“So what do you have in the way of a wetsuit cleaner?” we asked Jet Renu a few years ago. “Oh, our Purple is great for that too,” was their reply. “Purple” is the brand’s all-purpose watercraft cleaner. When mixed in a slightly concentrated form, it’ll definitely do the job, even so far as to knock off salt residue and waterspots when scrubbed with a wash mitt. But for gloves, boots and vests (not to mention wetsuits and rashguards), Jet Renu didn’t have much not in the way of cleaning (“Purple” worked fine in that realm), but in deodorizing these items.
Riding can be a workout and people sweat when they workout. Neoprene (much like Spandex) collects pretty much everything and can leave a pair of riding boots or gloves pretty rank, especially if left to dry. At the behest of so many sponsored riders and general consumers, Jet Renu answered their pleas with its new “Stank Away” wetsuit and neoprene cleaner and conditioner.
While cleansers and even dish soap (still one of the most commonly used cleaners for neoprene riding gear by PWC riders) strip away residue left by sweat and dead skin, it also manages to breakdown the neoprene’s elasticity. Jet Renu managed to formulate a cleanser that not only penetrates the porous neoprene and extract bacteria left by human contact, salt residue and other deposits, but also leave the neoprene intact, without stripping the material; and leaving it smelling fresh with a gentle hint of citrus.
Having just returned from the 2017 Sea-Doo Media Intro in Tampa, Florida, and making the 11-hour drive home, our Jettribe riding boots were not only caked in white, sugary sand, but thick with salt deposits and well, being on our feet, which is worse enough. The boots were rank, crunchy with salt and sand and as bad as a pair could possibly be.
We doubled up Jet Renu’s recipe for 1/2 oz. and squirted in what we estimated was a whole ounce into 2-to-3 gallons of water, churning the mix into a whipped foam. We also put our nozzle on high and tried to knock off as much debris from the boots and neoprene socks as possible before soaking them in the mix. Letting it soak for a few minutes (5 to 10), we started kneading each item individually to break up the dried-on stuff and loosen up the materials. Once done, we hosed each boot and sock off (making sure to turn the socks inside-out and rinsing again) before letting them dry.
Although clean, we still could detect some odor, so we repeated the process a second time. In a few hours’ drying time, our boots and neoprene socks were fresh and odor-free. Obviously, neglect was the culprit here and proper maintenance of our riding gear wouldn’t have required a second pass of Stank Away, but we wanted to push the product as far as we could – and again, Jet Renu came through with flying colors.
As is with many of Jet Renu’s products, it’s a fantastic tool to keep in your arsenal of cleaners, waxes and maintenance chemicals (we personally can’t live without their “Yellow” degreaser). “Stank Away” is still very new and not found on the official Jet Renu website, but comes in a 16 oz. bottle and is priced at $14 a bottle. For more information contact Jet Renu HERE.
