Summer in Tuscaloosa, Alabama: Cheap $1 Secret to Washing Your Swimsuits
One of the best summertime activities is swimming. It’s fun and refreshing. Hitting the pool is a great way to cool off when it’s super-hot outside. Also, there are tons of health benefits too. I like swimming because it’s less impact on your joints, builds endurance, is refreshing, and I get to meet new people.
Growing up in Florida, we were swimming all year long in pools and the ocean. In Alabama, thanks to my Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority (PARA) membership, I swim all year long here too. I love that.
However, swimming in public pools and all year long can take a toll on your swimsuits. The last time I checked, they are not cheap either unless you catch a good sale as I do. So, you have to take care of your swimsuits.
My mother’s cheap trick to washing your swimsuit includes a common kitchen item. It’s less than $1. Bea always made us take our swimsuits off immediately, and hands wash them in the sink or bathtub.
I remember clearly her saying, “We ain’t the Rockefellers over here. You better make that swimsuit last a while.” In my young life, I really couldn’t wait to meet the Rockefellers; I thought for a long time, they lived beachside.
Open up your kitchen cabinets or pantry and bring out the box of baking soda that’s just been sitting there. Here is your $1 secret summer trick.
#1 - Fill your sink with cool water.
#2 - Use 2 to 3 tablespoons of baking soda per swimsuit. Swish it in the cool water.
#3 - Soak your swimsuit for about 20 minutes. Then let the sink drain out.
#4 - Rinse your swimsuit thoroughly.
#5 – Lay a towel on a flat area. Take your swimsuit, lay it flat, and roll it up to get the moisture out of the suit.
#6 - Let it dry flat or as flat as possible.
Under the file of “Bea Said"
She taught us never to wring out or hang your swimsuit because it would lose its shape that way.
Bea said if you just have to have some suds, put a cap full of mild detergent into the cool water and baking soda mixture.
If you have to wash your swimsuit in the washing machine, she recommends mild detergent with other clothes on the delicate cycle.
And never ever … ever dry your swimsuit in the dryer.
Of course, I found some great TikToks to back up Bea’s swimsuit washing hack of cold water and laying the suits flat.
Now my mother never "prepped" a swimsuit but this TikTok video makes sense.
This tip, I'm doing ASAP!