Mahina fin troubles

[savvyandstuff]

Hey guys, so I've had my Mahina for about 3 years now and recently I've noticed some cracking and also mildew in the rubber(made the mistake of trusting my parents to store it properly and discovered it sitting in a bin outside, ugh). Is there any way to clean up that mildew without further damaging my fin, or should I just invest in a new one? I've finally bought some fin socks to help with blistering, and it's almost impossible to pull my fin on with the added padding, so I might need to size up as well. I just really don't want to have to drop money on a new fin if I can make this one still work.

[Sea~Phoenix Savannah]

Sorry to hear about your Mahina. In the past I've made the mistake of letting my mom wash certain clothes (turned my favorite shirt at the time pink, (my least favorite color) and a blue shirt white). There is a way to clean the mildew, actually there are two that I know of. The first is to use a mild dish soap, (dilute it if you want, around 50 percent should do,) then dip a wash cloth or brush (if you're very gentle) and wipe/ scrub the mildew. The second is to mix baking soda and water to a toothpaste-like consistency and apply in circular motions, either with your fingers or a washcloth. Just be careful because the baking soda is slightly abrasive, so too much use or pressure can actually damage your fin. Then rinse, and repeat if you need to. I don't think you'll have to get a new monofin, I'm assuming your feet don't hurt (no ankle, arch, ball, toe or side-of-the-foot pain). The only deal breaker I can think of would be the cracks, depending on how deep and widespread they are. Other than that you should be good!

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Soak the area in vinegar. Let it dry and rinse off the next day. Don't know about the cracks though, maybe you could try filling one in with E6000.

[Mermaid Roseabella]

Be careful about using e6000. Especially if you have never used it before. (found out the hard way that I can't use e6000)