Swimwear & Rashies Fabric Care

Sandy Feet Australia uses a unique fabric that makes caring for your swimwear very easy.  Following these simple guidelines will protect and prolong the life of your SunSafe Rashies, Bikinis, Swim Shorts, Swimsuits, Board Shorts and Hats.

Do

  • Rinse after use 
  • Machine washable 
  • Wash with similar colours

Don’t

  • Do not bleach
  • Do not tumble dry
  • Do not iron
  • Do not dry clean
  • Avoid rough surfaces like pool edges or rocks as this might catch on the fabric and cause pilling
  • Avoid harsh chemicals sometimes found in hot tubs; these will age your garments
  • Avoid sunscreen directly onto the swimwear (especially white fabrics) as this may discolour the fabric

To make life even easier, here are some answers to some of the more common questions our customers may have.

How can I remove sunscreen stains from my swimwear?

All swimwear is susceptible to staining from sunscreens, especially white fabrics. To avoid staining try to apply the sunscreen and let it dry before getting dressed.  The Cancer Council recommends that we apply sunscreen at least 20 minutes before going out into the sun, so this is a good habit to get into. If from re-applying you do get staining on your swimwear try the following:

  •  As we mentioned above, our material is very robust, and can easily handle treatment with regular household colour fast laundry stain removers and pre-soakers. Simply treat the garment (as early as possible) according to the instructions on the label of your stain remover and machine wash. This should remove most stains.  We have been able to get everything from tinted sunscreen to red cordial out of our swimwear using this method.
  • If looking for a more natural alternative try mixing baking soda and water to make a thin paste. Spread on the stained area and leave for at least one hour. If the stains cover large areas, soak the whole garment in a baking soda and water solution for an hour or more. This will break up stains from oil-based sunscreen products. After pre-treating, launder as usual.

 Is it normal to get ‘pilling’ on my swimwear?

Unfortunately, as robust as our fabric is, you will still get pilling (as with all swimwear) if the swimwear is rubbed or catches against rough surfaces like those found on rocks and some pool edges.  The pilling will be more obvious on solid and or dark coloured fabrics.  Therefore, if this is a known issue for your kids with their swimwear perhaps choose more colourful and busy designs to help them look better for longer.

How do I remove sand from my bather bottoms?

Unlike some rashie materials, our material will not trap sand in the weave of the material itself. Getting sand in your bather bottoms however is part and parcel of being a kid at the beach. Given that the coarseness of sand can vary greatly throughout Australia (and the world) this can be more of an issue for some than others.  All our bikini bottoms and swim shorts are fully lined, should you get sand stuck in between the lining and the swimwear material try following this simple solution.

  • Rinse as much sand as possible out of the swimsuit under cold water.Let it dry completely and then turning them inside out shake vigorously.  If that doesn’t work, try using your blow dryer on a cool setting to blow the sand out.