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How to wash your little swimmers wetsuit

Your baby may well wee in his/her baby wetsuit and sometimes it needs a good wash. I would generally wash it after every other swimming session.

There is the right and the wrong way to dry a wetsuit and this is where you can really shorten the wetsuits life. Or find it covered in mould spots.

Don’t use any chemicals, soaps, detergents, bleaches and other similar aggressive substances. They can ruin the neoprene. Tempting but hold back…

Also don’t use washing machines, drying machines, cleaners and hot irons. (yes it happens) Just ordinary fresh water will do for regular everyday rinses.

For everyday washing and rinsing, here is what you do:

  • When you get out of the water get into the shower with your baby with their wetsuit on and rinse it while they are wearing itAnother simple wash method is to hang it outside and rinse it with water.
  • A more effective and a bit more time consuming way is using a tub or a container. Fill it with water and submerge your wetsuit into it. Leave the wetsuit soaking in the water for an hour or so. This way fresh water will really get into the neoprene in flush away everything that can be flushed by it.
  • Then rinse it and hang it out to dry. Really, really dry. Neoprene holds on the moisture and it soon turn to mould.
  • If you baby has had a particularly bad accident, or the wetsuit is getting a tad smelly you may want to wash your wetsuit a bit more thoroughly. This means using a shampoo. There are special shampoos intended for neoprene care or just plain baby shampoo.
  • The purpose of the shampoo is to dissolve all the greasy and fatty stuff that mostly gets into the wetsuit from our bodies and is in fact the breeding ground for bacteria which is what makes a baby wetsuit or nappy smell.
  • Once your wetsuit is washed you need to dry it or it will turn into a smelly mouldy piece of black rubber. Neoprene biggest enemy is the sun with its UV rays. These rays will accelerate the aging of the material and your neoprene will turn pale, become harder and less flexible. So… no direct sun!
  • The ideal place to dry it is in a warm, shady and a bit windy place.

BIG no, no’s are; do not leave you wet wetsuit to rot inside a bag and do not wash your wetsuit in the washing machine and dry it in a dryer.

We do have limited amount of wetsuits in the office, if you would like to check what we have available please get in touch!

POSTED BY Kerry Pilmer
14 August 2017