Rinse your swimsuit in cold water immediately after swimming.

Yes, that’s the single most effective thing you can do. Chlorine and salt water are brutal on dyes. The longer they sit, the more they eat into the fabric.

Don’t wring it out—that stretches the fibers and messes with the color. Just rinse, gently squeeze, and lay flat to dry in the shade. Sunlight is basically bleach for swimsuit fabric, so skip the clothesline in direct sun.

Wash with a mild detergent (no fabric softener) every few wears. Hand wash is best, but if you must machine wash, cold water, delicate cycle, and put it in a mesh bag.

That’s it. Just rinse and shade. Your swimsuit will thank you by not looking like a faded flag.