How to clean mould off open cell neoprene wetsuit

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Getting in and out of wetsuits used to be the most dreaded part of diving (freediving or scuba diving) for me. It was such a horrible experience that I would probably consider stop diving if I have to keep using one of those suits that is super inflexible, takes a layer of skin off to get in and out, and makes you feel like a mummy after all the struggle of putting it on.

This situation completely changed when I got my custom-made open cell freediving wetsuit. It’s delicate as it has open cell inside and smooth skin outside. It has great neoprene, strikes a good balance between warmth, flexibility and durability, and is so much easier and quicker to get in and out of (with soapy water). It’s super comfortable, keeps me warm and looks great with the shiny smooth skin. I love it!

Suit got mouldy

Last week, I had this heartbreaking moment when I discovered MOULD on the back and around the hood of the suit, on the open cell neoprene side (I normally hang it inside out to dry). The smooth skin side usually dries very quickly, but the open cell side and the lined parts such as waist area would take longer.

The mould grew and spread because the suit has been hanging on a busy rack full of wetsuits in the back of a dive shop with poor ventilation and high humidity.

Looking for solution

I searched online “How to clean mouldy wetsuit”, “how to get mould out of neoprene”, “how to treat mouldy open cell neoprene”, and found that it’s not a well documented topic. Many people were saying and debating different opinions on various forum. But the main takeaways I got which most of people seem to agree on were:

1. Don’t use bleach as it’ll damage the neoprene.

2. Vinegar and soapy water are some options to try, they will not damage the neoprene, may kill the mould, but will not remove the stains.

Cleaning the suit

So here’s what I tried:

Mix 1 part of vinegar with 3 parts of water.
Use a cloth dipped in the mix and gently rub clean the mouldy areas
Soak the area in the vinegar-water mix for a few hours
Repeat step 2 and rub clean the area again
Wash the whole suit with soapy water and rinse well with fresh water

Result

After hanging it to dry, I was pleasantly surprised that this process not only removed the mould but also removed the stains, contrary to what some people on the internet claimed (wow, internet can be wrong?)!

You can see where the mould used to be the neoprene appears a little dented / damaged. Unfortunately the damage is irreversible but hopefully it didn’t affect the structure of the neoprene too much and it will not continue to deteriorate.

Fingers crossed the mould doesn’t come back and and long live my beautiful suit 😁

Suit maintenance practice

I’ve acquired some low effort discipline for suit maintenance that I’m incorporating to the weekly diving routine, in the hope that the suit will serve a little bit longer:

Wear a rash guard over the wetsuit when I’m not doing super deep dives to protect it from the sun
Hang the wet wetsuit outside to air dry after rinsing before hanging it up in the shop
Rinse it with soapy water / diluted Dettol every once in a while, and check regularly for mould and weakened parts

Are there any other maintenance routine and tricks that you do to help prolong the life of your wetsuit? Please share in the comment!

Happy diving 🧜‍♀️🧜‍♂️!