Wetsuit Smells? Causes, Washing and Prevention

You open your sports bag and you’re hit by a smell somewhere between a damp cellar and an old fishing net. If your wetsuit smells, you’re in good company: almost every water sports fan knows the problem, at the latest after an intense season or a holiday with lots of sessions.

The good news: the smell isn’t a sign that your wetsuit is ruined. It’s caused by very specific conditions that you can easily influence. With the right cleaning and, above all, thorough drying, you can get most suits fresh again.

In this guide, we at FlipSoc explain where the smell comes from, how to wash a smelly wetsuit step by step, which home remedies you should only use with caution and how to make sure the funk doesn’t come back.

In short: A wetsuit smells when sweat, skin flakes, urine and organic residue from lake or sea water are broken down by bacteria in the damp lining. The fix is thorough rinsing, a soak in lukewarm water with a special wetsuit cleaner and, above all, drying it completely inside out in the shade. Important: never leave it wet in a bag or the car boot.

Wetsuit smells: what’s the cause?

A wetsuit smells because bacteria in the damp, warm lining break down organic residue such as sweat, skin flakes and urine. That produces the typical musty to rotten odours. The neoprene itself is rarely the culprit.

Most wetsuits are lined with fabric on the inside. This lining makes the suit easier to put on and more comfortable, but it also absorbs moisture and dirt. If the suit stays damp after use, bacteria find ideal conditions: warmth, moisture and plenty of food.

The most common sources of odour at a glance

Cause	Typical smell	Remedy
Sweat and skin flakes	sour, musty	rinse the inside after every use
Urine	pungent, ammonia-like	rinse thoroughly, soak occasionally with wetsuit cleaner
Algae and organic residue from lake or sea	mouldy, fishy	rinse with fresh water, inside and out
Stored damp	cellar-like, mildewy	dry completely, store somewhere airy
Salt residue	more indirect: salt holds moisture	fresh-water rinse after sea sessions

A word on urine, because it belongs here: many water sports fans pee in their wetsuit, whether out of habit or because it briefly warms them up in the cold. It’s not a taboo topic, but it’s one of the main reasons for stubborn odour. If you do it, rinse the suit especially thoroughly afterwards.

How do I wash a wetsuit that smells?

The best way to wash a smelly wetsuit is by hand in lukewarm water with a special wetsuit cleaner, then rinse it thoroughly with clean water and let it dry inside out in the shade. This method is gentle and also reaches the lining.

Rough rinse: First rinse the suit inside and out with clean water to remove sand, salt and coarse dirt.
Prepare a tub: Fill a bathtub, large tub or barrel with lukewarm water. Not hot, because high temperatures can damage neoprene and glue.
Add cleaner: Add a special wetsuit cleaner according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Soak inside out: Turn the suit inside out, submerge it completely and gently move it back and forth. Leave it to soak for as long as the cleaner specifies.
Knead gently: Carefully knead the armpits, crotch and neck. Don’t wring, don’t scrub.
Rinse thoroughly: Rinse the suit with clean water until there’s no cleaner left.
Dry: Hang the suit inside out on a wide hanger in the shade. Once the inside is dry, turn it right side out and let the outside dry.

For very stubborn odours, you may need to repeat the process. You’ll find detailed advice on general care, storage and zips in our guide to wetsuit care.

Can a wetsuit go in the washing machine?

Whether a wetsuit can go in the washing machine is up to the manufacturer alone – check the care label. Many manufacturers advise against it, because spinning, temperature and mechanical stress strain seams, glue and coatings. If the manufacturer explicitly allows it, then only on a delicate cycle with cold to lukewarm water, without spinning and with a suitable cleaner. If in doubt, hand washing is the safe choice.

Which home remedies help against wetsuit odour?

Home remedies can help with mild odours, but they aren’t suitable for every material and should only be used with caution. The safest option is still a cleaner made specifically for neoprene. If you do reach for home remedies, test them first on an inconspicuous spot and then rinse very thoroughly with clean water.

Home remedies: an honest check

Clean water: Always fine and the basis of all care. Used regularly, it already solves a lot.
Diluted vinegar: Often recommended because acid can neutralise odours. Only heavily diluted, leave it on briefly and rinse very thoroughly. Over time, acid can strain the material and glue.
Baking soda: Another popular tip against odours. Here too, only in small amounts, well dissolved and with a thorough rinse afterwards.
Regular laundry detergent: Not recommended. Enzymes, fragrances and residues can attack the material or irritate your skin later.
Household cleaners, bleach, chlorine disinfectant: Please don’t. Aggressive chemicals can damage neoprene, seams and glue.
Scented sprays and fabric softener: They only mask the smell, don’t remove the cause and can affect the material.

The key point: no home remedy replaces drying completely. If the suit is folded up damp again after washing, the smell will reliably come back.

How do I dry a wetsuit properly?

To dry a wetsuit properly, first hang it inside out on a wide hanger in the shade, and only then turn it right side out. This order makes sure the lining – where the smell develops – dries first.

Three things are especially harmful to a wetsuit when drying: direct sun, strong heat and creases. UV radiation makes neoprene brittle over time and causes it to fade. Radiators, hairdryers or tumble dryers can damage the material. And a suit hung over a thin line gets a crease that stretches the material while it’s wet and heavy.

