One of the most frequently asked questions by divers in scuba equipment maintenance forums is “How do I get rid of that foul odor from my wetsuit?”
A wetsuit’s design doesn’t work like cotton or fabric outerwear that breathes well in the open air. Neoprene contains tiny bubbles that trap the air inside the wetsuit and insulates divers against the elements. They also trap sweat, urine, bacteria, and other undesirable substances. These toxic elements make keeping an odor-free wetsuit a never-ending challenge.
Luckily, we’re here to help you keep that “wetsuit smell” away with some tips and products that you can use in cleaning (and caring) for your scuba suit….
Why does your wetsuit smell funky?
If your wetsuit is exceptionally malodorous, there are two possible reasons for the stench:
- Leaving your wetsuit in a bag, a bin, or any other closed environment and not washing it after use; or
- Sweat, body oils, and odors coming from the body. (These elements get trapped inside your suit as scuba diving, snorkeling, and other watersports causes us to sweat a lot.)
Bacteria breeds in all of these situations, and these organisms cause that funky smell in your wetsuit.
Wetsuit odors may also stem from going pee-pee while you’re wearing it. Urine leaves the worst smell of them all, and you’ll find it hard to remove.
How should you clean a smelly wetsuit?
Now that we’ve tackled what makes your wetsuit smell, it’s time to discuss wetsuit cleaning. Here are a few essential steps you should do in cleaning your trusty suit.
Rinse your wetsuit
As we’ve already mentioned, not washing your wetsuit after using it can give off that unpleasant smell. Rinsing your diving wetsuit to eliminate contaminants is a must, and here’s how to do it:
1. Take your suit off and turn it inside out.
2. Dunk the wetsuit completely in a freshwater tub, then shake it for a few minutes.
If you don’t have a tub in your house or hotel room, you can use a hose to rinse your wetsuit. This method will take more of your time but it ensures that all areas of your suit are flushed clean.
Can you wash a wetsuit in the washing machine?
Generally, you shouldn’t wash your suit in your washing machine since the latter can damage your wetsuit. Putting it into a dryer is a no-no, too. But if you’re cleaning your suit with a washing machine, always remember these vital tips:
- Don’t use detergent.
- Don’t use hot water.
- Your washing machine shouldn’t spin while you clean your wetsuit.
Air dry your wetsuit
Once you’ve washed your wetsuit, you’ll need to air it out, or the water inside the neoprene will turn stagnant and stinky. Follow the steps below when drying your scuba wetsuit:
- Hang your suit inside out in a well-ventilated area.
- Turn your suit right side in once this section is dry, then dry the outside.
Also, keep in mind that your wetsuit won’t last long with UV exposure. So don’t leave it to dry in the sun.
Deodorize your wetsuit
If you’re wondering how you should deodorize your diving wetsuit, experienced divers and cleaning brands have several solutions to removing wetsuit odors, regardless of their source.
Many divers use some tried-and-tested, non-commercial remedies to get rid of wetsuit odors. Dunking wetsuits in a bucket of water with a cap-full of Dettol, Febreze, Woolite, or any mild fabric cleaner or deodorizer is one of these ingenious solutions. Just make sure you air dry the suit inside out before repeating the process, if necessary.
What are your options for wetsuit cleaning?
For people who want to avoid damaging their scuba wetsuits while using the products above, buying one of the several wetsuit shampoos and deodorizers available on the market is a better option. These special wetsuit cleaners are fantastic at getting rid of that stink.
Let’s look closely at some of the best wetsuit cleaners you can get on the market.
JAWS Slosh Wet/Dry Suit Shampoo, Cleaner, & Conditioner
This wetsuit shampoo doesn’t have any harmful chemicals, so your wetsuit stays intact and odor-free. It eliminates salt, chlorine, smells, and organic residue from your suit and uses disinfectant and conditioning agents for long-lasting gear. Apart from cleansing your suit, you can clean yourself with the cleaner since it has a natural two-in-one formula. We’re not kidding: the Slosh wetsuit shampoo is safe for your skin and hair.
You can use this product to clean other items such as:
- Drysuits
- Scuba equipment
- Swim and water ski wear
- Hiking and marine wear
- Snow ski wear
Sink the Stink 4 fl. oz. (118ml) Bottle
Sink the Stink’s deodorizer bottle contains a synergistic mixture of four special bacteria cultures that eliminate wetsuit odors. These microbes help remove foul smells by producing odorless carbon dioxide and water. But good bacteria isn’t the only trick up this deodorizer’s sleeve; it gets rid of urine and other contaminants within your wetsuit through a bio-film that penetrates neoprene.
500 PSI Wetsuit & BCD Cleaner
Another versatile wetsuit cleaner, the 500 PSI Wetsuit & BCD Cleaner offers a unique and patented anti-bacterial formula with ingredients you’ll need in cleaning your suit. 500 PSI eliminates sand, salt, sweat, mineral deposits, bacteria, and dirt from your wetsuit, and keeps it long-lasting. This product helps clean your BCD as well.
Sink the Stink Turtle Paks
Just like their deodorizer bottle counterpart, Sink the Stink Turtle Paks have the special bacteria mixture suspended in their packaging. Turtle Paks come in a 0.5 fl.oz (15 ml) packaging and you can put it in 10 to 20 gallons of warm water to clean your wetsuit.
Seasoft Lemon GrenAIDE Enzymatic Wetsuit Cleanser
The world’s first enzyme cleaner, shampoo, and deodorizer has powerful enzymes that eliminate bacteria inside your wetsuit and other items, as well as protect their fabrics. Lemon GrenAIDE cleansers contain 15% real lemon juice, too. This ingredient is a natural disinfectant and an anti-bacterial substance that helps kill toxic chemicals. It even produces a luscious smell after you clean your gear.
McNett MiraZyme Enzyme-Based Odor Eliminator
With a powerful enzyme-microbe blend, MiraZyme is fast and effective in getting rid of odor and organic debris from clothes, footwear, outdoor/sports gear, and more. This highly concentrated wetsuit cleaner creates water and carbon dioxide-safe residue as well, so you need not worry about polluting the environment. You can get MiraZyme in a 2 fl.oz. (59 ml) container.
