If your swimsuits are going dull, saggy, or chlorine-smelling after a few weekends at the pool, it’s not your imagination. Swim fabrics—mostly nylon, polyester, and elastane (spandex/LYCRA®)—take a beating from chlorine, salt, sunscreen, heat, and rough surfaces. The fix isn’t complicated, but it is precise. Below is a field-tested routine we use for our customers across Montrose, Crescenta Valley, La Canada Flintridge, Verdugo Park, Porter Ranch, Granada Hills, Chatsworth, Canoga Park, Woodland Hills, Reseda, Tarzana, Panorama City, Van Nuys, Mission Hills, and the wider San Fernando Valley. Follow this and your suit will keep its color, snap, and fit far longer.

The short version: what matters most

Rinse immediately in cool, fresh water after every swim—pool, ocean, lake, or hot tub. This slows fiber damage and odor.

Hand-wash with a gentle, delicates-safe detergent; avoid the washer and dryer. Never wring—roll in a towel and press, then dry flat in shade.

Time sunscreen right (15 minutes before suiting up) and choose formulas wisely; some avobenzone sunscreens can leave rust-colored stains when they meet iron in hard water.

Limit hot-tub exposure (heat + chlorine accelerates elastic breakdown). If you must, designate a “spa” suit.

For heavy pool use, polyester-rich or chlorine-resistant suits last longer than high-spandex fashion suits.

Why swimsuits fail (and how to stop it)

Chlorine, heat, and elastane don’t get along
Chlorine breaks down elastane over time, and heat speeds that up—especially in hot tubs. Once those fibers fatigue, you see baggy bottoms, slack straps, and “grin-through” where the knit opens up. Keeping suits out of excessive heat and rinsing right away slows the chemistry that eats elasticity.

Sunscreen ≠ harmless to fabric
Oily UV filters cling to fibers; worse, avobenzone can react with iron in hard water and make orange/rust stains, particularly on synthetics. Prevention beats heroics: apply, let it set, then suit up; when staining happens, treat it like rust, not grease.

Rough surfaces, sand, and towels abrade the knit
Pool decks, rock edges, or even sitting on rough concrete can fuzz the fabric. Sit on a towel; rinse sand out immediately so it doesn’t grind in the fibers while drying.

Exact, professional routine (what we advise our customers)

Right after you swim (pool, ocean, or hot tub)
• Rinse for 30–60 seconds under cool running water to remove chlorine, salt, and sunscreen before they set.
• Gently press water out—don’t twist. Transport in a breathable bag, not sealed plastic.

When you get home (same day)
• Fill a clean sink with cool water. Add a small dose of delicates-safe detergent—no bleach, no softeners.
• Soak 15–30 minutes, lightly swishing to help the detergent reach seams and elastics.
• Rinse until water runs clear. A sprayer helps; otherwise refill and squeeze water through the fabric until the slick feel is gone.
• Do not wring. Lay flat on a towel, roll, and press to blot. Then dry flat, out of sun (shade or indoors airflow). Heat and UV fade dyes and embrittle elastane.

What to avoid—non-negotiables

• No washer/dryer for fashion and fitness suits. Hand-wash is safer; if you must machine-wash, use a mesh bag, cold delicate cycle, and air dry.
  • No bleach and no fabric softener—both can weaken fibers and affect stretch and wick.
  • No sun-baking to dry. Shade wins for color retention and elastic life.

Sunscreen stains: prevention and removal

Prevent: Apply sunscreen ~15 minutes before you put your suit on, so oils absorb and migrate less.

Why stains turn orange: Sunscreen with avobenzone can react with iron in hard water, leaving rust-like stains (worse on synthetics than cotton). That’s why some suits look fine until the first wash.

Treat like rust, not grease: For set, orange-cast sunscreen marks, use a rust remover formulated for fabrics (test inside first), then hand-wash the suit. Avoid chlorine bleach—it can worsen the problem and damage the knit.

Pro move: If your home has hard water, keep a jug of distilled water near your sink for the final rinse of light-colored suits; it cuts the mineral content that fuels those stains.

Pool-rats vs beach-days: choosing the right fabric

• Pool daily? Polyester-rich suits or chlorine-resistant lines keep shape and color far longer than high-spandex blends. Trade-off: polyester feels firmer/less plush.
  • Beach-first, fashion-forward? Expect more spandex for stretch—just be diligent with rinsing and shade-drying.
  • Hot-tub rule: High elastane content + hot, chlorinated water = early failure. Keep an inexpensive “spa suit” that you don’t mind retiring sooner; rinse immediately after soaking.

Sand, salt, and odor: targeted fixes

• Sand in the lining: Soak 10–15 minutes, then massage fabric under water; for stubborn grains, allow to dry and gently shake out or use a cool hairdryer to lift particles from the knit.
  • Persistent chlorine smell: After a proper hand-wash, do one extra soak in cool water with a teaspoon of delicates detergent or a rinse aid designed for synthetics, then rinse again thoroughly.
  • Ocean stink: Rinse ASAP; salt is hygroscopic and drags moisture into fibers—keep airflow up during drying to prevent must.

Household shortcuts that ruin suits (and what to do instead)

Shortcut: Throwing suits in with towels and jeans.
Result: Pilling, stretch, snags.
Instead: Wash suits solo or with lightweight delicates only, in a mesh bag if you insist on the machine. Cold, lowest-agitation cycle, then no spin—carry to a towel and blot. (Hand-wash remains our recommendation.)

