Remember, your bikini wear will take care of you as long as you take care of it. Taking out a few moments after a day of swimming or sunbathing to properly wash and dry out your micro bikini will surely keep your most valuable piece of clothing in the best possible condition. Just remember that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and with regard to swimwear, it's worth a ton of cure.
Here is the scenario. You've purchased that fantastic bikini that you've been looking at for months on end. You've been invited to a wonderful beach party that is the perfect outing for displaying your brand new swimwear. You wear your unique and one-of-a-kind bikini to that fashionable function and you're a total smash. You're making the social rounds and mingling with new and exciting people that are so delighted to meet you too when all of a sudden you are accidentally bumped into and that hot dog with mustard that you've been holding,
slips and falls all over your sexy bikini. Not to worry, because you were careful to bring a change of clothing for such mishaps. However, you just remembered you have another beach party to attend that you wanted to show off your new bikini and now it's all stained. Here's what you do:
Step 1: Instructions. Read and carefully follow any fabric care instructions that come with or are listed on your bikini wear. You don't want to ruin it and use something that's going to make the color fade or stain even more. Determine if you are going to hand wash or machine wash your bikini wear. Take in consideration the fabric, texture and ornaments, if any, that may be affected. Of course, hand washing delicates is the safest way of handling such items, although if you are confident that your fabric can withstand a washing machine, then going that way may be plausible.
Step 2: Stain Removers. Treat stains as soon as possible. Newer stains are easier to remove than older ones. Always test stain removers on an inside seam or hidden part of the garment for color fast issues. Never put chemical dry-cleaning solvents into the washer.
Don't mix different stain removal products together. Some mixtures such as ammonia and bleach can discolor your swimwear. Always launder the washable items after using a stain remover to eliminate the residue of the product. Have patience, some stains take longer time to remove and multiple applications. Along with stain removers are pre-stain removers and they come in either liquid, stick or spray formula. Pay close attention to the type of fabric and read the instructions on the individual product for finding out which will work best for you.
Step 3: Water Temperature. Always use the safest water temperature for your fabric unless you have tested it and it bleeds. In that case, either use lukewarm water or cold water. Make sure the water is clean and sometimes you can add a pre-soaking agent to the water that you are going to hand wash your fabric in to aid cleaning. Refer to the Party Stains List below to select the proper water temperature with regard to a specific stain you would like to remove.
Step 4. Detergents. There are all purpose detergents that come in either liquid or powder form. Some are heavy-duty and some are fabric sensitive and/or hypoallergenic. It's up to you to determine which is better fitted for you and your fabric. Again, pay attention to the fabric and ornaments on it. You want a detergent that will liquefy quickly enough so your bikini doesn't have to sit a long time in the solution. Here are some tips on removing specific stains when choosing your detergent and water temperature.
Alcohol Stains: Launder with detergent in hottest water safest for the fabric. Do not use soap (bar, flake or detergents containing natural soap) since soap can make the stain permanent. Soak stains for 30 minutes in 1 teaspoonful of presoak product. If all the sugars are not removed, a brown stain will appear when the fabric is heated in the dryer or is ironed, as the sugar has caramelized.
Chocolate Stains: Treat the stain with a pre-wash spray or product containing enzymes. After pre-treating, then rub with a heavy-duty liquid detergent and launder. If the stain remains, then re-launder with bleach that is safe for the fabric.
Coffee & Tea Stains: Saturate the stain with a pre-treatment stain remover. Rub it with a heavy-duty liquid detergent then launder in hottest water safe for the fabric.
Blood Stains: Flush cold water through the stain and scrape off crusted material. Soak for about 15 minutes in a mixture of lukewarm water, 1/2 teaspoon liquid hand washing detergent and 1 tablespoon ammonia. Rub gently to loosen the stain and then launder. If the stain is not completely removed, wet the stain with hydrogen peroxide and a few drops of ammonia and leave on for no longer than 15 minutes.
Rinse with cool water.
Lipstick or Juice Stains (AKA: Dye Stains): Sponge area with dry-cleaning solvent. Rub with heavy-duty liquid detergent then launder. If needed, use an all-fabric bleach.
Step 4: Drying. If you're the old fashioned type, then nothing works better than hanging something out to dry in the natural breeze. Although if you have no time for that, then using a cool to warm temperature when drying out your special fabric will be sufficient enough to keep it looking nice and new. Be wary of any kind of trinkets or beads that could easily be caught and torn from your swimwear.
Remember, your bikini wear will take care of you as long as you take care of it. Taking out a few moments after a day of swimming or sunbathing to properly wash and dry out your micro bikini will surely keep your most valuable piece of clothing in the best possible condition. Just remember that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and with regard to swimwear, it's worth a ton of cure.
