wet suit cleaning

[rickk31]

Anyone know a good way to clean a wet suit.I bought a used one at a yard sale and don't feel real comftrible wearing it with out cleaning it first.I do not know if soaking it in bleach water would hurt it.

Thank you
Rick

 

[Lost Parent]

try phoning a dive shop or Google how to clean a wet suit

 

[fstbttms]

Do not use bleach. Soap and water only. Or you can buy commercially available wetsuit cleaning products.

 

[centerline]

soak it in a tub of warm water with shampoo or small amount of simple green.... you can turn it inside out and brush the surface with a rag but dont scrub it too much or it may damage the nap of it.... usually an over night soaking and a rinse is enough to get rid of anything that is undesirable. and that is more commonly the residue from the stink-water that it was used in, rather than from the last body that was in it

 

[Sailbaum]

Throw it in the washing machine - delicate cycle if you prefer (though normal is fine, if it's in good condition). Normal soap - no bleach. There are some special soaps available from dive shops, but for occasional washing it's not necessary. Do not put in the dryer. Let it air dry.

 

[IH82BL8]

Machine washing might not work since the suit is highly buoyant. If you soak it you could weight it so it stays submerged.

BTW, unless it has become an unpopular practice, divers will pee in their wetsuits. you'll probably want to soak it thoroughly.

 

[rickk31]

Thanks for the pee reply.Now I might just trash it.Thanks everyone for the help.It was only $5.00 and in good shape so it was hard to pass up.

 

[centerline]

dont be too hasty in dumping a $250 wetsuit.... if the suit is in good condition then wash it in a tub by soaking.... wetsuits are commonly found for rent in dive shops and no one has ever died or gotten ill from the poor quality of care they get....
as the suit is used, the water flushes thru it slowly as you move thru the water so they are kinda being washed everytime you are in the water. the only thing missing is the soap.
and as I have already said, and any other diver will also tell you, its not the human factor that is the dirty part of a wetsuit, (no matter if someone did pee in it at some time in the past), but its the organisims that are in the water that the suit was used in....
if the suit does not get washed after each use, the dead organisims will begin to smell....so if it doesnt currently have a rank odor, its already been washed after its last use.
if it does have a smell other than the rubber/neoprene smell, a good soaking in a solution of simple green, dawn dishwashing soap or shampoo will disolve any traces of body oils and neutralize the smell of the dead organisims and help to wash them out. you can rinse it afterwards or let it dry that way. when you dive it, the ocean/lake/river water with all of its parasitic organisims will rinse the soap from it

machine washing is a futile attempt and will only serve to wear and scuff the outer material on the neoprene, but soaking in a tub or barrel with your weight belt on top of it will be sufficient.... and if you dont have a weight belt, you wont be diving it anyway, cuz you will float like a cork!

 

[MrUnix]

I used to take a dive in a swimming pool after being out in the salt.. quick work of cleaning the suit! But if you don't have a pool available, just scrub it down with some soap and water after use. I would do it when hosing down the boat; just throw it on the dock, scrub it down with a brush and soap and rinse. Hang it up and allow to air dry before putting it away.

Cheers,
Brad

 

[Ded reckoner]

If you dive into a swimming pool that's a chlorinated pool (versus a saline pool), I recommend you rinse the suit well in fresh water shortly to get rid of all chlorine. Chlorine will degrade neoprene (which is why an earlier post recommended against bleach, which is a very concentrated chlorine product). If you use a detergent, use Woolite (see http://scubadiverlife.com/2011/03/15/scuba-wetsuit-care-101-removing-odors-extending-suit-life/)

 

[MrUnix]

Yeah, I'd always hose down after a swim in the pool.. forgot to mention that

I grew up in the keys and lived in the water. Besides water skiing or diving for lobster almost every day, a friend of mine and I also used to build wet subs and test them out in Pennekamp (John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo). I've had suits that lasted over 20 years until I either got to fat to wear them or in one case, split in half up the back in a bad water ski fall! As long as you rinse them out good after each use, they can last a lifetime. Probably not as necessary if you do a lot of fresh water diving, but more or less mandatory for salt environments.

Cheers,
Brad

 

[Caribbeanknight1]

My wet suit was going strong after twenty years and it seemed to me it could last another twenty years........... Until I put it on in front of my wife and she saw how out of style it now was. To the trash it went.

 

[Simplicity1145]

I've used wetsuits for diving and surfing...and yes, we pee in them all the time. The best thing to use to clean your suit is Woolite. Soak it for 24 hours and you'll be fine.

 

[fstbttms]

...and yes, we pee in them all the time.

Speak for yourself.

 

[IH82BL8]

Rick,

Where do you think the fish go potty? Keep the wetsuit--urine is sterile.

 

[rickk31]

When I posted this I did not know if I would get any replys. Many of you replyed back and had very useful information. Thank you very much.

Thanks again
Rick