how to clean a filthy snorkel and or mask

[1969ivan1]

I have a few snorkels and masks that I have found over the years. They are nice ones but owing to the fact that they have been in the quarry or lake or whatever they are coated with some nasty brown dried residue. I have washed them in the dishwasher and the washing machine but the brown residue stays. Any quick tips out there on how to clean them? I figure somebody out there has a quick simple solution. I hate to throw them away, but really don't want to use them with the brown residue on them.

 

[dtownsend2000]

Soak them in a dilution of bleach. I wouldn't be so worried about how they look but just ensure you have removed any biofilm or bacteria

 

[miketsp]

I've also found a few masks over the years but not one of them was worth investing time on even though they didn't look like they'd been in the water that long. In all cases the silicone had hardened to the point where they wouldn't keep a face seal.
Or maybe the fact that they wouldn't keep a face seal is the reason they'd been thrown overboard in the first place.

 

[Arubandi07]

I've also found a few masks over the years but not one of them was worth investing time on even though they didn't look like they'd been in the water that long. In all cases the silicone had hardened to the point where they wouldn't keep a face seal.
Or maybe the fact that they wouldn't keep a face seal is the reason they'd been thrown overboard in the first place.

TSP does wonders, cleaning ...

 

[swimmer_spe]

A tooth brush and some plain toothpaste. If you cannot clean it, it is not worth the work.