Quote Originally Posted by PaWaterFish View Post
Can you please explain to me further more in detail about the cleaning

Is it 1/4 cup baking soda to how much water does it soak in? and is this amount Ok for spandex fabric tails? and how do you go about washing them after the soaking, how long do they soak for.

the part below is what I am talking about.


"A few more to add!


  • Tails are not invincible. No tail maker claims they are. Even a super expensive silicone tail will wear out over time, EVEN when you take good care of it. Typical things that can happen with silicone are minor holes and tears from pulling it on. They can be EASILY fixed with the right kind of silicone or dragonskin so that they can't be seen. (Trust me, I ding up my tail from time to time, fix it on my own, and nobody can tell anything- nothing to photoshop out)
  • CHLORINE WILL DAMAGE YOUR TAIL EVEN IF IT'S EXPENSIVE. Chlorine eats away at EVERYTHING so be sure to wash your tail with 1/4 baking soda or other alkaline substance to clear out the chlorine. Let it soak, and dry it properly. You should wash it right away.
  • TAILS CAN GET MOLDY. Even when you clean them and take good care of them. Sometimes, you cant get the mold out, but you can kill it. Vinegar is a great thing to use to kill mold, and stop it from spreading. How I clean mold when I get it: leave it soaking in vinegar for a few minutes, then use a toothbrush to gently scrub it away from the lining. I always try to dry my tail to prevent mold, but sometimes it can't be prevented.
  • Extra fins and dorsals are typically fragile regardless of what they're made of. They tend to be thinner, and are attached, so they have a higher chance of getting snagged on something. (I coat mine in a light film of vaseline or oil when I do photoshoots etc so they don't snag on anything, and I always tell kids not to pull on them)
  • Latex doesn't bond to silicone. So if you're ever attempting to fix your tail, don't put one on top of the other. It'll go all peely. However, if you're repairing the inside of your own neoprene+latex tail, you could use a silicone caulking to glue the inside of the fluke down."
I soak my tails in wetsuit wash, then rinse thoroughly and dry in shade.