You’ve bought yourself a life jacket or a personal flotation device (PFD). This is awesome! You take care of your safety while on the water, what couldn’t make us more happy!
We would love to give you some insight in how to take care of your life jacket or PFD to make it last longer.
We’ve made a top 5 with the most important tips for you:
1. How to rinse your life vest
Make sure you rinse off any mud, sand or visible stains after every use. Always use clean water to rinse, especially when you used in salt water. After rinsing you can hang the jacket to dry out of direct sunlight.
2. How to wash your life vest
We advise to wash your life jacket or PFD each month when in use, to keep the smell away.
The tools you need to do the washing are: a plastic bucket, a water hose, a soft bristle brush and a laundry detergent with enough enzymes to break apart stain molecules.
Cleaning process
- Fill the bucket with cold water;
- Add the laundry detergent to it;
- Scrub the jacket with the brush;
- Rinse using a hose;
- Dry.
It’s as easy as ABC
3. How to dry your life vest
When your life jacket or PFD is wet make sure you hang it to dry. Avoid leaving it in direct sunlight. This can cause deterioration and fading of fabrics.
Do not try to speed the process by putting it in the dry cleaner or expose it to direct heat. This will damage the product.
4. Safety test
Make sure you check your life jacket or PFD regularly for rips, tears or holes. For your safety it’s important you have a properly functioning life jacket. If you take good care of it, it should last for many years. However, there will come a time when it’s time to replace it. That’s why it’s important to test the buoyancy of the life jacket in for example a pool before every season.
Safety first!
5. How to store your life vest
Life Jackets should be stored in a dry, dark and cool place. Never store a heavily soiled life jacket. Stains become food for mold and mildew growth which weakens fabrics and destroy the effectiveness of the device.
Hope these 5 tips are of use for you, and we love to see you on the water with your life jacket. You can tag us with @jobewatersports and using the #jobemoments.
For now, enjoy your time on the water!
