How to Clean and Store Life Jackets Over Winter

Winter storage is when a small amount of trapped salt or moisture can become cylinder corrosion, mould, false activation or material damage. Life jackets should therefore be cleaned, dried and inspected before they disappear into a locker for several months.

The correct method depends on whether the product is foam or inflatable and on its firing system. This guide provides a safe framework while keeping the manufacturer manual as the controlling instruction.

How should life jackets be cleaned and stored over winter?

Rinse salt and ordinary dirt using the method approved for the exact product, clean gently with fresh water and mild soap where permitted, and let the jacket dry completely in a shaded, well-ventilated area. Store it dry, uncompressed and away from heat, sunlight, fuel, oil, chemicals, damp and sharp equipment. Inspect the bladder or foam, webbing, buckle, cylinder, inflator and dated accessories before storage and again before use.

Do not machine wash, tumble dry, pressure wash, bleach, dry-clean or apply solvents unless the manufacturer specifically authorises the process. An automatic inflatable jacket may need its capsule removed before controlled washing, but this is product-specific. Re-arm it fully before returning it to ready storage.

Before cleaning

1. Identify the product. Find the manufacturer, model, approval label and manual.
2. Determine whether it is foam or inflatable. Inflatable systems require extra care around the cylinder and firing head.
3. Check whether the cover separates from the bladder. Do not force open seams, zips or closures not intended for owner access.
4. Read the cleaning instruction. Note permitted soap, water temperature, immersion limits and component removal.
5. Quarantine serious contamination. Fuel, solvent, battery acid, paint, sewage or unknown chemicals need manufacturer advice before ordinary cleaning.
6. Photograph the packed arrangement. This can support the manual when repacking, but it does not replace the stated folding sequence.

If the jacket is commercial, coded or part of a managed fleet, check whether owner cleaning is permitted within the service system. Record defects and keep the item out of issue until it has passed inspection.

Cleaning an inflatable life jacket

Routine fresh-water rinse

Salt attracts moisture and can encourage corrosion around the CO2 cylinder and inflation head. After exposure to spray, rinse the outer cover as directed and wipe around accessible hardware. Avoid flooding an armed water-activated mechanism. Some manuals instruct the owner to remove the automatic capsule before washing; others use a different process. Follow the exact inflator instruction.

Hand cleaning

Crewsaver care guidance permits hand cleaning with warm soapy water for relevant products and states that life jackets should not be placed in a washing machine, spun or tumble dried. Use a soft cloth or non-abrasive brush. Avoid scrubbing reflective tape, windows, stitching, oral valves and bladder coatings aggressively.

If the outer cover can be removed under the manual, keep track of every attachment, light lead, hood, whistle and pull toggle. Never detach a structural component because it makes washing easier. Do not lubricate the inflator or oral valve unless a specified product and procedure are provided.

After an inflation

A deployed jacket needs more than cosmetic cleaning. Deflate it through the oral valve as instructed, rinse salt or contamination, dry completely, inspect the bladder and mechanism, and fit the correct re-arming components. The cylinder may look unused after an automatic firing but can be pierced. Indicators must return to the ready colour or configuration before repacking.

Cleaning foam life jackets and buoyancy aids

Foam products can often be hand washed more simply, but the label still controls. Rinse salt, remove surface dirt gently and allow water to drain from the cover and foam channels. Avoid prolonged soaking if the manufacturer prohibits it. Do not twist, wring or fold the foam sharply.

Check that foam panels have not shifted, compressed or become lumpy. Inspect zip teeth, buckles, side-adjustment straps, shoulder seams and crotch straps. Watersports products can collect sunscreen, body oils and sand, all of which should be removed before long storage.

A foam life jacket that smells musty after complete drying may have contamination inside the cover. Do not mask the smell with fragrance or disinfectant. Ask the manufacturer whether the product can be cleaned safely; replace it if mould, chemical attack or foam degradation remains.

Drying correctly

Drying is as important as washing. Damp retained around an automatic element can cause false activation, and prolonged moisture can corrode the cylinder, grow mould and weaken materials. Open the cover where instructed, separate folds, extend straps and hang or lay the product in a ventilated location.

• Choose shade with moving air rather than intense sun.
• Keep away from radiators, heaters, boilers, exhausts and hot engine spaces.
• Allow hidden areas around the neck, inflator, waist belt and foam panels to dry.
• Do not repack an inflatable bladder until both sides and the outer cover are fully dry.
• Do not reinstall a moisture-sensitive automatic element until the equipment is dry and the manual permits reassembly.
• Confirm that reflective tape, light leads and hood attachment points have not peeled or distorted.

