How to Care for Your Kids' Swimsuits So They Last Longer

If your daughter's favorite swimsuit came home from the pool bright and snug and now feels loose, faded or slightly see-through, the suit usually isn't the problem — the after-swim routine is. Learning how to wash a kids swimsuit the right way takes about two minutes per wear, and it is the single most effective thing you can do to protect color, stretch and shape. This guide covers a simple care routine parents can actually keep up with, the everyday habits that quietly ruin swimwear, and the fabric details that decide whether a suit lasts one summer or three.

Starting the season fresh? Shop girls' swimwear at Limeapple for quick-drying, UPF 50+ styles designed for girls in sizes 4 to 16.

How Do You Wash a Kids' Swimsuit? The Short Answer

Rinse the swimsuit in cool fresh water immediately after every swim, wash it within a few hours in cool water with a small amount of mild detergent, roll it in a towel to press out moisture, then lay it flat in the shade to dry. Avoid hot water, the dryer, bleach, fabric softener and wringing, because these break down the elastane that gives a swimsuit its stretch and recovery.

The routine at a glance:

• Rinse right away in cool tap water to flush out chlorine, salt and sand.
• Wash within a few hours — never leave a wet suit balled up in a beach bag.
• Use cool water and a mild detergent, never hot water or bleach.
• Press, don't wring — roll the suit in a dry towel.
• Dry flat in the shade, away from direct sun, heaters and the tumble dryer.

Always check the sewn-in care label first. Limeapple swim styles such as the Norah long-sleeve one-piece rashguard are labeled machine wash cold on a gentle cycle, no bleach, no iron, drip dry — and the label on the garment always overrides general advice.

Why Kids' Swimsuits Wear Out So Fast

Swimwear is made from stretch fabric — typically a polyester or nylon blend combined with elastane. Those fibers let a suit move with an active child and snap back into shape. They are also the first thing to fail when a suit meets heat, chemicals and friction.

Chlorine, salt water and sunscreen

Chlorine is the most common cause of premature swimsuit failure. It gradually weakens elastic fibers, which is why a well-fitting suit starts to sag at the leg openings and straps. Salt water leaves behind crystals that abrade fibers as they dry, and oil-based sunscreens can stain fabric and dull prints. Rinsing early is what stops all three from sitting on the fabric for hours.

Heat, sun and friction

Hot water, tumble dryers and hot car trunks are hard on stretch fabric, and so is prolonged direct sunlight, which fades dyes. Friction matters too: pool decks, concrete steps and water slides wear away at the surface of a suit, especially on the seat. A towel or a cover-up under a sitting child solves most of that.

How to Wash Kids' Swimsuits Step by Step

This full routine works for one-pieces, tankinis, bikinis and rash guard sets alike.

1. Rinse before swimming. A suit that is already damp with fresh water absorbs less chlorine and salt, so a quick shower rinse before the pool is an easy habit for kids to learn.
2. Rinse immediately after swimming. Cool tap water for about 30 seconds, working the water through the lining and any gathers where sand collects.
3. Hand wash in cool water. Fill a sink with cool water and add a small amount of gentle liquid detergent or a dedicated swimwear wash. Swish the suit for two to three minutes, paying attention to the lining and seams.
4. Rinse until the water runs clear. Detergent residue stiffens fabric and traps odor.
5. Press out the water. Lay the suit on a clean dry towel, roll the towel up and press gently. Never twist or wring.
6. Dry flat in the shade. Reshape the suit and lay it flat on a dry towel or a rack indoors or in shade. Hanging a wet suit by the straps stretches them permanently.

For a closer look at what these fabrics are made of and why they behave the way they do, our guide to swimwear fabrics and how they perform is a useful companion read.

Should You Machine Wash or Hand Wash a Kids' Swimsuit?

Hand washing is gentler and is the safest default. Machine washing is fine only when the care label allows it — use a cold, gentle cycle, place the suit in a mesh laundry bag, wash it with other lightweight items, and skip the dryer entirely.

