After almost one season of paddling I think I've narrowed my problem down. I got a nice pair of Chota paddling shoes for Christmas last year and have run into a bad smell problem with them. Early in the season this year, I got seaweed caught in the velcro straps that cross your instep and can't seem to get rid of it. The shoes are all right in the smell department when dry, however after a paddle when I throw everything in the back of the car they are wet, when stopping on the way home then leaving the car it smells ok since the smell builds slowly and I've gotten used to it. However, getting back into the car is terrible. The experience can charitably described as walking into a tidal mud flat at low tide! All I want to do is roll down the windows and drive at high speed to flush out the smell. I've narrowed the smell source down to the shoes, and can only think that it's the old seaweed that is the source. I rinse them religiously when getting home, have used tweezers to try and pick those little bits of vegitive matter out of the velcro but just can not get rid of all of them or the smell. Any advise would be appreciated. The shoes are great and comfortable with a curved heel that eliminated the pressure point of my old paddling shoes. I'm down to considering throwing them into the mulch pile over the winter to accererate the decomposition process. However I'm not sure what that will do to the rest of the shoe. John Blackburn *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Sunday, August 25, 2002, at 1:39:56 PM PST, John Blackburn wrote: > I've narrowed the smell source down to the shoes, and can only think > that it's the old seaweed that is the source. I rinse them > religiously when getting home, have used tweezers to try and pick > those little bits of vegitive matter out of the velcro but just can > not get rid of all of them or the smell. Hi John, I'm not so sure it's the seaweed. Neoprene can collect all sorts of living organisms that thrive in it and cause it to smell. "Stinky bootie syndrome" is as old as neoprene. I regularly use a neoprene cleaner that I get at my local surf shop... O'Neill "Wetsuit Cleaner and Conditioner" (biodegradable, cold water activated, non-toxic). There's also a product called "Sink the Stink" (I think) that many people swear by. It's always a good idea to keep one's neoprene clean and in good condition, and for people with sensitive skin, it's especially important to prevent unhappy skin irritations. Melissa -- PGP public keys: mailto:pgp_keys_at_gmx.co.uk?subject=0x46C29887&Body=Please%20send%20keys *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
At 12:02 PM 8/25/2002 -0700, you wrote: > There's also a product called "Sink the Stink" >(I think) that many people swear by. Hi Melissa, Sink the stink's inventor is sometimes paddlewise contributor Bob Denton... Kirk *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Thank you all for the advise. I'm off to a local dive shop. John Blackburn *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I know that smell! I have had success by periodically rinsing my (now at arm's length) booties in a dilute Pine-Sol solution. Takes care of the odor for the next couple of trips and is cheap. Mark At 01:39 PM 8/25/2002 -0700, you wrote: >After almost one season of paddling I think I've narrowed my problem down. > >I got a nice pair of Chota paddling shoes for Christmas last year and have run >into a bad smell problem with them. Early in the season this year, I got >seaweed >caught in the velcro straps that cross your instep and can't seem to get >rid of >it. The shoes are all right in the smell department when dry, however after a >paddle when I throw everything in the back of the car they are wet, when >stopping >on the way home then leaving the car it smells ok since the smell builds >slowly >and I've gotten used to it. However, getting back into the car is >terrible. The >experience can charitably described as walking into a tidal mud flat at >low tide! >All I want to do is roll down the windows and drive at high speed to flush >out the >smell. > >I've narrowed the smell source down to the shoes, and can only think that >it's the >old seaweed that is the source. I rinse them religiously when getting >home, have >used tweezers to try and pick those little bits of vegitive matter out of the >velcro but just can not get rid of all of them or the smell. > >Any advise would be appreciated. The shoes are great and comfortable with a >curved heel that eliminated the pressure point of my old paddling >shoes. I'm down >to considering throwing them into the mulch pile over the winter to >accererate the >decomposition process. However I'm not sure what that will do to the rest >of the >shoe. > >John Blackburn *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Hi PW´sers, try 10% acetic acid = unflavoured vinegar. Add spoonful(s) to few cups of hot water and soak the shoes in it. BTW: red wine vinegar gives extra yum-yum odour & aroma to your boots ;-) Ari; Finland the fin-land *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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