If you’ve gotten any real use out of your snorkeling gear, you are the first to know just how much of a beating they can take when you are out there snorkeling.
Saltwater, loose ocean and beach debris, and even coming into contact with your body can have large effects on the cleanliness of your snorkeling gear. So what should you do, and how should you go about cleaning them?
The answer is probably a lot simpler than you thought, but it’s easiest to break it down by equipment piece.
How to Clean a Snorkel Mask
The mask is one of the most important pieces of snorkeling equipment to keep clean since it can directly inhibit your ability to see and experience the ocean you are exploring.
There are a few different ways to go about cleaning your mask, but the most important is to properly clean the lens. You’ll need a special solution to get the job done, preferably one that is alcohol free and made from a non-toxic, biodegradable formula.
Of course, to ensure that you have a streak-free lens, you’ll need to clean the body of the mask first. This part is relatively simple. Grab a bucket with warm water, throw in some detergent or soap, let it soak for a few minutes, thoroughly rub your fingers throughout the entire mask, and rinse off the dirty water and suds.
Dry completely with a clean towel.
How to Clean a Snorkel Tube
This process is also pretty simple. You’ll want to follow the same procedure as the mask: warm water, soap, soak, hand scrub, rinse. Since you won’t be able to get inside the tube without a special tool, you can let it soak for a little longer or use water that is a little bit warmer.
Even if you can’t see the contaminants, water has a ton of different types of bacteria and germs in it that you definitely want to scrub off. The salt found in ocean water can also corrode and damage your gear if it is not cleaned out either. So save yourself the headache of having to replace your gear and spend a little extra time doing a thorough cleaning.
How to Clean Snorkeling Fins
The fins take on a ton of the hard work and wear and tear during the snorkeling experience and are often the most overlooked when it comes to regular cleaning.
Unfortunately, this leads to many people having to replace their fins often because of damage done by things like saltwater.
If you notice that your snorkeling equipment is beginning to show signs of corrosion, you could use the old scuba gear cleaning method of equal parts water and vinegar. The vinegar will do a great job of getting rid of the particulates that are causing erosion.
Let the gear soak for a few minutes and then do a thorough rinsing and drying before using the gear again. Leaving any vinegar on your equipment could cause additional damage in rare cases. So it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
If you want to be proactive, you could also invest in some top-of-the-line anti-fog spray, which helps keep the lens from clouding up and fogging in the short term and over time as well.
Let us know what your gear cleaning routine is over on our social media, we’d love to hear from you!