• Choose hand washing for suits with ruffles, ties, embroidery, crinkle texture, foil prints or removable cups.
• Machine washing works for simple, fully lined styles that specifically say machine wash cold on the label.
• Never use bleach, fabric softener, chlorine-based stain removers or a hot dryer on any swimsuit.

Swimsuit Care Tips by Fabric and Style

Not every suit in the drawer needs the same handling. Matching your routine to the style keeps each piece looking newer for longer.

Crinkle swimsuits

Crinkle fabric gets its texture from the way the material is finished, so heat and heavy pressure are its enemies. Never iron it, never tumble dry it, and let it air dry flat so the texture relaxes back into place. Limeapple's Erica long-sleeve crinkle one-piece uses a four-way stretch crinkle fabric with UPF 50+, and it keeps its shape best when dried flat rather than hung. You can see the full range of textures in the crinkle swimsuits collection for girls and tweens.

UPF 50+ rash guards and sun-protective swim

Sun-protective swimwear earns its UPF rating from tightly woven fabric, so anything that thins or overstretches the weave reduces how well it works. Wash cool, avoid bleach, and replace a rash guard once the fabric feels thin or noticeably stretched out. Long-sleeve styles such as the Melanie printed rashguard two-piece set cover more skin on long beach days, which also means less sunscreen making contact with the fabric. Browse more options in the UPF 50+ rash guard swimsuit sets collection.

Two-pieces, tankinis and bikinis

Separates take more friction at the ties, elastic edges and clasps. Undo any ties before washing so they don't knot, and store bottoms flat rather than stuffed into the corner of a drawer. Sets such as the Wren printed cropped tankini or the June crinkle ruffle bandeau set in candy pink also have a practical advantage for growing kids: tops and bottoms can be sized and replaced separately. Compare silhouettes across the girls' two-piece swimsuits and girls' one-piece bathing suits collections.

Baby and toddler swim

Little ones' suits see more sunscreen, more sand and more frequent washing, so a mild detergent and prompt rinsing matter even more. The baby and toddler swim collection uses soft, quick-drying fabrics that recover well from daily use.

How to Extend Swimsuit Life Between Swims

What happens between swims matters as much as the wash itself, and three habits make an outsized difference.

Rotate two suits

Elastic fibers need roughly a full day to dry out and recover their shape. Wearing the same suit two days in a row is one of the most common reasons a swimsuit stretches out early. Two suits in rotation will each outlast a single suit worn daily, which makes keeping one everyday suit and one favorite genuinely practical.

Protect it from rough surfaces

Encourage a towel or a cover-up under your child on pool decks, diving boards and slides. A soft terry layer like the Marli terry sweatshirt doubles as a warm-up layer and a barrier, and the wider range of swim cover-ups and beach dresses does the same job on hot days.

Save the hot tub for an older suit

Hot water and concentrated chemicals age swim fabric quickly. Keep a retired suit for hot tubs and save the newer one for the pool and the beach.

How Should Swimsuits Be Stored at the End of the Season?

Pack swimwear away completely dry, because even slightly damp fabric can develop mildew over a winter in storage. Fold suits loosely rather than pressing in a hard crease, keep them out of sealed plastic bags so air can move, and store them somewhere cool and dark. Before packing, do a quick condition check: hold the fabric up to the light. If it looks thin or the elastic edges no longer spring back, that suit has reached the end of its useful life and is worth replacing before next season.

Travel, Swim Team and Camp: Keeping Suits Fresh on the Go

• Pack a mesh or wet bag so damp suits can breathe on the way home.
• Rinse in the hotel sink and dry over a towel rather than on a hot balcony rail.
• Send two labeled suits to camp so one is always dry.
• For frequent swimmers, choose polyester-rich, fully lined styles, which generally hold up better to repeated chlorine exposure than very lightweight fashion fabrics.
• Layer for travel days with pieces from the girls' activewear collection, which pull on easily over a suit.

