How to clean and refresh a stinky wetsuit

[DaveJo127]

After each dive trip, we fill a large sink with hot water and regular liquid laundry soap. After letting the suits soak in it for a while, we rinse the soap off with a hose and hang them up to dry. Haven't had any problems with foul neoprene yet.

 

[DaveJo127]

Works great to get cat pee smell out of stuff as well! Carpets, and drysuits...don't ask

Ahh yes, any cat owner can attest to the musky persistence of cat pee odor.

 

[Peter69_56]

I just throw mine in the pool with a weight belt for an hour, then hang it up to dry. 3ppm Chlorine kills the bacteria. No smell ever

Not so good though for the latex/rubber components. If you ever do much pool work, say training, you quickly realise that its hard on your gear. My BCD faded and showed deterioration after pool work. I would recommend using older gear in a chlorinated pool. I wouldn't want to use my good wetsuits or quality gear in them.

But as you say kills the bacteria, but probably the gear too longer term.

 

[Shotmaster]

Any chemical you use will affect the materials in your gear. Chemical compounds are formed by the joining of two or more atoms. A stable compound occurs when the total energy of the combination has lower energy than the separated atoms. The bound state implies a net attractive force between the atoms ... a chemical bond. When used as a hydrogen substitute, chlorine can bring many desired properties in organic compounds, such as its disinfecting properties or its ability to form useful compounds and materials like PVC and synthetic rubber. I have been using this method forever. I soak all my gear in the pool. My gear bags have no salt stains. The worst thing for your gear is UV light. I stopped drying in the sun. Now it hangs in the shower and I let the lower humidity of air conditioned air dry it.

 

[Shotmaster]

Not so good though for the latex/rubber components. If you ever do much pool work, say training, you quickly realise that its hard on your gear. My BCD faded and showed deterioration after pool work. I would recommend using older gear in a chlorinated pool. I wouldn't want to use my good wetsuits or quality gear in them.

But as you say kills the bacteria, but probably the gear too longer term.

Chlorine is a highly social atom, it most likely bonded to the dye used in the nylon fabric of your BCD if you can rule out UV as the cause. If the color change is very uniform over the surface it was from chlorine. If not uniform, it was another source.

 

[Peter69_56]

Any chemical you use will affect the materials in your gear. Chemical compounds are formed by the joining of two or more atoms. A stable compound occurs when the total energy of the combination has lower energy than the separated atoms. The bound state implies a net attractive force between the atoms ... a chemical bond. When used as a hydrogen substitute, chlorine can bring many desired properties in organic compounds, such as its disinfecting properties or its ability to form useful compounds and materials like PVC and synthetic rubber. I have been using this method forever. I soak all my gear in the pool. My gear bags have no salt stains. The worst thing for your gear is UV light. I stopped drying in the sun. Now it hangs in the shower and I let the lower humidity of air conditioned air dry it.

I will take your word on that as my chemical background extends to Scotch, coke and ice, and not much past that.

 

[Shotmaster]

I will take your word on that as my chemical background extends to Scotch, coke and ice, and not much past that.

LOL, good one!

W.C. Fields was questioned in his later years about having made and spent a fortune. He responded by saying "I spent half my money on horses, whiskey and women. The other half I wasted!"

 

[olphart]

Not peeing in your wetsuit helps too Sorry, couldn't resist!

 

[iamrushman]

great ideas and knowledge here...love the WC Fields quote.....

 

[admikar]

After each dive trip, we fill a large sink with hot water and regular liquid laundry soap. After letting the suits soak in it for a while, we rinse the soap off with a hose and hang them up to dry. Haven't had any problems with foul neoprene yet.

Only difference is that I put about 10% liquid soap into a dispenser , soak my suit, leave it for 10 minutes and wash with hose, turn inside out, repeat, let it air dry in shadow.
2 years, look like new.