How to Care for Swimwear in the UAE: Salt, Chlorine and Sun

Swimwear does not usually wear out. It gets destroyed, fairly quickly, by four things that are all avoidable: chlorine, salt, sun and heat. In the Gulf you get all four in the same afternoon, which is why a piece that would last three seasons elsewhere can be finished here in one.

This is how to stop that happening, and what changes when the piece is hand-crocheted rather than machine-cut.

What actually degrades swimwear

Almost every swim fabric is a blend of a structural fibre and an elastic one. PEAKSOUL pieces are 90% polyamide and 10% elastane. The polyamide is durable and takes the colour. The elastane is the part that stretches and returns, and it is the part that fails.

When people say a bikini has "gone", what they almost always mean is that the elastane has broken down. The fabric is still there, but it no longer pulls back to shape, so the piece bags at the seat, the band rides up and the fit disappears. Four things break elastane down:

• Chlorine. Chemically attacks elastane. The damage is cumulative and irreversible.
• Salt. Crystallises in the fibres as it dries, and the crystals abrade the fabric from the inside every time it flexes.
• UV. Degrades both elastane and dye. This is why a piece dried repeatedly in direct sun fades and slackens at the same time.
• Heat. Hot water, tumble dryers and hot car interiors all accelerate the other three.

Sunscreen and body oils are a secondary problem. They do not attack elastane, but they stain, particularly on light and neutral colours, and the stain sets if it is not rinsed out the same day.

The routine that matters most

If you do only one thing, do this one: rinse in cold fresh water immediately after every wear, before anything dries. Not that evening, not when you get home if home is an hour away. At the beach shower, at the pool shower, or in the hotel basin.

Salt and chlorine do most of their damage during drying, as they concentrate in the fabric. Rinsing while the piece is still wet removes them before that happens, and it is the difference between a bikini that lasts a season and one that lasts several.

Washing, step by step

1. Rinse in cold fresh water straight after wearing, as above.
2. Soak for 15 to 30 minutes in cool water. Plain water is usually enough. If you use a detergent, use a small amount of a mild one made for delicates.
3. Wash by hand, squeezing the water gently through the fabric. Do not rub, scrub or twist.
4. Rinse again until the water runs clear of detergent.
5. Press the water out between your palms, or roll the piece in a dry towel and press. Never wring it.
6. Dry flat, in the shade, with good airflow. Reshape it with your hands first.

What never to do

• No washing machine. Agitation and spin both break elastane, and the spin cycle stretches a wet piece under load.
• No tumble dryer. Heat is the fastest way to finish a swim fabric.
• No wringing. It permanently distorts the knit and the seams.
• No bleach, and no fabric softener. Bleach destroys the fibre. Softener coats it and kills the stretch.
• No hanging a wet piece on a hook or hanger. The weight of the water pulls it out of shape as it dries, and that stretch does not come back.
• No leaving it balled up in a wet bag. A few hours is enough to set a mildew smell and, on light colours, a stain.
• No drying on a hot surface. A car dashboard, a sun lounger in full sun or a hot stone poolside all count.

Crochet pieces need a little more care

The crochet range is made 100% by hand, in collaboration with more than 60 artisans. That construction is what gives it its character, and it also makes it behave differently from a machine-cut piece.

A crocheted fabric is a structure of interlocking loops rather than a continuous sheet. That means:

• It holds more water, so it is heavier when wet and more vulnerable to stretching if it is hung up. Drying flat is not optional for crochet, it is the whole thing.
• It can snag. A pulled loop in a crocheted piece travels further than a pull in a woven one. Keep it away from velcro, jewellery, rough concrete and untreated wood.
• It relaxes more when wet and firms up again as it dries. A crochet piece that feels slightly looser in the water is behaving normally.

The trims and charms are 18k gold-plated Zamac, chosen because it is made not to oxidise in seawater. Hardware is usually the first component to fail on swimwear worn in the sea, and when plating corrodes it tends to stain the fabric around it. Rinsing still helps here: it is salt sitting against the metal that does the work.

Reversible pieces, both sides

The crochet designs are reversible, with both sides finished so either can be worn facing out. Care for both faces as the outside, because both will be. Dry the piece flat and turn it once during drying so neither side stays pressed against a damp towel.

Storage between wears

Store swimwear completely dry and flat, or loosely folded. Do not hang it long term. Keep it out of direct light, and keep crocheted pieces away from anything with a hook or a rough edge that can catch a loop.

If you are packing to travel, a light cotton bag is better than a sealed plastic one, which traps residual moisture. Wet pieces go home in a separate bag and come out of it as soon as you arrive.

The two-bottom habit

The most effective piece of swimwear care is not a technique, it is owning one more bottom than you need. Rotating between two lets each dry fully before its next wear, which roughly doubles the life of both, and it means you are never putting on a wet bottom after lunch.

It is also why every design is sold as an individual top and an individual bottom as well as a full set, each with its own size selector. If you are buying a set, a second bottom in the same size is the cheapest upgrade you can make to how long the set lasts.

Frequently asked questions

Can I put swimwear in the washing machine on a delicate cycle?

It is still not advisable. Even a gentle cycle agitates and spins, and both break elastane down. Hand washing takes a couple of minutes and is markedly kinder.

How soon do I need to rinse after swimming?

As soon as possible, and definitely before the piece dries. Most of the damage from salt and chlorine happens as they concentrate during drying.

Can I dry my bikini in the sun?

Dry it in the shade. UV degrades elastane and fades dye, and in the Gulf that happens quickly.

How do I get sunscreen stains out?

Rinse the same day, then soak in cool water with a mild delicate detergent. Sunscreen stains set with time and heat, so speed matters far more than scrubbing, which will damage the fabric.

Is crochet swimwear harder to look after?

Slightly. The rules are the same but drying flat matters more, because a wet crocheted piece is heavy and will stretch if hung. It also snags more easily than a woven fabric.

Can I wear a reversible piece on either side?

Yes. Both sides are finished to be worn facing out, which is what makes one crochet set two looks.

If your question is about something other than care — sizing, fabric, or delivery — the PEAKSOUL FAQ covers the ones we are asked most often.

Looking after what you buy

Swimwear care is unglamorous and it is the difference between a piece you wear for one summer and one you wear for several. If you are building a rotation, browse the reversible crochet, the bikini sets or the skin tones and neutrals, and consider a spare bottom alongside whatever set you choose. Delivery within the UAE is free and same-day before 2 PM.

Related reading: when to swim in Dubai explains why UV and humidity are hardest on swimwear at particular times of year, and what makes a bikini genuinely reversible covers why both faces of a crochet piece need treating as the outside.