When pressed for ideas as to what their lineup of all-purpose powerboat and watercraft cleaning products was missing, we replied, “How about a wetsuit cleaner?” The voice on the other side of the phone giggled, replying, “Use the Purple. It’s perfect.” Admittedly a little incredulous, we thought we’d give the cleaner a try.
The Purple Wash & Wax in question is exactly that, intended for washing your personal watercraft and leaving it with a nice luster, not exactly what you’d consider to soak and clean your riding gear. Specially formulated as a “premium soap” that has been “fortified” with 100% Brazilian Carnauba Wax, the cleaner is Ph balanced and non-toxic, making it a environmentally-safe, biodegradable cleanser.
We’ve experimented with different cleaners for wetsuits, booties and gloves, all with varying results. Often we’ve found dedicated neoprene cleaners to be too mild, and offer very little in the way of mildew removal or scrubbing that briny ocean smell from our gear. Heavier detergents like dish soap or even degreasers are far worse, as they strip natural eslastics and oils from the neoprene and other softer materials, many times discoloring the fabrics.
Above left: Only 1/2 ounce is all you need to wash a complete PWC, so we cut that down to a 1/4 oz. Above right: Next, Jet Renu suggests spraying the hose at high pressure to whip the soap into a froth to “activate the foam.”
Because Jet Renu has made its Purple Wash & Wax to leave a high gloss shine and a protective barrier from harmful UV rays, we thought it might be good to leave the neoprene booties and Jettribe GRB 2.0 Race Boots still soft and flexible without bleaching them out. Following Jet Renu’s instructions, we squeezed a half ounce into our wash bucket before filling it up, spraying the hose at high pressure to froth the soap as directed.
Because our neoprene booties were used to represent a larger, full-sized wetsuit, we opted to let them soak, while we washed down our Jettribe Race Boots first, before lathering and scrubbing them with a soft-bristled brush. Because other things got in the way, we left our boots and socks to soak a little longer before hosing them off and letting them air dry all day, stopping in to turn the socks inside-out once.
True to Jet Renu’s suggestion, the Purple Wash & Wax left our Jettribe GRB 2.0 Race Boots and neoprene socks looking fresh and clean, and smelling surprisingly pleasant. A 16-ounce bottle of Jet Renu’s Purple Wash & Wax retails for a budget-friendly $9.95 and lasts a lot longer than you’d expect, so it’s well worth the purchase, whether you use it to wash down your skis or clean up your riding gear after a day’s ride.
Above left: We soaked our neoprene socks a little longer than our boots, but gave them a good rinse before and after a fine lather. Above right: We also used a soft-bristle brush to clean our boots’ soles and edges.
