Preventing/ Removing "Lake Water" smell in swimwear?

Question

I have had this problem for as long as I can remember with my swimwear. The problem is that after swiming in a lake/ body of water my bathingsuit gets this smell stuck in it. The smell sort of smells like fish I guess. It's from the water. How can I remove the smell safely or prevent my new bikinis from taking in the same problem? It has to be something that won't ruin my new bikinis. There must be something, or does everyone deal with gross smelling swimwear? For 3 weeks of the summer I'm not near very much "fresh water" besides he bottles and things of drinking water, as the running water at the cottage is filtered from the lake, just in case you're gouing to tell me to rince with fresh water right after swiming.

Answer 1

I always rinsed my son's bathing suit with warm water then hang to dry.   We live on a lake, so he swims often.   Funny, I never noticed the smell before.  Whenever I do a wash, I throw his bathing suit in also.   Then it smells great.

Our lake is a free flowing one however, so maybe it is a little cleaner.

I would rather smell lake water that get literally bleached from head to toe including bathing suit, from swimming in a chlorinated swimming pool.

Skin cancer related to sun exposure or childhood swimming trips to chlorinated pools?

Thanks----I'd rather deal with the stinky bathing suit smell!

Answer 2

I grew up spending the weekends at my family's cottage. So I know the smell you're talking about. What you need to do is to soak your swimsuits overnight in a bucket with water, a half cup of Tide, and a half cup of baking soda if they stink really bad then use more baking soda. Then put them thru a normal wash cycle (if you have an "extra rinse" option on your washer, use it) and let them air dry. Don't put them in the dryer because it bakes in that awful smell.

Try to soak your swimsuits before they dry,I know this can't always be done, so just do it when you can, it helps keep the odor at bay because the sun will also bake that odor into the suit and also do this with the towels if they start to stink too.

Answer 3

I think washing with vinegar in the water will do it.  I have used this with similar odor problems with good success.