How to Wash Your Hot Spring Swimsuit So It Stays in Shape

The steam fades. The water cools. You step out slowly, still half inside the moment. Everything feels soft—your skin, your breath, your body. But your swimsuit? That part still needs a little care.

Hot springs do wonders for you. But the same heat and minerals that loosen your muscles can be rough on fabric. If you want your swimsuit to last—stay firm, stay flexible, stay wearable—how you treat it afterward matters more than you might think.

Here is how to wash it, not like laundry, but like something that’s been part of the ritual.

Rinse First, Always

Before anything else: rinse. Clean, cool water. No soap yet. Just run water through the fabric until the steam and minerals let go. Do this as soon as you can—ideally right after your soak.

Letting sulfur or other minerals sit too long can change the way the fabric feels. It gets stiff, it stretches, it stops fitting right. A simple rinse helps stop that before it starts.

Wash It Like You Mean It (Gently)

Once you are home—or back in your room—fill a small basin with cold water. Add a drop of mild, unscented detergent. Nothing fancy. Swirl the water. Let your swimsuit rest in it for five minutes. Then gently press it through the water. No scrubbing. No twisting. Just movement.

This is not a deep clean. You are not trying to erase the experience. Just helping your suit reset.

Pat, Press, Do Not Wring

Done rinsing? Lay your swimsuit on a towel. Fold the towel over it. Press down.

No twisting. No squeezing. Just let the towel absorb the moisture slowly. The fibers will thank you. So will the fit.

Shade Is Your Friend

Sun dries things fast. But it also fades colors and breaks down elastic. So skip the balcony rail and lay your suit flat in the shade.

Somewhere quiet. Somewhere cool. Let it dry slowly, just like you did when you sat in the water. Everything that rests, lasts longer.

Never the Machine

No washers. No dryers. No bleach. No softeners. Not even once.

Your swimsuit is not everyday clothing. It does not need a spin cycle. It needs space, breath, and a bit of kindness. That is all.

Rotate If You Soak Often

If hot springs are part of your routine, have more than one suit. Let them take turns. Let each one rest.

The fabric—like your body—needs time to return to itself.

A Small Habit, A Big Difference

Taking care of your swimsuit is not about rules. It is about extending something you already value: that calm, weightless feeling. The one you carry home after the bath.

Keep that softness. Not just in your body, but in the things you use along the way.