How To Get The Smell Out Of A Wetsuit
Why wetsuits smell, how to actually fix it, and the three things people try that wreck the neoprene instead.
The Wetsuit Repair Shack·
The bench · Ocean Grove
It is bacteria, and it is living in the foam rather than on it.
That is why rinsing never fixes a suit that has gone off. The smell comes from bacteria feeding on what you left in the suit, and the open cell structure of neoprene gives them somewhere to live that a hose cannot reach.
The good news is that it is fixable. The bad news is that two of the three things people reach for will damage the suit faster than the smell ever would.
What is actually in there
Three things, in order of how much they contribute.
You. Sweat, skin cells and body oils soak into the liner every session. A wetsuit works by trapping a layer of water against your skin and letting your body heat it, so everything your skin produces ends up in that layer and then in the neoprene.
Urine. Everyone does it. Urea breaks down into ammonia, which is the sharp smell that hits you when you unroll a suit that has been in a bag.
Salt and organic matter. Seawater carries bacteria and fine organic material. Salt crystals also hold moisture, which keeps the inside of the suit damp long after it looks dry.
Leave that mixture somewhere warm and dark, like the boot of a car or a bag in the shed, and it multiplies. A suit left wet for a week comes back smelling like something died in it, because in a small way something did.
The three things that make it worse
Before the fix, the mistakes, because these cost people suits.
Hot water. It feels like it should help and it is the single fastest way to wreck a wetsuit. Heat softens the glue holding every seam together and degrades the foam. Cool or lukewarm fresh water only, always.
Washing machines and dryers. The agitation delaminates the liner from the foam and the heat destroys the seams. A tumble dryer will finish a suit in one cycle. There is no gentle setting that makes this safe.
Bleach, disinfectant and household detergent. Bleach attacks neoprene directly, and detergents strip the suit while leaving residue that irritates skin. Vinegar is the one people recommend online most often and it is mildly acidic, which over repeated use is not kind to the glue lines. It works in an emergency. It is not a routine.
How to actually fix it
A soak, not a rinse. The bacteria are inside the foam, so the cleaner has to sit there long enough to reach them.
- Fill a tub or a bath with cool or lukewarm fresh water. Enough that the suit floats rather than sits in a wad.
- Add a proper wetsuit wash. The purpose made ones contain enzymes that break down urea and body oils, which is what ordinary soap does not do. Follow the dose on the bottle.
- Turn the suit inside out and put it in. The inside is where the problem lives and the inside is what needs the contact.
- Soak for 20 to 30 minutes. Move it around a few times. Squeeze the suit gently to work water through the foam rather than scrubbing it.
- Rinse in clean fresh water until the water runs clear.
- Dry inside out, in the shade, on a wide hanger with air moving around it. When the inside is dry, turn it and do the outside.
One soak clears most suits. A badly neglected one may need two, 24 hours apart. If it still smells after two, the bacteria have colonised the foam deeply enough that washing at home will not shift it, and the suit is better off being looked at on the bench.
Stopping it coming back
The smell is a storage problem more than a washing problem.
Rinse every single session. Not a hose over the outside. A tub of fresh water, inside and out, a few minutes. Salt crystals hold moisture and act like fine grit against the foam and the seam glue, so this buys you seam life as well as smell control.
Never leave it in a bag or a boot. This is the one that does the damage. Warm, dark and damp is exactly what the bacteria want, and a car boot in summer also cooks the glue.
Dry it properly, inside first. A suit that goes away damp on the inside is a suit that smells next week regardless of how well you washed it.
Use a wide hanger, out of the sun. UV ages neoprene faster than use does, and a thin wire hanger puts the weight of a soaked 4/3 onto two narrow points at the shoulders.
Deep clean twice a season. Once at the start, once at the end. Takes half an hour and it stops the problem rather than chasing it.
When the smell is telling you something else
Two cases worth knowing.
A musty, mouldy smell rather than a sharp ammonia one usually means the suit has been stored damp for a long stretch. The soak above handles the mould, but check the seams while you have it inside out. Prolonged damp storage degrades seam glue, and a suit that smells of mould often has seams at the stage where they leak but still look intact.
A chemical or rubbery smell on an older suit is the neoprene itself breaking down. Washing will not touch it. Pinch the rubber a few centimetres from a seam and let go. If it feels papery and stays stretched, the foam is perished and the suit is near the end.
Our guide on whether a wetsuit can be repaired covers those checks, and why a wetsuit stops keeping you warm covers the seam and seal side.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my wetsuit smell even after I rinse it?
Because the bacteria live inside the foam rather than on the surface. Rinsing only reaches the outside. Clearing the smell takes a 20 to 30 minute soak in cool fresh water with an enzyme based wetsuit wash, with the suit turned inside out.
Can I put a wetsuit in the washing machine?
No. The agitation separates the liner from the foam and the heat destroys the seam glue. A tumble dryer can ruin a suit in a single cycle. Hand soak in cool water only.
Can I use vinegar or bleach to clean a wetsuit?
Bleach attacks neoprene directly and should never be used. Vinegar works as a one off emergency measure but it is mildly acidic and repeated use is hard on the glue lines holding the seams together. A purpose made wetsuit wash is the routine answer.
What water temperature should I wash a wetsuit in?
Cool or lukewarm fresh water, never hot. Heat softens the adhesive holding every seam together and degrades the foam, which is why hot showers and hot rinses shorten a suit's life.
How often should I deep clean my wetsuit?
Rinse in fresh water after every session, and do a full soak twice a season, once at the start and once at the end. Suits used several times a week benefit from a monthly soak.
My wetsuit still smells after washing. What now?
Try a second soak 24 hours later. If the smell persists, the bacteria have gone deep into the foam and washing at home will not shift it. Bring the suit in and we will look at it on the bench, along with any seam or zip work it needs.
While you have it inside out
Run your thumbs along every seam and hold the panels up to a window. Thin spots, pinholes and seams that gap under stretch all show up in five minutes, and all of them are cheaper to deal with now than in July.
The Wetsuit Repair Shack, 9 to 11 Sinclair Street, Ocean Grove VIC 3226. Open Thursday and Friday 11am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 1pm. Drop off available when closed. Postal repairs Australia wide.
