How does chlorine affect my swimsuit?
How does chlorine affect my swimsuit?
Whether you are a daily swimmer, a sometimes beach goer or only swim on vacations. We all pretty much know that Chlorine affects our swimwear dramatically. Most swimsuit fabrications can take a harsh beating from this strong pool chemical.
When our swimwear is exposed to Chlorine it will gradually break down, the Chlorine chemical over time will corrosively eat into the fibres causing the fabric to degrade. This degradation starts to happen in our swimwear straight away, by the time we notice that our swimwear is affected, is when we can visually see the elastic fibres breaking down. We will first notice the loosening of the stretch of the swimsuit and then fine sand like grains will appear on the swimsuit and then over time the elastane will have completely broken down and our swimsuit will become discoloured, saggy and see through.
All indoor and outdoor swimming pools uses Chlorine to destroy bacteria and control algae. Chlorine is added to pools, so it is safe for us to swim. Chlorine not only eliminates bacteria and algae by a disinfecting action, but it also oxidizes (chemically destroys) other materials such as dirt and chloramines. Chloramines are chemical compounds that build up in pool water over time from our perspiration, oils and urine (yuck!).
If Chlorine isn’t added to pool water, swimmers would catch diseases like diarrhoea, earaches and athlete's foot, just to name a few.
This breakdown and degradation effect on our swimwear can even happen when the swimsuit is not being used.
what is chlorine?
why is chlorine added to swimming pools?
Chlorine is added all pools, so they are safe for us to swim in. Chlorine helps protect swimmers from waterborne germs. When Chlorine is added to our pools it will kill germs, bacteria and algae, it forms a weak acid called hypochlorous acid that kills bacteria like salmonella and E. coli, as well as germs that cause viruses such as diarrhoea and swimmer’s ear and other various skin infections.
It is important to note that stronger doses of Chlorine are used in pools where the ‘Chlorine demand’ is higher. For example, in pools were there would be higher levels of unwanted substances in the pool, such as urine, perspiration, body oils and lotions. This is most common in public pools, public spas, resorts and even at home spas.
Yes, Chlorine will eventually ruin a bathing suit.
why are swimsuits made to breakdown?
Why do we use fabrications that break down in Chlorine? This is simple.
What we require of a swimsuit, is a garment that it is a tight-fitting and a garment that needs a lot of stretch and recovery for the use of swimming and the many movements/motions of the body. The fibre that we use in swimwear to give use the ease of movement is Elastane. You may know this fibre more by a brand name of Lycra or Spandex for example. This flexible fibre can be stretched several times but still recover to its original shape as if it's new again. Elastane is a synthetic fibre, made of a polyurethane with elastic properties, it is strong but not as strong as natural latex. The best advantage of elastane is that when it is stretched it is able to return to its original shape, but its disadvantage is that it doesn’t have the longest life span.
In Swimwear, the elastane fibre is usually mixed with another fibre such as Nylon. In the fabrication mix, Elastane will then only account for a small percentage of the final fabric. When mixed with Nylon, the swimwear fabric will then take on the Nylon advantages of being light weight, with excellent abrasion & wear resistance and can dry faster than other fabrications.
how can i make my swimwear last longer?
The most important thing you can do for prolonging the life of your swimwear is to launder it correctly.
Click through here to read up on how to care for your swimsuit correctly
But in a nutshell the best thing you can do to care for your swimsuit is to wash it immediately after use. We strongly recommend hand wash separately in cold soapy water and rinse well.
It’s also important to note that it is not only Chlorine that will eventually ruin your favourite swimsuit. Your swimwear will also be affected by prolonged sun exposure, salt water, sand, high temperatures, body oils, fake tans and sunscreens.
chlorine resistant swimwear
Yes, you can buy curve fit and plus size swimwear that is Chlorine resistant.
Swimwear that isn’t affected by Chlorine is made out of Polyester PBT and does not contain any of the elastic fibres (elastane) that are degradingly affected by the corrosive chemical Chlorine.
A Chlorine Resistant swimsuit will last season after season. Chlorine resistant swimwear is not only more economical it is also more environmental.
However, there are some cons of Chlorine Resistant swimwear and unfortunately the biggest Con is that it isn’t easy to stretch and get on. Wet swimmers are hard enough to get off, but ones with limited stretch are even harder. Because of the lack of stretch these swimsuits will never feel as comfortable on.
NEW CHLORINE RESISTANT SWIMSUITS - AVAILABLE FOR PRE ORDER NOW
Click through here to see all our our curve fit and plus size chlorine resistant styles.
These swimsuits are perfect for our curvy girls who spend a lot of time in public pools or prefer swimsuits that just do not break down.
As always, making sure you have the perfect fitting swimsuit for your beautiful unique body and for your activity level is a priority for our Artesands team. We want every woman to feel confident and comfortable in their new curvy and plus size swimwear.
It’s every woman’s right to enjoy the summer.
All of our women’s curve fit women’s swimwear is available in plus sizes US 8 - US 20 and sizes AUST 12 - AUST 24, and One Size.
To find swimwear in your size click the size link:
FREE shipping on orders over $150 AUD
The A-Team
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