What Should Parents Look For in a Swimsuit That Lasts?

Durability starts at the point of purchase. When you are comparing suits, these details tell you the most about how one will age.

• Fabric blend: polyester-rich blends with elastane generally resist chlorine better than very thin nylon fashion fabrics.
• Full lining: a lined suit keeps its opacity as the outer fabric relaxes with wear.
• Flat, reinforced seams: these resist splitting where kids stretch a suit most.
• UPF 50+ fabric: helpful for long days outdoors and usually a sign of a tighter, more substantial weave.
• Quick-drying construction: faster drying means less time damp, which means less mildew and less elastic fatigue.
• Room to grow: a suit that is already too small is stretched to its limit every wear, so check the Limeapple size chart before ordering.

Still deciding between silhouettes? Our comparison of bikini, tankini and one-piece styles explains which suits which activity, and the wider girls' swimwear guide covers fit, coverage and styling in more detail.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should you wash a kids' swimsuit?

After every wear. Even a short splash leaves chlorine on the fabric, and a swim in the ocean leaves salt and sand behind. A thorough rinse counts on busy days, but a proper cool-water hand wash within a few hours is what actually protects the elastic. Suits worn only in fresh water still need a rinse to remove lake or river residue.

Can you put a kids' swimsuit in the washing machine?

Only if the care label says so. When it does, use a cold, gentle cycle inside a mesh laundry bag, with no bleach and no fabric softener, and skip the dryer completely. Machine agitation and spin cycles can stretch straps and distort ruffles, ties and removable cups, so hand washing remains the safer choice for detailed styles.

How do you get the chlorine smell out of a swimsuit?

Soak the suit for about 20 to 30 minutes in cool water with a splash of white vinegar, then hand wash as usual with a mild detergent and rinse thoroughly. Drying it completely in a shaded, well-ventilated spot helps too, since trapped moisture is what keeps odors lingering. Avoid heavily perfumed products, which mask residue rather than remove it.

Why does my daughter's swimsuit sag after a few weeks?

Sagging is elastic fatigue, and it usually comes from heat, chlorine or wearing the same suit day after day without a full dry-out. Hot tubs, tumble dryers and hot cars all speed it up. Rotating two suits, rinsing after every swim and drying flat in the shade will noticeably slow it down.

How long should a kids' swimsuit last?

With regular summer use and good care, a well-made suit generally stays in good condition for a full season or longer, though growth often ends a suit's life before wear does. Suits used for lessons or team practice several times a week will age faster because of repeated chlorine exposure, so a two-suit rotation is especially worthwhile for regular swimmers.

Does sunscreen stain swimsuits?

It can. Oil-based sunscreens and self-tanners are the most likely to leave marks, particularly on light colors, and some mineral formulas can leave a white cast. Let sunscreen absorb for a few minutes before your child dresses, choose a swim-friendly formula where you can, and rinse the suit soon after wearing so nothing has time to set.

Should you dry a swimsuit in the sun?

No. Direct sunlight fades dyes and prints and dries out elastic fibers over time. Lay the suit flat in a shaded, breezy spot or indoors near an open window instead, and keep it away from heaters and radiators. Gently moving cool air dries a swimsuit surprisingly quickly.

Small Habits, Longer-Lasting Swimsuits

Swimsuit care is not complicated. Rinse right away, wash cool by hand, press the water out with a towel, dry flat in the shade, and rotate two suits so each one has time to recover. Those five habits, combined with choosing well-made, fully lined, quick-drying fabric in the first place, are what keep colors bright and fit true from the first pool day of the season to the last.

Ready to add a suit that keeps up with your swimmer? Explore Limeapple's girls' and tween swimwear in sizes 4 to 16, and if the fit is not quite right, our returns and exchanges details explain the next steps.