Should I be rinsing the cylinder valve and opening after dive?

[davehicks]

Vinegar or heated 50% vinegar/water is a good solution for cleaning really crusty parts. Like the brass parts of a regulator during service or for a disassembled valve. I've used a lite solution for rinsing my camera housing after a long trip. But then you need to rinse again with clean water.

I would not suggest vinegar for rinsing your dive gear with. It's just not practical and probably not great for some of the parts made of rubber or plastic. Just clean fresh water will do the job.

 

[SlugLife]

Using acid (like vinegar) to clean regulator parts, is something you do on a rare occasion, and it's often recommended you neutralize and clean off the acid.

Doing that on a regulator basis would likely eat away at chrome-plating, plastics, etc.

 

[Bob DBF]

Another no to vinegar.

The point of rinsing dive gear is to dissolve and rinse salt off of the gear. All it takes is water.

What Dissolves Salt Besides Water?

 

[Antient Marriner]

I’ve never heard, read or seen that.

And for the reply, my thanks. But the query remains, is it a valid, after salt water diving, method??

 

[NothingClever]

I wouldn’t do it, no way.

Thorough rinse with fresh water (while regs pressurized) is just what the doctor. See @Bob DBF ‘s post above.

Vinegar can be used in the solution for the ultrasonic cleaner used during annual service of the regs. It’s only part of the solution and that’s to remove scale that has built up over time. It’s not a daily method.