How to care for your ZZ swim and knitwear

How to care for your ZZ swim

To increase the longevity of your Zulu & Zephyr swimwear, we recommend that you follow our care guide below.

After care:

Gentle cold hand wash immediately after use ensuring all salt, sand and chlorine is removed.
Please do not soak.
Lay flat, out of direct sunlight to dry.
Do not roll up wet.
Store in a cool, dry place.
Do not iron, bleach, wring, tumble dry, dry clean or wash in warm or hot water.
If needed, wash your swimsuit with mild detergent in cold water.

During:

All our swim fabrications have been tested in chlorine, salt, mineral pools and sea water, but due to circumstantial variations some colour change may occur.
Our soft, cotton swim fabrication is delicate so ensure you follow this care guide carefully.
Avoid contact with rough surfaces such as rocks, pebbles, stone and concrete pool surfaces.
Do not stretch or pull your swimwear with force.
We do not take responsibility for the balling of fabrics and loss of elasticity.
We recommend that you do not wear your swimwear in spa baths as the high levels of chlorine and extreme heat could cause fading and damage to your swimsuit.
Sunscreen lotions, tanning oils and moisturisers can stain, mark and damage your swimsuit.
Do not leave your swimsuit in direct sunlight as this may cause fading and damage to the material.

How to care for your ZZ knits

Due to the delicate nature of all knitwear, a little extra care is needed when washing & storing. By following our simple steps you will be able to improve the longevity of your garment to last you many seasons.

Care instructions

Cold hand wash separately.
We recommend using gentle or wool detergent. Do not use any bleaching agent.
Wash with care, do not rub or wring.
Do not soak.
Rinse in cold water and gently squeeze out excess water.
Reshape and dry flat in shade.
Do not tumble dry.
Do not iron.

Storage

Always store knitwear folded to maintain shape.
Do not hang as gravity will distort & stretch the garment.
Do not store damp.

Maintenance

Pilling or balling is a natural occurrence for both synthetic and natural yarns, and will essentially occur when fibres close to the surface of the knitted garment are subjected to friction and movement. To limit this, avoid consistent rubbing against another garment or surface.
To keep knitwear looking optimal we recommend using a wool comb. Ensure the knit is completely dry before gently brushing in a single direction to remove pills or balls.

Due to knit construction knots may appear on the outer or inner of your knitted garment. These are unavoidable as the construction is essentially long strands of yarn, or multiple strands (ends) knitted together. Each spool of yarn needs to be tied off to the next to achieve a continuous strand. Should one become visible, to hide, gently pull through to the reverse side of the garment taking care not to pull too hard and distort the surrounding knit.
If there are loose ends of yarn visible, these are most likely from the linking stitch (like a seam in a woven garment). Rest assured this is not a sign of unravelling, and they may be tucked back into the nearby seam, or tied off by tying to a nearby loop.

Knitted garments are prone to snagging or pulling, especially in chunky knits with multiple ends of yarn used in the construction. Whilst it is important to avoid a loop being caught on jewellery or hardware, if this happens do not cut the yarn to hide it, as this will cause the garment to unravel. Instead, it may be pulled out of sight, through to the inside of the garment.

How to prevent or limit microfibre shedding

Synthetic fibres and fabrics such as polyester, polyamide, acrylic, nylon and lycra shed microfibres through abrasion, either when worn or washed.

This is bad news for our air and waterways as these microfibres are essentially tiny, microscopic pieces of plastic that pollute ecosystems on many levels.

At Zulu & Zephyr we are aware of the negative impacts of synthetic fibres and are working to reduce or eliminate them within our product categories. However for some types of products this is not possible in a practical sense such as for swimwear and body fit knitwear. Instead we are committed to moving toward a circular economy where resources are recycled infinitely. Read more about our conscious fabric selections on our Values page.

While both recycled and non-recycled synthetics shed micro plastic, there are some simple and practical measures we can all take to limit the amount.

Buy less. Choose quality, natural fibres.

Durability and longevity are important aspects we consider during fabric selection. We choose reputable fabric and trim suppliers that meet and exceed internationally recognised environmental standards and practices. High standards of production ensure quality products that can be loved and worn season after season.

We have set a target for 2024 that every garment is to hold at least one environmental credential in order to be regenerative to our environment. We prioritise certified, natural fabrics - European Flax® linen, hemp, recycled or organic cotton.

Wash with care.

Machine washing is the cause of the highest microfibre shedding due to the friction created by the wash cycle as well as abrasion with other items. Use a shorter washing cycle that limits the amount of time fibres can shed. Do full loads and use liquid (not powder) to limit friction.

We recommend cold, gentle hand wash for our swimwear. Not only does this increase the longevity of your swim, removing salt and suncreams that can degrade your garment but it has been shown to release far less microfibre due to less abrasion.

Washing less is also beneficial for the environment - remove a stain by spot cleaning or hang a not-so-dirty garment in the sun to remove odour.

There are also many products on the market that reduce microfibre release. Fabric bags made from micro-filter material, laundry ball that catches microfibres in the wash or washing machine filters.