My boots are starting to STINK!

[TCDiver1]

thanks for the replies guys. I'm headed up to the dive shop to grab some "sink the stink" and see how it works.

Yeah, it works great.

If you really get a bad case of the neoprene funk going, put it in the washer in a small load gentle cycle, squirt in sink the stink, let in run through the wash cycle but not the spin & rinse cycles. Hang it up to dry while still wet with the sink the stink solution.

Sink the stink is Gods gift to neoprene divers the world over. Especially traveling divers after diving a solid week or two and then having to pack & unpack your stinky gear.

 

[cmalinowski]

Anybody got any tips on drying out booties? I've just been leaving them in the back of the truck to dry (trying to leave them as opened up as possible) but it's taking them 2 days or more to dry out and they are starting to develop a lovely smell. Help!

I use diluted mouthwash in the soak. As for drying, I cut the top and bottom off of those 1/2 liter water bottles that you can find anywhere and put that "tube" into the bootie to keep it open. Cheap and easy to replace when I lose it.

Chris

 

[LowVizWiz]

Odo-ban... sam's club... soak for an hour or so... remove from soak... do not rinse... drain and let drip dry for an hour or two... or put through spin cycle in the washing machine... stuff with newspaper... let set for couple hours... remove newspaper... stuff with newspaper again... remove newspaper... stuff with newspaper for 3rd and final time... let set for a couple days...

That's a ritual if I've ever seen one!

 

[CompuDude]

I keep repeating myself, but next time you consider replacement, get Henderson Insta-Dry booties. No stink. Really. Considering how much time you're wasting keeping the old ones going (your time has value, right?), and spending on special shampoos, you'll cover the cost.

 

[fishb0y]

Johnson's Baby Shampoo... all my gear goes into a tub, it all gets rinsed off and onto my gear hangers, the most important thing is to allow some air circulation... Some may find it a waste of time, but after my dives I actually look forward to rinsing off my gear. My wife & kids stay away (they're afraid I'm going to put them to work) and I have a little extra time to relax by myself.

 

[bennedc]

We use the baby shampoo. You can get a big bottle of the WalMart brand for $0.97...lasts forever! Rinse them out really well in clean water, then in the water with baby shampoo. I have also found that if you use a 2" spring clamp and hang them by the toes, they dry faster (discovered this on recent Blackbeards trip). To get the existing stink out, you may need a commerical product from LDS, like Sink the Stink. Clamps cheap at www.justclamps.com

 

[prittykitty]

Has anybody tried Fabreeze products on neoprene? (Just wondering if it would work).

I tried it in my boots. It worked a little, but just didn't get as much of the smell out as I would have liked. However, Mirazyme every few weeks seems to keep the smell at bay. Oh yeah, and to dry mine, I hang them upside-down through my hammock on the deck.

 

[Scubatooth]

the other trick i have tried that works is the use of simple green about a cup in 50 gallons and it does the job. I also put a cap full in my wing and that keeps everything from becoming a science experiment

FWIW

 

[ScubaCatgirl]

A wonderful way to get the stink out of gear is fill the tub up with water, put half a bottle of Lysol Mouthwash & soak ALL your gear in it. Swish it around a couple of times, then hang it to dry. Your suit, boots, fins, reg, etc. will come out smelling fresh as a mint & it sure makes your house smell good when your doing it.

 

[ScubaCatgirl]

Opps, I meant Lysterine, lol. Gosh, I hope no one washes their mouth out w/Lysol, hehe