Can I Wash My Wetsuit in the Washing Machine?
Many of us would love to spend our weekends and holiday having some great fun. There are many ways by which we can do it and spending the entire day on a beach or taking part in some underwater activities can certainly be a lot of fun. This could be a memorable way to spend your leisure time with your family members. However, you may have a problem once you are back from the beach resort or other such places. You may have to find answers to the question: can I wash my wetsuit in the washing machine? There is no doubt that wetsuits are wonderful because of a number of reasons. They help you to remain warm and comfortable when you find that the water temperatures are dropping. But taking care of them and ensuring that they are clean and in good condition could be a bit difficult. “Can you wash a wetsuit in the washing machine?” In this article we will try and find out the right answer to the question.
BASICS OF WETSUIT CARE
There are two basic things that you must bear in mind when you are planning to wash your wetsuit in your washing machine.
Neoprene is one of the most important and critical materials as far as your wetsuit is concerned. It resembles a rubbery foam that has a thick layer over it. The thick layer is extremely vital because it keeps you warm when the water temperature falls down below comfort levels. It does so by trapping the water that remains inside the wetsuit. The downside is that hot water can easily and rapidly destroy neoprene. Once this happens it starts losing a lot of flexibility. Hence, this is an important point you need to bear in mind before you decide to wash your wetsuit because flexibility of neoprene is extremely important. You must be sure that washing the wetsuit does not damage the neoprene because this will make the entire wetsuit stiff and unsuitable for use.
WASH IT IMMEDIATELY
While there is nothing wrong in washing your wetsuit either in the washing machine or by hand, make sure you do it immediately after you have made use of it. The wetsuits must be cleaned and washed each time you use it. You should not procrastinate on this and allow the wetsuit to sit in a corner for hours and days in length. If you leave your wetsuit out in the open without washing it, it will start smelling bad and the expensive neoprene and other materials will get damaged because of exposure to salt water.
WASHING MACHINES & WETSUITS
While some people wash their wetsuits in a washing machine, others believe that it would be better to hand wash them if possible. However, if using a washing machine becomes an absolute necessity, there are a few steps that you must follow. Keep in mind that using a washing machine regularly to wash your wetsuits could impact the overall lifespan of these suits.
In case you decide to use a washing machine for washing your wetsuit, make sure that you avoid using a dryer to dry your wetsuit. By doing so, you can be sure that you will destroy the neoprene and the wetsuit in total. You can wash it using cool water in your washing machine. Once this is done, take it out before it is squeezed dry by the washing machine. You can hand-dry in your backyard, terrace or even inside your home.
NEVER USE DETERGENT
Avoid using detergent because it is quite strong and synthetic in nature. The neoprene in the wetsuit will not be able to withstand the toxicity of detergents. There are special wetsuit wash agents available. You could use a cup full of this substance and this could be one of the safest and most efficient ways of cleaning your wetsuit.
STAY AWAY FROM HOT WATER
It would always be better to use lukewarm water when you are washing your wetsuits in the washing machine. Keep the temperature of the washing machine at the lowest possible levels.
AVOID SPINNING CYCLE
As mentioned above, it would be a big mistake to allow the washing machine to go through the spinning cycle. This will seriously hamper the wetsuit and the seams will get fully damaged. Lastly, never add your wetsuit with other clothes because that could damage it when the machine is running.
CONCLUSION
While it would be a good idea to wash your wetsuits by hand, you can use a washing machine provided you follow the above precautions. The basic rules are quite simple. Do not use detergents. Do not put your washing machine in spinning mode and never use the dryer while washing your wetsuits.