Checklist: drying properly

Wide, sturdy hanger instead of a washing line
Inside out first, then right side out
Shady, airy spot, ideally with a light breeze
No radiator, no hairdryer, no tumble dryer
Let arms and legs hang so water can drain
Only store the suit once it’s completely dry

Tip for thick suits: a 5 mm or 6 mm wetsuit takes much longer to dry than a shorty. On multi-day trips, allow enough time or, if possible, rotate between two suits.

What if the wetsuit still stinks after washing?

If the wetsuit still stinks after washing, the odour is usually deep in the lining or the seams, or the suit isn’t drying completely between uses. In that case, a second thorough wash with a longer soak in the wetsuit cleaner helps – along with an honest look at your drying habits.

Check the following points:

Is the inside of the suit really getting dry? Feet, crotch and armpits in particular often stay damp.
How is it stored? In a closed bag or box, residual moisture can’t escape.
Are there mildew spots? Dark dots in the lining indicate mould. A very thorough cleaning is then needed; if in doubt, ask at a specialist shop.
How old is the suit? With very old suits, the lining can be so saturated that the smell can hardly be removed completely.

How do I prevent my wetsuit from smelling?

The best way to prevent wetsuit odour is to rinse the suit with clean water immediately after every use, hang it up to dry the same day and only store it once it’s completely dry. These three habits are more effective than any home remedy.

The prevention routine after every session

Right after taking it off, give it a rough rinse with fresh water, for example with a water container at the car.
For transport, put it in an open box or bucket, not a closed bag.
At home, rinse it thoroughly inside and out.
Hang it inside out in the shade, later turn it right side out.
Store it dry and airy, hanging on a wide hanger or loosely rolled.
Depending on how much you use it, soak it regularly with wetsuit cleaner.

Especially on holiday, when you’re in the water every day, the smell can set in quickly. That’s why our water sports holiday packing list also includes a care checklist for travelling.

Underrated: putting it on as a hygiene factor

One aspect hardly anyone thinks about: if you have to fight your way into your wetsuit, you’re already sweating before you even touch the water. Especially on warm days at the beach or when diving in the sun, sweat quickly starts running as you suit up – and it goes straight into the lining. On top of that, sweaty skin sticks to neoprene, which makes putting it on even more strenuous. We describe how to take the edge off this when diving in the heat on the shore in our article How to put on a dive suit.

How does a donning aid help against sweat in your wetsuit?

A donning aid helps against sweat in your wetsuit because you get into the suit faster and with less effort, so you sweat less. Less sweat while suiting up also means less breeding ground for odour-causing bacteria in the lining.

FlipSoc is a donning aid made of smooth ripstop nylon. You pull it over your foot or hand and then slip into the leg or sleeve: the neoprene glides over the nylon and through the seal instead of sticking to your skin. That eliminates the typical tugging and pulling that makes many people sweat when putting on their suit. By the way, the same applies to FlipSoc itself: after use, rinse it with clean water and let it air-dry, not in direct sun or on a radiator. The quick-drying nylon is usually dry well before the wetsuit.

To be fair: a donning aid doesn’t replace washing and drying your suit. It’s one building block that makes suiting up more relaxed. FlipSoc works with classic jersey-lined wetsuits (fabric on the inside), but not with smoothskin or open-cell suits, whose inside is bare, rubbery neoprene that sticks to the skin.

Frequently asked questions about wetsuit odour

Why does my wetsuit smell of fish or mould?

A fishy or mouldy smell is usually caused by organic residue from lake or sea water, such as algae, being broken down by bacteria in the damp lining. Rinsing thoroughly with fresh water after every session and drying completely prevent this.

Can I wash my wetsuit with regular detergent?

We advise against it. Regular detergents often contain enzymes and fragrances that can attack the material or leave residues. Use a special wetsuit cleaner instead and rinse thoroughly with clean water.

Does vinegar help against wetsuit odour?

Heavily diluted vinegar can neutralise mild odours and is often recommended. But use it carefully, leave it on briefly and rinse very thoroughly, because acid can strain material and glue over time. A wetsuit cleaner is the safer choice.

How often should I wash my wetsuit?

You should rinse your suit with clean water after every use. A thorough wash with wetsuit cleaner makes sense at regular intervals depending on use, more often if you use it frequently or notice the first odours.

Can I hang my wetsuit in the sun to dry?

No, direct sun damages neoprene. UV radiation makes the material brittle over time and causes it to fade. Hang the suit in a shady, airy place instead.

How can I tell if there’s mould in my wetsuit?

Mould usually shows up as dark dots or stains in the lining and a distinct cellar smell. A very thorough cleaning is then needed. If it’s badly affected, ask at a specialist shop whether it’s still worth restoring.

Conclusion

If your wetsuit smells, it’s almost always the same combination behind it: organic residue plus moisture. The most important remedies are therefore very simple – rinse with clean water after every session, soak occasionally with wetsuit cleaner, dry inside out in the shade and only store it dry. You can try home remedies such as diluted vinegar or baking soda, but only carefully and with a thorough rinse.

Make this routine a habit and you’ll not only have a fresher suit, but usually one that lasts longer too.

And if you’d like to sweat less when suiting up and go easier on your wetsuit, check out FlipSoc – the reusable donning aid for your wetsuit.