape.

Rotate

Elastane needs about 24 hours to recover its shape between wears. Wearing the same set two days running is what makes it go slack.

Questions

If something’s gone wrong with your set, email me at contact@ckinii.com and tell me what happened. I want to know.