Washing a Wetsuit

[Chad S]

Just bought my first wetsuit, any advice on how to dry it after use? Also, what is the best way to wash the wetsuit and how often do you wash?

 

[nismomobber]

I would recommend just rinsing really well with warm fresh water and hang to dry in the shade on a wetsuit hanger. Pretty simple.

If you feel like your suit has a little funk going on I recommend "Sink the Stink" or something like it. Just don't pee in it and you will be fine.

If you want it to dry faster you can get a "HangAir". I have one the but fan was a little lack luster for my taste so I swapped it out for a better 120v fan. Does the trick nicely.

Good luck and enjoy the new suit!

 

[chillyinCanada]

+1 for above though personally, I hate the smell of sink the stink product. There are others.

Do you have a front load washing machine? I'll put my suit in the handwashing cycle after a long trip but still not something to make a habit of. Don't dry in the sun if you can avoid it. Dry inside out.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Dettol mixed with a bit of water works wonders. I dry right side out then inside out if on the road and keep flipping until it’s dry. Once home, I also have a Hangair like @nismomobber. Love it. I even use it on my 8/7 semidry.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Yes, I quite like the smell of Dettol, go figure.

 

[icechip]

After each dive, I rinse my suit in warm fresh water in a tub then hang it in my garage (out of the sun) over a pole (a piece from my roof snow rake) held between my ladder and an old coat rack. Easy-peezy. For an occasional washing, I use Simply Green. It works and gets rid of the funky smell.

 

[seeker242]

Just a good freshwater rinse and hang to dry in shade outside, inside out. When the inside is mostly dry, switch it and dry the outside.

Also, drink a lot of water and that will dilute the pee and it won’t stink.

 

[Marie13]

I soak mine for a bit in the bathtub in lukewarm water with baby shampoo. It’s washed inside out. I only dive freshwater so I’m more concerned with getting the pee residue out. I flip it over a folding clothes drying rack set in the bathtub until it stops dripping, then it’s hung from a wide hanger to finish drying.

 

[KeithG]

We wash ours the same way we wash our bathing suits. We just toss it in the washing machine with normal laundry soap. Neoprene is way tougher than any of your clothes. Hang on a padded hanger to drip dry and turn it inside out a few times.

 

[SNS-Mike]

My wife and I wash ours on the delicate cycle after every dive trip. No ill effects so far. We hang them inside out, as others have mentioned, to dry.