Sun, water, summery temperatures - it's summertime! We wear airy and light clothes made of linen, silk and chiffon. Bikini and swimming trunks are (in the best case) in daily use. In the following we will tell you what you have to pay attention to when washing bikinis and silk and caring for chiffon and linen.
Wash bathing suits, swimming trunks and bikinis
Swimwear is subject to a lot of hardship and very often comes into contact with chlorine, salt water and sunscreen . This quickly leaves marks and wears out the clothes faster.
Most swimwear is also mostly made of polyester, elastane and nylon – all of which are somewhat delicate fabrics.
How to properly care for and wash your bikini and co.:
Wash before wearing
Many swimwear manufacturers use chemicals during production: for example, mold control agents are often used.
So wash your new swimwear first.
Rinse with water after bathing
After you have been in the water, you should rinse your swimwear with clear, cold water to get rid of the chlorine and salt. Otherwise it will attack the fabric fibers in the long term.
This can also be done directly in the shower, a little shower gel or shampoo doesn't hurt.
Regular washing
After wearing it three or four times , you should give it a proper wash to remove dirt and bacteria. Note the following points:
- Check the care label to see if hand washing is required.
- Wash at a maximum of 30 degrees so that the fibers do not break off or wear out.
- Gentle cycle is a good choice.
- Do not use fabric softener , it clogs the fibers.
- The bluu wash strips are perfect for washing your swimwear !
Proper Drying
Dryer and direct sun are not recommended. Clothing will shrink and color may fade.
It is best to place the clothes on a drying rack inside or outside in the shade. It's better to lay it down than hang it up : Elastane in particular wears out completely when it's hung up wet.
to remove stains
Got a stubborn sunscreen stain on your swim trunks? Soak them overnight in water with a little bluu wash-strip (dissolve by stirring) or citric acid.
Tip for prevention : First let the sunscreen work in, then put it on.
Wash linen clothes
Linen is very breathable and a wonderful fabric in the summer. In addition, the linen fiber is very smooth, does not fluff and is therefore very easy to care for. The only thing linen doesn't like is friction.
Here are a few care and washing instructions for linen:
- Hang up to air after wearing . So you really only have to wash when the fabric is dirty .
- Wash at a maximum of 40 degrees . In fact, higher temperatures do not affect linen. As always, please check the label first.
- bluu for linen : You can also use bluu for your linen clothes.
- Less is more : The linen fiber swells enormously when it gets wet. Also, she doesn't like friction. Therefore, put a little less clothing than usual in the washing machine so that there is enough space and choose a gentle cycle with as few spin cycles as possible .
- Air dry : Please do not put your linen clothes in the dryer.
- Treating stains on linen : Linen absorbs quickly, so it is best to treat a stain as soon as possible. Curd soap is good for this.
You can find out how to use the curd soap here .
Wash silk clothes
Silk is also a popular summer fabric: It cools you down enormously (and warms you up in winter, by the way!) and is very comfortable to wear for many people. Unfortunately, silk is not that easy to care for and needs some extra attention.
Please take a look at your care label first. There are very different silk fabrics with different compositions that require different care.
What to look out for when washing silk
Do a color test on silk
You can easily test whether your silk garment bleeds.
To do this, dissolve some of your bluu washing strip in water (or another detergent) and dip a cotton ball in it. Now carefully dab the pad onto the silk in a non-visible place.
If color stains the cotton wool, the garment should be dry cleaned rather than machine washed.
The right detergent
Silk consists of protein fibers that can break quickly. Then the fabric becomes rough and also loses its shine.
The right detergent is essential. It should be free of:
- bleach
- brighteners
- dyes
- Perfume
- stain removing enzymes
bluu can of course be used to clean silk . We recommend the unscented bluu wash strips.
Machine wash silk
If the garment can be put in the washing machine, please note the following points.
- Maximum 30 degrees
- Use the silk washing program (on newer washing machine models)
- Use laundry bag
Remove stains from silk
You should never use stain sticks or bleach on silk, as these will damage the fabric. Petrol can help with greasy stains .
Otherwise, dab the stains dry rather than with water, otherwise water marks can form.
For a stubborn stain, we recommend going to dry cleaning.
drying silk
The best way is to roll the wet garment into a dry towel and gently press. Lay the garment on a second, dry towel to dry.
- Not in the dryer
- Do not wring
- Not in the sun
- Rather lay than hang
Washing chiffon clothes
Since chiffon can consist of both natural fibers such as silk and man-made fibers such as polyester, it is important to look at the label here too.
If your chiffon garment is partially silk, refer to the silk instructions (above).
The general rule:
- The less washing, the better
- If machine wash: 30 degrees, gentle cycle, in a laundry bag
- Prefer to wash by hand
- Pre-treat stains with a stain stick and then leave to work for half an hour (not if there is silk!)
We wish you a nice summer!
You can find out how to wash your summer clothes by hand in our article:
