RE: [Paddlewise] Stinky Neoprene

Booties are a little more difficult because of the constant
compression-decompression on the sole. It tends to work nutrients and
bacteria deep into the neoprene so make sure the booties stay damp long
enough for the microbes to work their way through to the back of the sole.  

For really serious cases, I'd suggest filling the booties with STS and walk
around in them or even stomping in a tub with StS ala making wine. On
multiple dive trips in the Caribbean, where you stay in you Polartec all
day, I used to just jump in a dip tank of StS  every couple of
dives....worked like a champ.

StS has been responsible for rescuing booties condemned by a non diving
spouse and other booties have been allowed back in the house after an StS
treatment.

Let me know how it works out!

cya
		-----Original Message-----
		From:	Julio MacWilliams [mailto:juliom_at_cisco.com]
		Sent:	Wednesday, May 26, 1999 2:47 PM
		To:	BDenton_at_aquagulf.com
		Subject:	Re: [Paddlewise] Stinky Neoprene

		Bob,

		I have a question for you.  I have treated my neoprene suit
and polypropilene
		and capilene with great success.  But my neoprene booties
are another story.
		When they dry out they still stink, a little less though.

		Can you recommend something?

		thanks!

		- Julio

		p.s. You have invented an air mix for deep sea diving, an
LED beacon,
		sink the stink... are you a descendant of Leonardo da Vinci?
:-)


		> 
		> 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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