The day you've been prepping for has finally come and gone, and hopefully you have some hardware to show from all your hard work! You also probably have some glue and tan stains left on your gorgeous competition suit. Follow our guide, and you'll have that suit clean and ready for the next show!
How To Wash Your Competition Suit
First off, whatever you do, don't dry clean your suit. When you take something to a dry cleaner, they don't wash clothes in water, instead, they "wash" it by soaking it in a cleaning chemical, then pulling that chemical back out to be reused. It's only "dry" in the sense that your suit does not get wet with water. The delicate fabrics, connectors and crystals used on your competition bikini are not meant for this process. Dry cleaning can dissolve the glue holding on crystals, and can cause fading of your fabric.
So what do you do? Here's our step by step guide:
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Prepare some warm water mixed with just a little gentle detergent. You can use a sink or a large bowl.
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Instead of submerging your whole suit, focus on the areas with heavy staining. Dip them and carefully run the fabric together to work out the stains.
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Use an old (but clean) toothbrush and gently scrub out the stain. You can dip the suit in the soapy water, but try to avoid soaking the entire suit.
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Don't forget the connectors! They usually have tan residue on them. Gently scrub them with the toothbrush to be sure you get in between all the crystals.
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Rinse in cool water and gently squeeze out excess water from the fabric. Avoid wringing out your suit as it can cause damage to the crystals.
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Lay flat on a towel to dry. Make sure you rotate it around a couple times on the towel, and flip your suit front to back to be sure it's all dry in a few hours.
There you have it! Remember that the longer the glue and tan sit on your bikini, the more work it will be to remove it. It's best to clean your suit as soon as your show is over.