Washing Summer Clothes: A Practical Guide for the Warm Season

Summer is the season of light fabrics, bright colours and more sweat. Clothes get worn more often and are much harder to wash (sweat + sunscreen + sand = a tricky mix). Then there's swimwear, which needs completely different care. In this article: a practical guide to your warm-weather wardrobe by garment type, including how to tackle seasonal stains and odours.

How summer washing is different

In summer, you have to deal with a few specific problems:

• More sweating – 2-3x more sweat than in winter
• Sunscreen residue – chemically binds to fibres and creates yellow stains
• Sand in the fibres – damages the washing machine and doesn't rinse out in a normal wash
• Swimming in chlorinated pool water – chlorine damages colours and fibres
• Sea salt residue – crystallises in the fibres
• Less durable colours – summer clothes are often pastel or bright, and more prone to fading

General rules for summer washing

These rules apply to almost all summer clothes:

1. Wash more often – in summer, a garment with sweat on it needs washing after just one day. Unlike in winter, when you can wear it several times.
2. 30 °C is ideal – it protects colours (summer clothes often come in light, pastel shades), and cooler water doesn't set sweat and sunscreen stains
3. Enzyme laundry detergent – ideal for everyday washing (effective on sweat proteins)
4. No fabric softener on sportswear – in summer, sportswear gets worn often, and fabric softener impairs its moisture-wicking properties
5. Act quickly on stains – summer clothes are usually light-coloured, so stains show more

Specific types of summer clothing

Light T-shirts and dresses (cotton, linen)

The core of your summer wardrobe. How to wash them:

1. 30 °C, enzyme laundry detergent
2. Standard cycle for cotton, delicate for linen
3. Standard dose (25-30 ml)
4. An extra rinse if you have sensitive skin
5. Air-drying is the best drying strategy (things dry quickly in summer)

A note on linen: it creases heavily, so ironing it while still damp helps. For more on care label symbols, see our guide to laundry symbols.

Swimwear

A category of its own – chlorine, salt water and sunscreen, plus the effect of UV on the fibres. The strategy:

1. AFTER EVERY swim – rinse in cold water (to remove chlorine / salt)
2. Never seal a wet swimsuit in a plastic bag – it'll go mouldy within hours
3. Wash weekly in cold water with a delicate detergent (NOT an enzyme one – Lycra and Spandex are sensitive to proteases)
4. NEVER in the tumble dryer (heat damages elastic fibres)
5. NEVER in direct sunlight (UV damages elastane)
6. Dry in the shade, hanging up

A swimsuit typically lasts 2-3 seasons. After that, the elastic fibres naturally lose their properties.

Sandals (canvas, fabric)

Many summer sandals have fabric uppers that need washing:

1. Remove the insoles (wash them separately)
2. Brush the sand out of the fibres
3. Wash in a laundry bag at 30 °C with an enzyme laundry detergent
4. Dry in a well-ventilated room (not in the sun – it can damage leather parts)
5. Stuff them with newspaper to hold their shape

Summer caps and hats

Most shouldn't go in the washing machine:

• Straw hats – dry-brush only, and wipe the surface with a damp cloth
• Canvas summer hats – can be hand-washed in cold water and dried flat
• Caps with a peak – take care, as the peak (with cardboard inside) can lose its shape in water

Sunglasses cloths (microfibre)

Microfibre glasses cloths should be hand-washed in cold water with a mild detergent – no fabric softener (it clogs the microfibre).

The main summer stains

Sunscreen stains (yellow / orange)

Probably the most annoying stain of the summer. Sunscreens contain mineral pigments (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) and an oil base:

1. Act within 1-2 hours (the sooner, the better)
2. Blot the surface layer with a dry towel
3. Apply a generous amount of washing-up liquid (a surfactant)
4. Gently massage it in for 2-3 minutes
5. Leave for 30 minutes
6. Wash at 40 °C with an enzyme laundry detergent

For tougher cases, follow our guide to oil stains (sunscreens are oil-based).

