Taking care of summer wardrobe essentials

The best maintenance tips for your swimwear and summer footwear

Bathing suits and frlip flops can serve you for many years, as long as you follow the basic rules of maintenance. Do you know how to take care of them?

Although swimwear is intended for bathing and sunbathing, it’s exactly these two activities that leave the most traces on the fabric. Sea salt, chlorinated pools, and sunscreens can ruin a swimsuit very quickly. The elasticity of the fabric is reduced, faded and yellowish stains can appear. It is recommended that you take off your wet swimsuit after bathing and replace it with a dry one. Also, rinse the swimsuit thoroughly with tap water after each use to wash the sea salt and/or chlorine from the fabric. And keep in mind that although swimsuits are designed for sunbathing, avoid drying them in direct sunlight. This, too, will greatly extend their lifespan.

Great care should also be taken when applying sunscreen, as it can leave yellow stains on swimsuits, which are often difficult to remove – even so that even washing in a washing machine does not remove them. At home, wash your swimsuit by hand in lukewarm water. Add a few drops of laundry detergent. If possible, avoid washing in the washing machine or wash them only using a very delicate laundry program setting. Do not use fabric softener when washing, as it can seriously reduce the quality of the elastic fabric.

The same can be said for summer footwear – wash the salt and chlorine off it with tap water and keep it out of direct sunlight if possible.

Straw hats, another must-have at the beach, also require care. And they are somewhat delicate. With wear, every straw hat will eventually get (at least a little) dirty. But before you roll up your sleeves and get cleaning, you should find out what kind of straw you’re dealing with. Not all straw is created equal and different straws (shantung straw, Panama straw, raffia straw, hemp, seagrass, Toyo straw…) have a different level of durability and water resistance. Check if there is a label on your hat that says it can be cleaned with water. If this isn’t the case, you should pay attention to the tightness of the weave. A loose weave is probably not as strong as a finely woven one.

When cleaning a straw hat one should start with a clean, dry cloth. Wipe away any surface dirt, dust, and debris. If your hat is light in color, use a white cloth. For a dark straw hat, you can also use a darker cloth. If the dirt calls for more than just a quick superficial cleaning, you can use a clean, damp cloth. You can also use a small amount of dish soap and water for cleaning, but in this case, we advise that you try out a small area of the hat first and make sure it is okay to continue. When using a wet cloth for wiping you should stick to a circular or counter-clockwise direction to avoid damaging the pattern of the weave. The last part is the same for all summer wear – air dry it in a cool area away from direct sunlight.

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