How to Clean and Store Your Triathlon Wetsuit After Every Swim

A triathlon wetsuit is one of the more expensive items in your kit bag, and neoprene degrades faster than most athletes realise if it’s rinsed carelessly or left folded in a damp bag. A five-minute routine after every swim adds years to a wetsuit’s working life — here’s exactly what to do.

Rinse Immediately After Every Swim

Chlorine, salt water, and open-water bacteria all degrade neoprene glue and panel stitching over time. Rinse your wetsuit in fresh, cool water as soon as possible after swimming — most pools and open-water venues have an outdoor shower or hose for exactly this. Turn the suit inside out to rinse the inner lining as thoroughly as the outer shell; sweat and skin oils build up on the inside just as much as chlorine builds up on the outside.

Wash Properly, Not Just Rinse

• Use a dedicated wetsuit shampoo or a mild, fragrance-free soap every few swims — never regular laundry detergent or fabric softener, both of which break down neoprene’s flexibility over time.
• Avoid hot water. Warm water alone is enough to shift chlorine and salt residue; heat above roughly 30°C softens the glued seams.
• Never machine wash or tumble dry a wetsuit under any circumstances — the agitation and heat will destroy the seams within a single cycle.

Dry It the Right Way

Hang the wetsuit inside out first, on a wide, padded hanger rather than a thin wire one — a wire hanger creates a crease point at the shoulders that weakens the neoprene over repeated use. Once the inside is dry, turn it right-side out and hang again to finish drying the outer shell. Keep it out of direct sunlight; UV exposure is one of the fastest ways to degrade neoprene’s flexibility and colour. A shaded, well-ventilated spot — a garage or utility room rather than a garden line in full sun — is ideal.

Store It Properly Between Swims

• Store fully dry, on a padded hanger, away from direct heat sources like radiators — never folded flat in a bag long-term, which creates permanent crease lines in the neoprene.
• Keep it away from anything sharp — bike cleats, zips on other kit, or a rough garage shelf can all cause small punctures that let water seep into the neoprene’s closed-cell structure.
• If you’re storing the suit for an off-season break of several months, a breathable garment bag keeps dust off without trapping moisture.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Leaving a damp wetsuit balled up in a swim bag overnight — this is the single fastest way to develop a lingering odour that’s very difficult to remove afterwards.
• Using bodycare products with oils immediately before swimming — sunscreen and body lotion can degrade neoprene glue at the seams over repeated exposure.
• Pulling the suit on and off by the neoprene panels rather than gathering fabric at the ankles and wrists — this is the most common cause of small tears at the zip and cuffs.

None of this takes more than a few extra minutes per swim, and it’s the difference between a wetsuit that’s still race-ready after three seasons and one that needs replacing after one.