Temperature changes can alter pressure during a bladder leak test. Carry out the test in a reasonably stable environment and interpret firmness using the manufacturer procedure, not an arbitrary pressure added by hand.

Where and how to store life jackets

The ideal storage location is dry, cool, ventilated, clean and protected from ultraviolet light. The jackets should remain accessible for inspection and should not be crushed. Hanging can be suitable where the manufacturer permits it and the hanger does not distort the collar or load a light attachment. A shelf or ventilated container can also work if products lie naturally and are not stacked under weight.

Do not deliberately discharge or disarm an inflatable jacket for normal winter storage unless the manufacturer says to do so. A serviceable life jacket should ordinarily return to a fully armed, ready state after drying and inspection. Store removed cylinders and automatic elements only as directed and never leave an apparently ready jacket with essential components missing.

Winter component checks

Use the inflatable life jacket inspection checklist and record the result. Winter is also the best time to send jackets for professional servicing because defects can be addressed before spring demand.

Mould, fuel and chemical contamination

Surface mildew is not just a cosmetic issue. It indicates that the product was stored damp and may coexist with hidden corrosion or material attack. Do not use chlorine bleach, strong mould remover or solvent without explicit manufacturer approval. These products can damage polyurethane coatings, webbing and foam while leaving the exterior looking clean.

Fuel, oil, battery acid, paint thinners, pesticides and unknown chemicals warrant particular caution. Isolate the product, avoid skin exposure, record the contaminant and contact the manufacturer or authorised service centre. If safe decontamination and performance cannot be confirmed, replacement is the responsible decision.

Spring recommissioning checklist

1. Confirm identity and service status. Check the label, serial number, last service and next due date.
2. Inspect the complete exterior. Look for mould, rodents, abrasion, UV fading, cuts and compression.
3. Open inflatable jackets. Check the bladder, cylinder, inflator indicators, oral valve and manual pull system.
4. Verify dated components. Replace expired automatic elements and lights with exact approved parts.
5. Complete the prescribed leak test. Use the manual or authorised service route.
6. Check fit on the actual wearer. Clothing and body measurements may have changed over winter.
7. Repack exactly. Keep the pull toggle visible, hood and light correctly positioned, and closures free from trapped bladder material.
8. Brief the crew. Demonstrate buckles, crotch straps, manual inflation, hood and light before departure.

For a replacement jacket or changed wearer, use the adult life jacket fitting guide. A product can pass maintenance checks yet still be unsafe if it is too loose or unsuitable for current clothing.

Common cleaning and storage mistakes

• Putting an automatic life jacket in a washing machine.
• Soaking an armed water-activated inflator without checking the manual.
• Drying on a radiator or in strong sunlight.
• Repacking while the bladder or cover remains damp.
• Leaving a removed capsule or cylinder off the jacket for months without a clear quarantine label.
• Storing jackets in a sealed wet bag or compressed beneath equipment.
• Using bleach, solvent, waterproofing spray or silicone on unapproved areas.
• Ignoring mild cylinder corrosion because the jacket has not inflated.
• Assuming a winter rinse replaces a scheduled professional service.
• Returning a jacket to the boat without a spring fit and readiness check.

Frequently asked questions

Can life jackets go in a washing machine?

Normally no. Manufacturer guidance commonly prohibits machine washing, spinning and tumble drying because they can damage foam, bladders, coatings, webbing and mechanisms. Use the exact label and manual.

Can I wash an automatic life jacket with the cylinder attached?

Only follow the model-specific instruction. Some procedures require removal of the automatic capsule or other components to prevent activation, while others specify controlled surface cleaning. Do not guess.

Should I store an inflatable life jacket with the CO2 cylinder fitted?

After cleaning and inspection, it should ordinarily be fully re-armed and ready unless the manufacturer gives a different storage instruction. Never let a disarmed jacket appear serviceable.

Can I dry a life jacket on a radiator?

No. Direct heat can degrade foam, fabric, coatings, seals and inflation components. Air dry naturally in a ventilated, shaded location.

How do I remove mould from a life jacket?

Use only the cleaning method approved by the manufacturer. Strong mould treatments and bleach can damage safety-critical materials. Persistent or internal mould may require replacement.

Should life jackets stay on the boat all winter?

Only if the storage area remains dry, ventilated, temperature-appropriate and free from contamination and compression. Indoor storage often makes inspection and moisture control easier.

Technical references

• Crewsaver - Life jacket care and maintenance
• Baltic - Important information about inflatable life jackets
• RYA - Life jackets and buoyancy aids
• RNLI - Choose It, Wear It