I'm a stickler for taking care of all of my possessions, so I'm probably a little more anal than many are when it comes to cleaning their gear.
Anyway, I rinse my gear with fresh water after every day of diving. I have quite a routine, but it seems to keep everything clean:
Regulator (assuming it is off the tank): let the 2nd stage and octopus soak in fresh water while you clean the rest of your gear. If there is a hose or spigot, run some fresh water through the openings of the regulator after it has had a chance to soak. DO NOT press the purge button as you will get water inside the 1st stage - very bad!
Wetsuit/boots (neoprene): I let these soak in clean water as long as possible. The more ocean gunk is left in them, the worse they smell by the end of a dive trip. I soak them rightside-out first and then turn them inside-out to soak a little longer. While they soak, I squish water through the neoprene by gently massaging the wetsuit. I hang the wetsuit to drip-dry afterwards -- otherwise it gets musty smelling.
Fins/mask/snorkle (all "plastic): this just gets a good dunking in the clean water tank.
BC: I take everything off the BC and dunk it in the water tank a number of times. Then I let it soak for a few minutes. If there is a hose or spigot, I put some fresh water into the inflator hose, blow some air into the bladder, rotate the BC a few times, and then hang it upside down and drain the water out of the inflator hose. This gets most of the saltwater out of the bladder.
Then when I get home, I clean everything really well. The neoprene goes into the washing machine on gentle/soak cycle with some Woolite. If they smell really bad then I put them into the bathtub afterwards with some "Sink the Stink". The BC gets a good soaking in the bathtub as does the the rest of my dive gear. The regulator soaks in the sink for an hour or two, followed by a gentle rinsing with the faucet (remember, DON'T press the purge button). Then I lay all of my dive gear on a towel inside the house to dry. The wetsuit and BC both go on a hanger to dry overnight on the back porch. Just make sure you leave a little air in the BC or the bladder can stick.
All of my dive gear gets stored inside the house. I live in Arizona and storing anything plastic in the garage spells trouble. Extreme temperatures are bad for a lot of materials, so the heat/cold in the garage can damage your dive gear very quickly. Over the course of a few years, plastic can lose its elasticity and become brittle, faded, or cracked. Neoprene can dry out. If there is any way to keep your dive gear inside (and away from the heat, cold, and humidity), it is best to do so. And never fold your wetsuit for storage -- it will permanently crease.
See, I told you I was anal.
Thx...Doug