How to Care for Custom Swim Trunks: Chlorine, Salt, Sun and Storage

Published October 27, 2026. Last updated October 27, 2026.

Care for custom swim trunks by rinsing them in fresh water after every swim, washing them cold and inside out on a gentle cycle, and air drying them in the shade. Custom Swim Trunks makes printed and embroidered pairs in quick-dry polyester, and this routine keeps the colors, the stitching and the elastic waistband in shape through chlorine, salt and sunscreen.

What are custom swim trunks made of, and why does that change how you care for them?

Custom swim trunks are built from a lightweight quick-dry polyester shell, an elastic or drawcord waistband and, on many styles, a soft mesh liner, and each of those parts needs slightly different care. The decoration matters just as much: an all-over print is sublimated into the polyester fibers, while an embroidered logo is thread stitched on top of the fabric. Knowing which one you ordered tells you what to protect.

Sublimated color is part of the fabric itself, so it cannot crack or peel the way a surface print can. The risks for printed trunks are heat, harsh chemicals and abrasion that wear the fibers down. Embroidered trunks have the opposite profile: the base fabric is usually a solid color, and the stitched logo is the part most likely to snag, pucker or hold water.

The construction details also change the routine. Mesh liners trap sand and salt. Drawcords can slip out of the waistband channel in a hot wash. Retro volley trunks with an elastic waist recover best when they are never stretched over a hot dryer drum. Treat the trunks like technical swimwear rather than a cotton T-shirt and a well-made pair will look sharp for many seasons.

• Shell: quick-dry polyester, made to shed water and dry fast.
• Liner: mesh on many styles, which holds sand and salt if it is not rinsed.
• Waist: elastic, drawcord or both, sensitive to high heat.
• Decoration: sublimated print in the fibers, or embroidery thread on the surface.

How do I wash custom swim trunks after the pool or the ocean?

Wash custom swim trunks by rinsing them in cool fresh water as soon as you are out of the pool or the ocean, then machine washing them cold on a gentle cycle with a mild detergent once you get home. The quick rinse does most of the work, because chlorine, salt and sunscreen do the most damage while they sit in the fabric and dry there.

1. Rinse right away. A beach shower or a sink is enough. Flush the mesh liner and the pockets, where sand and salt collect.
2. Empty and close. Shake out sand, empty the pockets and close any zipper or hook-and-loop pocket so it cannot snag the embroidery or the print.
3. Turn inside out. This protects the printed or stitched surface from rubbing against other clothes.
4. Wash cold and gentle. Use a mild detergent, skip bleach and skip fabric softener, which can coat quick-dry fabric and slow drying.
5. Wash with similar items. Keep trunks away from towels with loops, jeans and anything with rough hardware.
6. Air dry. Lay flat or hang in the shade rather than using a hot dryer.

For a group, the simplest instruction is the first one. If everyone on a trip rinses their trunks in fresh water at the end of each beach day, the pairs come home in far better shape than if they sit balled up in a wet bag until the flight home.

Do chlorine, salt water and sunscreen damage printed or embroidered swim trunks?

Chlorine, salt water and sunscreen can all shorten the life of custom swim trunks if they are left to dry in the fabric, but none of them is a reason to avoid wearing the trunks in the water. Swim trunks are made to get wet. The goal is to remove those residues quickly so they do not keep working on the fibers, the elastic and the embroidery thread after the swim is over.

Chlorine is the toughest on elastic. Waistbands that spend every day in a pool without a rinse lose their stretch sooner. Swim teams and lifeguard crews, who wear trunks in treated water constantly, get the most out of a pair by rinsing after every session and rotating between more than one pair.

Salt water leaves crystals that stiffen the fabric and feel scratchy in the liner. A fresh water rinse dissolves them. Sand works the same way, acting as an abrasive inside the mesh and around embroidered logos.

