BC Shampoo? do I really need it?

[EZHOOPS]

OK I just did about 15 dives over the past month and want to maintain my equipment best that I can. so I thought I would wash out my bc with BC shampoo but that stuff isn't cheap.

is there a equal alternative?

I would think so baking soda or white vinegar would work just as well

also what is an alternative to wash my wet suit in as well?

thanks

 

[The Kraken]

I generally use just a little bit of J&J Baby Shampoo to wash out my B/C's - Wings.
Every so often I'll take some mouthwash, pour it down the inflator hose, add some water and rinse it around thoroughly - followed by a water rinse.

Wet suits, I just generally wash in the bath tub with some shampoo and then rinse.
On occasion, I've actually put a wet suit in the washing machine and set it to the gentle cycle. Can't see that there was any harm done.

the K

 

[fdog]

Sink the Stink is an emzyne that destroys the proteins that make a suit smell...well...funky.

As soon as you need it, it will seem sooooo cheap.

All the best, James

 

[booth22]

Try washing gear in a small bit of laundry detergent and then a final rinse/dunk in a little fabric softener. No more stink!!!

 

[Aquanautchuck]

I go to Costco and buy the liquid anti-bacterial dish soap. I wash my gear in it after every use. Works like a charm. And cheap.

 

[Skinsfan1311]

After a week of diving, and rinsing the gear each day, I soaked everything, in a tub full of "Sink the Stink" then hung to dry. Seems to work just fine

 

[Diver Dennis]

Sink the Stink is an emzyne that destroys the proteins that make a suit smell...well...funky.

As soon as you need it, it will seem sooooo cheap.

All the best, James

Yeah, funky is right! I agree, very cheap when you get that small in there...

 

[300bar]

Sorry everyone but the question was, I think, for the inside of the BC and not the wetsuit or any other outside stinky part of our gear:11:

For the inside of your bc you can use stuff like aquasure bc life
this stuff kills all the little living algue eating the polypropuleane inside of you bc
and thus preventing any leaks. My first (20year old) bc came apart for this reason,is it worth the investment I don't know, as a instructor I take in a lot of seawater in my bc (demonstrating to deflate your bc) but in normal use:huh:

 

[abitton]

My LDS uses citronella spray to get the really *funky* smell out of rentals...

Urk...

I never rented a wetsuit.

Back to topic, I have also seen, as was previously suggested, that mouthwash was effective for inside the BC.

 

[fdog]

Sorry everyone but the question was, I think, for the inside of the BC and not the wetsuit or any other outside stinky part of our gear<snip>

Right you are, don't I feel abashed for following the herd.

So on to topic, I've never used anything special over a pretty long diving carreer. Well, maybe, once or twice, a freshwater rinse. Nothing else.

Never had a bad effect from this lack of special care.

All the best, James