How to Get Chlorine out of a Swimsuit?

Key Takeaway 

The best way to take chlorine out of your swimsuit is by rinsing it with cold water immediately, or soaking it for about 30 minutes with baking soda/white vinegar. You could also use chlorine removal or regular non-toxic detergents that also eliminate the smell. 

 How to get Chlorine out of a Swimsuit After Swimming?

1. Rinse After Use 

Once you’re done with your swimming session, rinse your swimsuit with cold water. It will remove most of the chlorine and make washing much easier when you get home. 

For the best results, you could even wear your swimsuit and shower with cold tap water before getting into the pool. Since your swimsuit has already absorbed some water, it will form a base and absorb less chlorine, thus making the removal process much easier. 

2. Wash with Baking Soda 

When you get home from the swimming pool, add half a cup of baking soda to a bucket/sink with cold water, soak your swimsuit for a while, then rinse. 

Besides removing chlorine, it also brightens your swimsuit and removes any bad odor or stain. 

Ensure you air-dry your swimsuit under shade. 

3. Wash with White Vinegar

Add white vinegar to a bucket of cold water, and soak and rinse your swimsuit. 

The best way is to handwash your swimsuit and let it air dry. 

If you must use the washing machine, choose the ‘delicate’ option. Otherwise, anything intensive will ruin your swimsuit’s fabric. 

How to get the Chlorine Smell out of Your Swimsuit?

While some people are used to the smell of chlorine and don’t mind it, you may find it annoying. So how can you remove the smell? 

1. Use Vitamin C crystals (Sodium ascorbate)

Use a teaspoon of Vitamin C in a bucket of water. Soak your swimsuit for about 30 minutes, rinse with cold water, and air dry it. 

Handwashing your bathing suit and scrabbing gently with your hands will ensure better results. 

2. Clean Regularly  

The chlorine smell remains in your swimming costume if you don’t rinse it immediately after use or fail to wash it regularly. 

So each time you get out of the pool, rinse it with cold water. You can wash thoroughly when you get home. 

3. Soap and Detergents 

Choose the right detergents – the ones made for delicates. Use cold to room temperature water, and it’s best to soak your bathing suit for at least 30 minutes before handwashing. 

This regular practice will help remove salts, chemicals, and mineral deposits from the swimsuit and maintain its quality. 

4. Chlorine Remover 

If the DIY methods at home cannot remove the chlorine smell, get some chlorine remover from any larger store near you. This should work on any type of fabric. 

Use cold water, add the chlorine remover, wring, and let your swimsuit air dry under shade (away from direct sunlight). The high temperature in the dryer destroys the fabric, affecting its durability. 

5. Use Vodka 

Besides relaxing the mind, Vodka can be used to remove the chlorine smell on your swimwear. Put some vodka in a spray bottle and apply it to your swimsuit. Let it rest and the smell will ease. 

Remove Chlorine Stain from Swimsuit 

While the goal is to maintain the color and brightness of your favorite swimsuit, it’s possible to get some chlorine stains. Thankfully, there are a few ways you can remove the stains at home. They include: 

1. Non-bleach Detergent and Cold Water 

Soak your stained swimsuit for about 30 minutes in a sink/bucket of cold water with non-bleach detergent. Rinse well, wring the suit, and air dry it. 

2. White Vinegar and Cool Water

Use white vinegar and cool water. With one portion of vinegar, use 3 portions of water. Soak the stained part and let it rest for about half an hour. 

Handwash, rinse, and let it air dry. 

3. Use Baking Soda

Baking soda is a great product for removing pesky stains on suits. Apply a generous amount of baking soda on the stained part and let it sit for about an hour or two. 

Rinse with cold water, squeeze gently, and hang to dry. 

How to Get Chlorine out of Your Hair After Swimming? 

While swimming is all fun and refreshing, chlorine can damage your hair’s porosity and health. There are a few things you can do to prevent chlorine from damaging your hair such as: 

• Wearing a swimming cap 
• Applying a generous amount of coconut oil before swimming 
• Wet your hair pre-swim 
• Apply leave-in conditioner
• If you have long hair, put it in a ponytail. This will minimize the amount of hair exposed to chlorine

If you didn’t take the above steps to protect your hair beforehand, you could: 

• Wet your hair thoroughly, apply sulfate-free shampoo and leave-in conditioner 
• Air dry your hair instead of using a blowdry as this will make your hair worse 
• If water is dripping, you can use a microfiber towel to gently dry your hair 
• You should use a detangling brush designed for wet hair. This will protect the ends and maintain your hair’s porosity.
• If this does not work as expected, you can go to a salon for a clarifying treatment. 

How To Restore Chlorine-Damaged Hair 

Constant exposure to chlorine can damage your hair. Obvious characteristics of damaged hair include tangled, dry, and frizzy hair. The best way to be sure is to talk to your stylist to know the extent of the damage and the best ways to fix it. 

However, you can adopt a few home remedies such as: 

• Use coconut oil to moisturize your hair and scalp 
• Use sulfate-free, high-quality shampoo, and natural conditioner. Wash your hair thoroughly but gently and apply leave-conditioner. Ensure you moisturize your hair regularly  
• Use hair serum to nourish or restore that which chlorine has ripped off your hair 
• Moisturize your scalp since it is also affected by chlorine. 
• Be patient and consistent in taking care of your hair – it may time some time for your hair to bounce back 

Does Chlorine Damage my Swimsuit?

Yes, chlorine damages swimsuits. Besides leaving the chlorine odor. It makes swimwear fade, stretch and become loose. The chemical disintegrates the fiber in the swimwear fabric making it lose its firmness. 

Ultimately, you won’t love the color and how badly it fits! But there’s a solution – buying chlorine-resistant swimsuits. 

Chlorine-resistant Swimwear 

While you can remove the chlorine odor from your swimwear and carry out regular maintenance to prevent fading or stretching, it may not be sustainable and you may not prevent damage fully. 

That’s why you need a chlorine-resistant swimsuit. The swimwear is made from high-quality fabric that can withstand harsh chlorine or other chemicals to prevent fading or disintegrating.  

Conclusion 

Preventing or removing chlorine from your swimwear can be tasking – wetting your swimsuit, soaking it with vinegar, or even using baking soda to maintain the color and quality. 

Fortunately, you can invest in a high-quality, chlorine-resistant swimsuit. This will serve you for years, fit perfectly, and maintain its color with just simple cleaning. You won’t even have to worry about chlorine odor. 

FAQs – Get chlorine out of a swimsuit 

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