wetsuit shampoo? and wetsuit storage

[scottishscuba]

I've just bought my own wetsuits and am now back from a dive trip to Dahab in the the Red Sea (fabulous by the way). While away I rinsed them thoroughly with fresh water then dried outside-in. I'm home now with 2 dry wetsuits but I'd like to clean them somehow before I store them till my next trip. what should I use to clean my wetsuits? I dont want to damage them. i also dont want to open the wardrobe in the spare room in a few months to grotty stinky wetsuits. In terms of storing them I've got nice big hangers with wide shoulders that I plan to hang them from - is this OK?

I've done a search but I'm coming up with rinsing BCDs and regs or during trip stuff, not longer term storage.

Thanks for your help

 

[Bigd2722]

Soak them in clean water for a couple of hours and then hang somewhere open to dry. After it's dry you can put it in the closet. Every few dives, I throw in a cheap bottle of mouthwash

 

[tridacna]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/McNett-Wets.../ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top/280-0171254-2718927

I take this stuff on dive trips too. Works great!

 

[cb5150]

I soak/wash with Johnson's baby shampoo then rinse clean. Lay out to drip-dry over a chair, then turn inside out to compeletly dry, then throw it in the closet over a big fat wide hanger.

Heck, I've even washed them in the machine a time or two. Never had a problem. Aqualung wetsuits seem to hold up pretty well.

 

[Instructor_Tom]

Get 2 rubbermaid tubes.

Tub 1 - put a cap full of dref ( baby hypoallergenic detergent) and fill with clean water. you wash all your gear in this.

Tub 2 - put a cap full of downy and fill with clean water. Once your done with tube 1 soak your gear in tub 2. This will help condition the seams and zippers as well as maintain the softness of the material on your wetsuit and BCD.

Once you done agitating and soaking. Hang all your gear to drip dry over a couple of days.

Once its completely dry you can store it.

I perform this procedure after every weekend of diving on all my gear, and i dive almost every other weekend. Most of my gear still looks brand new after 4 years.

T


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[scottishscuba]

Thanks, I've ordered some of that McNett stuff from Amazon. I'll soak them in the bath I think.

I am already planning the next trip!

 

[milbournosphere]

+1 for McNett. Works great on my BC and wetsuit.

Tub 2 - put a cap full of downy and fill with clean water.

I like Divemaster Tom's Downy-in-the-rinse-tub idea. Do you find that it leaves any residue on your other non-fabric gear?

 

[scottishscuba]

is downy a fabric softener?

 

[JahJahwarrior]

I'm partial to a product called Odoban, easy to find at Home Depot stores in the us at $9 per gallon, and it disinfects and deodorizes almost anything. I got it for the wetsuits after I smelled it at a dive shop-I really like the eucalyptus smell-but now I keep spray bottles all around the house for whatever mess I or the cats may make. Works well on cat urine in carpets too! I think it has similar results to McNetta sink the stink but it uses disinfectants and not enzymes.

I wouldn't put wetsuit in the clothes washer mostly because that means bringing it inside and it's easier to handle it all outside, but if you do be careful to choose a gentle cycle. I just dunk and swish and let the suit sit for a few minutes and it's good to go.

After a week diving at Scubaboard Invasion, I filled the tub up and used laundry detergent to clean the suits before packing and it worked pretty well.

 

[Instructor_Tom]

+1 for McNett. Works great on my BC and wetsuit.



I like Divemaster Tom's Downy-in-the-rinse-tub idea. Do you find that it leaves any residue on your other non-fabric gear?

The idea is to leave residue on the dive gear to prevent rot and rust. It also makes getting in and out of the wetsuit much easier. Once in a while when i use a little bit too much Downy you will see what amounts to a small downy slick as i enter the water.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

---------- Post added February 14th, 2014 at 02:08 PM ----------

is downy a fabric softener?

Yes its a inexpensive fabric softener here in the states which can be found pretty much anywhere.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD