Categorize your swimsuits into the different types and give away any you no longer need. Fold them up or lay them out depending on your storage method. To improve the aesthetics of your storage, organize your swimsuits by color and design.
They are often the most criticized pieces of clothing. It takes a lot of effort and time to find the one you love. And like any piece of clothes, it is only normal for you to want to make it last longer and keep it in good shape.
For people who spend a lot of time in and around water, they are an essential part of clothing. You would not struggle to keep them looking good only by following a few simple steps before storing them.
In this article, find out how to organize bathing suits and store them correctly.
Why Organize Bathing Suits Differently?
To care for the bathing suits you spent your hard-earned money on, you need to know why they need to be cared for and stored differently compared to the rest of your closet.
They stay wet way longer than regular clothes. This is important to know because there is always a chance for moisture to get trapped inside the fabric. If your suit is stored in this condition, it risks mildew.
This unpleasant mildew not only harms the bathing suit itself but can also spread across the other fabrics inside your closet and ruin your clothes. If you access the pool or the sea often, the salt and chlorine content in the water can wreak damage to it.
Often bathing suits stored in-between regular clothes get stained or faded. They might even get torn and damaged.
Where to Store Bathing Suits?
Given the size of bathing suits, they give the impression that it would not take much effort or space to store them. But if you frequently wear them, you would know the difficulties faced if they are not kept in their designated place.
Given their size, they have a penchant for getting lost in the closet. And it would make a pretty frustrating experience not to find the bottom of your bikini top in the ocean of your closet.
As discussed previously, they need to be stored separately from your other clothes to increase their longevity. You can store them in different places with other bathing suits.
Remember that you can organize them only after ensuring a perfect storing strategy.
- Drawers: We all have access to a drawer, or at least we are aware of what a drawer is. These are one of the best pieces of furniture to store most objects. Bathing suits also can be easily organized in a drawer.
Put all of them in a single drawer away from other garments. The advantage of using a drawer is that you do not necessarily have to fold them up. You can simply lay them flat.
Using a drawer helps keep them cool and clean. It prevents moisture from getting in them and keeps them from getting crumpled or faded.
Keeping your bathing suits in a drawer also grants easier access to them. Having one designated drawer for them means fewer chances of them being lost or mismatched. Drawers also keep them fresh.
- Bags: Bags are also good storage options for your bathing suits. You do not have to buy a special bag just for this purpose. Any bag that can get zipped up after storing them within will do.
The bag should be big enough for all your bathing suits to fit in, so you do not have to cramp them inside it. If it is too small, it will make them crease and, in some cases, even tear.
- Closets: You can also store them inside your closet. However, you will still need a zip-down bag. You have to store them in the bag, which can then be stored inside your closet.
You can also use a complete shelf inside your closet for storage. It is still advisable to use a fabric storage bag.
Things to Do Before Storing Bathing Suits
Although storing your bathing suits well is necessary for their longevity, you also should build a few habits for them to hold up much better.
Wash Bathing Suits Before Storing
Whether you are putting away your bathing suit for the day or packing it up for the season, one must-do is washing it before storing it. Washing removes salt, sunscreen, and chlorine collected on your suit after a day exposed to water.
Unwashed, these chemicals will stain and discolor your garments. It also develops an unpleasant stench that can fill your entire storage space.
You can wear your suit in the shower after your day in the water, or you could hand wash them in the sink after taking them off. Do not wring them to dry. Instead, lay them flat to remove excess water after handwashing them.
Do Not Use Washing Machine
Do not put your bathing suits in washing machines, how much ever you want to end your day by throwing them in there. The strings of the suits can get caught on the agitator and prematurely damage and age them.
You should hand wash them using a specifically formulated product for bathing suits for better wear. Most manufacturers mention in their labels that they should be hand washed with care.
The practice of wringing and putting them inside a washing machine puts stress on their fabric.
Dry Your Bathing Suit Completely
Before you put them away, always dry your bathing suits thoroughly. Any lingering moisture will damage them and the suits stored next to them. Air dry them well before putting them away.
Although it is common to dry bathing suits in the bathroom, it is one of the worst places to do so. The high humidity in bathrooms prevents any garment from drying fully.
Using a dryer or hanging your suits on a line is not the best idea, as the fabric might get stretched out while it dries.
You can instead lay them out on a dry towel and turn it over when one side is dry enough.
How to Organize Bathing Suits?
Imagine wanting to wear your favorite bikini for the first time during the season and not finding it! It would ruin your mood, as well as your outfit idea. After you put so much effort into making sure that your bathing suits last for a long time, not being able to wear it would be the worst.
This is where organizing them well comes into play. Organizing them would ensure that your bikini is easily found and that your storage space is optimally used. Let’s learn how to organize bathing suits!
Step 1 – Take Inventory
Collect all your bathing suits and separate them into 4 categories—printed bikinis, solid bikinis, one-pieces, and sell/donate.
The last category should include those that do not fit you anymore or the ones with styles you have grown out of. It is time to Marie Kondo your bathing suit space!
Step 2 – Fold Them
Before you store your bathing suits, you should find a strategy for storing them. You can fold them up or lay them out. The advantage of laying them out is that they do not get folds in them, but the con is that to find one piece of garment, you will have to go through every single one on top of it.
- Folding them up before storing them means you will have to spend less time finding them in a drawer. This way, they would appear neat and concise.
- Always take out the padding from your suits before folding. This way, the padding does not get deformed.
- Take the bikini tops and fold them in half widthwise. Place one cup within the other and fold the straps towards the middle. Fold them in half again.
- To fold bikini bottoms, bring the crotch up, folding them in the middle. Bring the two outer sides towards the middle, and then fold once more lengthwise.
- After folding, you can place the bathing suits inside the drawer crease side up.
Step 3 – Separate One-Pieces from Bikinis
Use a drawer divider or different fabric storage bags to separate your one-pieces from your bikinis. This helps in better accessibility of all the pieces.
Your one-pieces can be styled as bodysuits and should be more accessible. Mixing it up with your bikinis will only make a mess while trying to pick what you want.
Step 4 – Arrange Your Printed Bathing Suits
Take your pile of printed bathing suits and group the tops and bottoms. Put them in the drawer together. You can still mix and match your swimwear, only this way, you know exactly where to find which piece.
Step 5 – Arrange Your Solid Bathing Suits
Do the same with your solid bathing suits. You can arrange them in the drawer according to their colors. This will make your drawer look neat and pretty.
FAQs on How to Organize Bathing Suits
Do We Need to Remove the Padding From the Bathing Suits Before Storing Them?
It is advised to remove the padding of bathing suits before storing them. Keeping the padding might cause the cups to deform over storage duration.
Can I Use Plastic Bags to Store Bathing Suits?
Plastic bags are not good for storing your bathing suits as they promote the build-up of moisture. Mildew will accumulate in the dampness of your plastic bag and ruin your suits. Use garment bags—the vacuum-sealed ones are pretty good for this use.
Does Water From A Swimming Pool Cause Damage to Bathing Garments?
Swimming pools contain chlorine that rubs against the fabric of your bathing suit and discolors them. The harsh chemicals in the water in swimming pools can also stain your garments and make them look yellow.