Sunscreen is the most common cause of marks on light colors. Some lotions and sprays leave yellowish or oily patches, especially on white or pastel trunks. Apply sunscreen and let it dry before pulling on the trunks, and pretreat any spot with a little mild dish soap before washing. If your group is choosing colors for a sunny destination, mid-tone and darker shades hide these marks better than white.

How should all-over print swim trunks be cared for compared with embroidered swim trunks?

All-over print swim trunks and embroidered swim trunks share the same basic routine of rinse, cold gentle wash and air dry, but each has one extra point to watch. Printed trunks need protection from heat and abrasion across the whole surface. Embroidered trunks need protection for the stitched logo, which can snag and hold moisture longer than the fabric around it.

If you have not ordered yet, care is a fair tie-breaker. Groups that will be rough on their trunks, such as camp counselors or a surf school crew, often pick all-over print swim trunks because there is nothing on the surface to catch. Brands that want a quieter, retail look tend to prefer embroidered logo swim trunks and simply bag them in the wash.

How do I dry and store custom swim trunks between trips and over the off-season?

Dry custom swim trunks completely in open air and shade before you fold them, then store them loose in a breathable spot rather than sealed in a plastic bag. Quick-dry polyester lives up to its name, so a pair hung over a chair or a line is usually dry within a short time. The mistake is packing trunks while the liner or the waistband is still damp.

Direct, strong sun is the main thing to avoid while drying. A few hours on a hot deck railing does more to dull bright colors than a whole day of swimming. Hang the trunks by the waistband in the shade, or lay them flat on a towel with the liner pulled out so air can reach it.

For the off-season, wash the trunks one last time even if they look clean. Leftover sunscreen and salt can turn into stains or a musty smell after months in a drawer. Once they are dry, fold them loosely and keep them away from heat sources. Resorts and swim clubs that store staff trunks between seasons should use labeled breathable bins by size, so the pairs are ready to hand out the moment the pool opens again.

• Never store trunks damp or inside a sealed plastic bag.
• Pull the mesh liner out so it dries fully.
• Keep stored pairs away from radiators, heaters and hot attics.

What care instructions should a team, resort or shop pass on to the people wearing the trunks?

A team, resort or shop should pass on a short care card with custom swim trunks that covers rinsing, cold washing and air drying, because the people wearing the pairs decide how long the order lasts. Organizers usually spend weeks on artwork and sizes, then hand out the trunks with no instructions at all. A few plain lines solve that.

A simple care note can read: rinse in fresh water after every swim, wash inside out on cold and gentle, no bleach or fabric softener, hang to dry in the shade, never store wet. That fits in a team group chat, a staff onboarding packet or the back of a retail hangtag.

Different buyers frame it differently. A swim team ordering matching trunks can add the rinse step to the end-of-practice routine. A resort can include trunks in a staff uniform policy with a rotation between pairs. A surf shop selling custom printed boardshorts under its own label can print care wording on its tags, which reads like a real retail line rather than promotional gear. If you want care details mentioned on hangtags or packaging, include that in your quote request to Custom Swim Trunks so it can be discussed before production.

When is it time to reorder custom swim trunks instead of nursing a worn pair along?

Reorder custom swim trunks when the elastic waistband no longer holds its shape, the liner has torn, or the colors on a team or staff set no longer match from pair to pair. A single faded pair can be retired quietly, but a uniform look only works when everyone matches, so a mixed set of old and new pairs is often the real signal to reorder.

Reordering is easier than the first order. Custom Swim Trunks can reuse the artwork you already approved, so the main decisions are quantity and sizes. You still get a free mockup within 24 hours to confirm the details, you pay nothing until you approve, and standard turnaround is about 2 weeks after approval, with faster turnaround available through express shipping. The minimum order stays at 12 pairs.

Timing a reorder before the season begins avoids handing new hires or new members trunks that look different from everyone else’s. Clubs and resorts that know their numbers often plan a refresh at the end of each season, while the care routine above keeps the in-between pairs looking close to new. When you are ready, send your details through the custom quote form or review the steps on the how it works page.