hey guys,
Ok,.. Here's what I know about cleaning your tube especially after a stint in the salt...
Here is the best way I have found to REALLY clean your tube, ( and your waders and fins and rods and reels and everything else you took with you to the harbor)
Clean your tube (and gear) in the shower!!
Seriously!! Warm or hot fresh water is the best way to soften up and rinse those nasty salt crystals out of your gear. I usually had a considerable drive from most of my fishing trips and my tube as well as my gear, was almost always dry and crusty by the time I got home. So I usually dragged all my gear into the shower and,( waders on), cleaned everything in a nice hot shower. Shampoo, especially those designed for swimmers, is a great, mild, and cheap detergent for cleaning salt water. they are designed to dissolve harsh chemicals like chlorine and salt with little or no residue. For your breathables NO DETERGENT! or they won't be breathables for long, just a good rinse in warm water. Then I would leave the whole mess in the shower overnight to dry.
I rarely deflated my tube, or separated the outer shell from the bladder, perhaps once or twice a year for an inspection or cleaning and plastic conditioning.
Zippers? the only thing I would do was (if and when I would unzip my tube) to put a little carpenters wax on the zipper to prevent jamming and seizing.
I no longer have to take my gear in the house because I have a hot water spigot and hose in my garage now, and do all my cleaning outside.
bodfish