Your waders are very important piece of equipment to every float tuber, and if not cared for correctly you might have a bad day on the water wishing for that good day at work. I plan to discuss the simple was to care and store you most valuable piece of equipment, next to your float tube, your waders. There are many different types of waders for example neoprene and breathable type wades. We will be discussing cleaning and storage of your waders in general please always refer to you owner’s manual for exact clean and storage information on the type you own.
First off cleaning your waders, this is simple make sure you clean them after every use.
If you are fishing in freshwater make sure you clean them with freshwater, and if you are fishing in saltwater make sure you clean them with freshwater. At the lake side in is not recommended that you use the lake water, as this is not always the cleanest, but if you are simple trying to remove large debris or mud build up this will work. Of course for thorough cleaning lake water is not the best idea most guys will bring a squirt bottle filled with freshwater to start cleaning there gear and waders off “not a bad idea”.
When fishing saltwater the same method is suggested or maybe use the public showers to clean of you waders and gear, just try not to be in the way as the showers are not intended for this use. Some other ideas that have been discussed are to use a pressure pump container with spray handle to really get some pressure behind that initial first rinsing. Of course this should be seen as just an initial clean up once you are home it is time to really clean things up the right way.
Once at home you should use the garden hose, some mild soap and water, and scrub brush
(vegetable, soft bristle scrub brush) to clean your waders thoroughly. It is important to take just a little time to make sure all harmful debris or salt residue is removed from your waders. This can simply be done by wetting you waders down with freshwater and gently scrubbing the waders from top to bottom. After a thorough scrubbing with a mild soap and water and scrub brush you can then be rinsed off again with the garden hose. This is all that is required to make sure that everything has been removed from your waders that might cause damage over time. Still another method for washing you waders at home is to use the bathtub. Simple fill the tube with a mild soap and water, then soak and tightly scrub your waders in the tube. When you are done you can rinse them in the tube and then let them dry before storing them.
So the next step is storage but of course the most important part of this is storing your waders after they are completely clean and DRY! If you try to pack away your waders when they are still wet you will be buy a new pair much sooner than later. I know that is not what you are looking to do anytime soon, so they must be completely dry before storage. For years I have hung my waders on a coat hanger outside to make sure they were completely dry.
Of course I never thought of the fact that I was maybe damaging the seams around the shoulder straps because of the weight. I no longer hang my waders by their shoulder straps I simple hang them over the tailgate of my truck or the back of a chair in the back yard to dry. On a hot sunny day this will only take about 2 to 3 hours to complete dry, but on colder days I will give them more time outside. I also believe that airflow is a very important part of this process. So make sure the area you are drying you waders if indoors is well ventilated.
So once they are dry you need to store them, for me this is either in a duffle bag with fins and life vest. Or they could be stored in a tote, or on a shelf that is free of anything that might cause damage to them. I have always thought maybe I should hang them in the closet or out in the garage. Again the problem with hanging them is the prolonged stretch in the seams and straps. So this is not suggested just simple find a safe out of the way place to store your waders preferable with your other gear so you don’t’ misplace them. This is a fairly simple discussion on cleaning and storing your waders. Of course the truth is it is not hard at all to care for one of the most important pieces of equipment you own, your waders.
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