Sweat stains

The main problem in summer, especially yellow stains forming on white shirts. Find out more in our guide to sweat stains.

Sand and dirt from the beach

The strategy:

1. First, thoroughly remove the sand MECHANICALLY (by brushing and shaking)
2. Never put a sandy garment straight into the wash – sand can damage the washing machine pump
3. Do a cold pre-rinse (without detergent) first to remove any remaining sand
4. Then wash as usual

Sea salt residue

After a swim in the sea, clothes can turn stiff as "cardboard":

1. Soak in cold water for 30 minutes – the salt crystals will dissolve
2. Wash at 30 °C with an enzyme laundry detergent
3. An extra rinse

Grass and berry stains

Summer is the season for berries and grass. Our guide to grass stains is in a separate article.

Summer odour problems

In summer, clothes are more likely to smell after a few wears – even after washing. The reasons:

• Bacteria grow faster in the heat
• There's more sweat
• Fabrics absorb more odours from their surroundings (the beach, restaurant terraces)

Solutions:

1. A vinegar soak (50 ml + cold water) for 30 minutes before washing
2. Essential oils (tea tree, eucalyptus) in the washing machine – for an antimicrobial effect
3. Drying in the sun – a natural disinfectant
4. The washing machine itself must be clean – see our washing machine care guide

A March / April routine

As the summer season begins, winter clothes go into storage – see our guide to winter clothes. Summer clothes come out of storage:

1. Wash all summer clothes before wearing them for the first time – this removes storage dust and odours
2. Check them for mould, moth damage and stains
3. Airing them in the sun gives extra disinfection

The economics of summer washing

You wash more often in summer, but:

• Washing at 30 °C saves electricity, especially compared with a 60 °C winter cycle
• Air-drying is free (instead of using a tumble dryer)
• A lower dose (for lightly soiled clothes) saves laundry detergent

In reality, the summer months can work out cheaper in terms of electricity, despite more frequent washing. For more on cold washing, see our guide to low-temperature washing.

Tips by setting

Travelling / on holiday

Practical advice:

• Pack a travel-size laundry detergent
• Rinse swimwear in cold water after every use
• T-shirts can be washed in warm water in the hotel shower
• Dry them in the evening, indoors with a fan (not in the room where you sleep – because of the humidity)

Gardening / active work

Heavier dirt, sweat and sometimes grass stains:

• Wash separately from everyday clothes
• Pre-soak with vinegar + laundry detergent for 30 minutes
• A standard 40 °C cycle
• A full dose of enzyme laundry detergent

Frequently asked questions

Do I really need to wash my swimsuit after every use?

Rinse it – yes, in cold water, to remove chlorine / salt / sunscreen. A full wash isn't needed every time; once a week is fine. But a cold rinse after every swim is a must.

Is drying coloured clothes in the sun bad?

For coloureds – yes, prolonged sun exposure fades colours. For whites – it's good (UV whitens naturally). Ideally: dry coloureds in the shade and whites in the sun.

How can I protect light-coloured T-shirts from sweat stains?

The best combination: aluminium-free antiperspirant + underarm liners (sweat pads) + frequent washing (after a single day's wear). Find out more in our guide to sweat stains.

My favourite T-shirt turned yellow in a single season. What happened?

Most likely a combination of aluminium from antiperspirant, sweat and incorrect washing (too hot). Preventing and removing yellow sweat stains is a topic in its own right.

Can dry shampoo be used on summer hats?

It helps a little with removing grease (leave for 5 minutes, then brush off). But a full clean is still needed – dry shampoo only extends the time until the next wash.

Summary

Summer washing calls for a different approach from winter: more often, but at lower temperatures, with extra attention to sweat, sunscreen and summer-specific situations (the beach, the pool, sport). Swimwear is a category of its own with special care needs. Ecozyme enzyme laundry detergent is suitable for almost all summer clothes (except swimwear, due to the sensitivity of Lycra/Spandex). For more on specific stains, see our stain guide.