[Paddlewise] Stinky Neoprene

Disclaimer: I am the inventor and manufacturer of a product called Sink the
Stink which is sold through dive shops, kayak shops and river outfitters
specifically for removing odor from neoprene, polartec and capaline.

NEVER NEVER NEVER use bleach on wet suits or any river/dive equipment. It
significantly shortens the life of the equipment and reduces it's
performance.

Neoprene is a tough problem because it is porous and provides an ideal
breeding ground for bacteria. As neoprene is compressed (walking, sitting,
stretching, diving, etc) it sucks nutrients deep into it's interior.
Microbes begin feasting on all this stuff and work their way towards the
food source, where surface treatments can't follow. These microbes produce
all sorts of nasty byproducts, many of which produce odors and others
destroy the materials and adhesives used in the manufacture of wets suits
and polartechs. These products include nitric and sulfuric acid as well as
hydrogen sulfide.

If you use bleach or any other caustic product, you're not only damaging
your gear, you are only treating the bugs on the surface. When the item
dries, many of the microbes will go into a state of suspended animation and
wait for the next paddle or dive to go back to work.

The only way to really treat this stuff is to fight fire with fire. I, in
conjunction with a lab, developed a synergistic mixture of bugs to out
compete the "stinker bugs" for the same food source. They were trained to
eat urine and many of the other naturally occurring nutrients found in sea
and river water. A quick but thorough rinse in Sink the Stink (1/2 oz in
10-20 gallons of warm water) and hang to dry. During the drying process the
StS bugs biologically scour the gear and when it dries the odor is gone, not
just masked. There is some residual effect on subsequent uses.  StS is
hypoallergenic and unlike many "biodegradable" products it does not mimic
estrogens when dumped in the environment.

If this sounds like an ad, it is in a way. I can tell you that StS is more a
labor of love then a big moneymaker. Some of the large companies have tried
to copy StS (Like McNett) and discovered that you can't make a product like
StS both effective and profitable. That's why I have a real job as well!

If anyone would like a sample e-mail Mary at: gulfstream_at_ibm.net
<mailto:gulfstream_at_ibm.net> . We'll be happy to send you some. And PLEEEZZEE
don't trash your wet suits and polartechs with bleach...

If anyone is interested in further information, your welcome to e-mail me
directly.

Cya







		-----Original Message-----
		From:	owner-paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
[mailto:owner-paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net] On Behalf Of Philip Torrens
		Sent:	Tuesday, May 25, 1999 2:36 PM
		To:	clyde_sisler_at_email.msn.com;
paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
		Subject:	Re: [Paddlewise] Saturday (was faq?)




		>From: "Clyde Sisler" <clyde_sisler_at_email.msn.com>
		huge snip
		>someone was asking about
		>the effect of salt water on neoprene wet suits.  Part of
the instructor's
		>repsonse include throwing the suit in the washing machine
to remove stink?
		>I vaugely recall some discussion on the list about this.  I
don't recall
		>washing machines and think I remember something about a
mild bleach
		>solution.  Would some enlighten me?  This isn't an idle
question.  By the
		>end of the trip, my booties were stinking worse than the
rest of me and I
		>like to keep the smell spread out equally.
		>Clyde Sisler
		>http://csisler.com

		When I was helping out in a dive shop, we used to hand wash
the rental 
		wetsuits out in a very mild solution of Dettol (spelling?) a
house hold 
		cleanser available at most grocery and drug stores. It was
even effective at 
		de-stinking suits that had been wet from the inside, if you
get my drift. 
		Rinse throughly in fresh water after the Dettol solution.
and air dry.

		Cheers,

		Philip


		N49°16' W123°08'
		
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