Shortcut: Hanging by the straps from a hot balcony.
Result: Straps stretch; color fades.
Instead: Dry flat in shade or on a wide rack; rotate once to keep the knit even.

Shortcut: Wringing “to speed it up.”
Result: Distorted leg openings and thin spots along the twist.
Instead: Towel-roll blot.

The Montrose, Crescenta Valley, La Canada Flintridge, Verdugo Park reality: heat, dust, and traffic

Valley summers run hot and dry, which bakes chlorine and sunscreen into fabric and can make suits stink if they sit in a hot car after a swim at CSUN or an afternoon around community pools in Porter Ranch or Woodland Hills. Don’t toss a wet suit into a closed trunk; quick-rinse, then let it breathe on the way home. If you swim daily, build a two- or three-suit rotation so each one can fully dry between uses—elastic lasts longer that way.

Kids, teams, and frequent swimmers: a maintenance cadence

• After every wear: Rinse immediately; hang or lay flat to dry in shade.
  • Every 2–4 wears (or sooner after sunscreen-heavy beach days): Hand-wash with delicates detergent; towel-blot; dry flat in shade.
  • Monthly (heavy pool users): Inspect for thinning at seat and underarms; if the knit shows grid lines or goes shiny, it’s near end-of-life—shift it to “hot-tub duty” and buy a polyester-rich replacement.

Specialty notes by fabric

• Polyester blends (incl. Endurance+): Best chlorine resistance; slightly firmer feel; still treat gently—hand-wash, shade dry only.
  • Nylon/elastane (most fashion suits): Great stretch/hand; vulnerable to chlorine/heat. Rinse religiously and avoid hot tubs.
  • Ribbed, textured, or crochet overlays: The surface snags easily—wash solo, inside a mesh bag if you machine-tempt fate, and dry flat on a smooth towel.
  • Hardware, zips, cups: Rinse thoroughly around metal/plastic to prevent deposits; remove pads before washing if possible and reshape while damp.

When to bring suits to us (and what we do)

Bring your swimsuits to North Reed Cleaners when you hit any of these snags:
• Sunscreen stains that stayed orange after hand-wash—treating as rust requires the right chemistry and a steady hand.
• Odor that survives a proper rinse/soak—we use professional wet-cleaning with neutral pH and tension-drying to reset the fabric without wrecking the knit.
• Snags and seam repairs—our alterations team can restitch side seams and straps.
• Bulk family loads after a beach week—we run them as a gentle, professional wet-cleaning batch, then shape-dry and return them ready for the next trip.

We schedule pickup & delivery around CSUN windows and weekend traffic near Montrose, Crescenta Valley, La Canada Flintridge, Verdugo Park Fashion Center, with easy curbside handoff from Deer Lake Highlands to Mission Hills. One order can include laundry, dry cleaning, wet cleaning, alterations, shoe repair, plus household items (towels, beach blankets).

Straight answers to common questions

Can I machine-wash swimsuits if I’m gentle?
Hand-washing wins for longevity. If you must machine-wash: mesh bag, cold delicate, no spin, and absolutely no dryer. Air-dry flat in shade.

How soon do I need to rinse after swimming?
As soon as you can. Even a quick, cool rinse at the pool cuts the time chlorine and salt sit in the knit and reduces odor later.

Do I need special “swim” detergent?
Not mandatory. Use a mild detergent for delicates; avoid bleach and fabric softener. The key is gentle chemistry and thorough rinsing.

Why does my light-colored suit get orange stains after washing?
Likely avobenzone + iron from hard water. Treat as rust stains with a fabric-safe rust remover (test first), then rinse thoroughly.

Which fabric lasts longest in chlorinated pools?
Polyester-rich/chlorine-resistant fabrics outlast high-spandex suits for regular pool use.

Is sun-drying OK if I’m in a hurry?
Direct sun speeds fading and fiber fatigue. Shade or indoors airflow is safer; towel-blot to accelerate.

Can you fix stretched-out elastic?
Once elastane is chemically degraded, it won’t “snap back.” Sometimes a seam-take-in helps, but plan on replacing heavily stretched suits, especially hot-tub regulars.

Local edge: why this routine is tuned for the Valley

Between triple-digit heat waves, long sunny afternoons, and hard-water pockets across the San Fernando Valley, suits here age faster than coastal microclimates. The routine above—immediate rinse, gentle hand-wash, shade-dry, sunscreen timing, and fabric choice—directly counters those stressors. On busy weeks, book a pickup; we’ll wet-clean a household’s beach pile, press your shirts and dresses, and return everything before your next pool day in Porter Ranch or a beach run from Montrose, Crescenta Valley, La Canada Flintridge, Verdugo Park.

Ready for set-and-forget suit care?

Book pickup or visit us today. We’ll hand-wash and finish your swimwear with professional wet cleaning where appropriate, fix small snags, and send you home with a simple care card. Your suits will look better, smell fresher, and last longer—season after season.

Two quick notes from neighbors

“Post-pool rinse + towel-roll changed everything. My polyester training suit still looks new after months at the Granada Hills rec center.”
“They removed a stubborn sunscreen ring on my white bikini and saved it for our Tarzana trip—no orange tint left.”

Find us

Near Montrose, Crescenta Valley, La Canada Flintridge, Verdugo Park Fashion Center and CSUN • Curbside drop-off • Pickup & delivery across Montrose, Crescenta Valley, La Canada Flintridge, Verdugo Park, Porter Ranch, Deer Lake Highlands, Granada Hills, Chatsworth, Canoga Park, Woodland Hills, Reseda, Tarzana, Panorama City, Van Nuys, Mission Hills.