# Basic cleaning/maintenance of rods, reels, coolers, etc.?



## wolfgang (Nov 7, 2007)

What do you guys typically do after a day (or a few days) of surf fishing to clean the salt, sand, sweat, fish/bait slime, etc. off of your rods and reels? I'm just curious to learn what other folks do, and see if I am doing enough or maybe too much (overkill). And I'm just talking about the basics, not a full breakdown of the reel or the detailed cleaning that you might do after the season is over. I usually just rinse my rods and reels with fresh water, then wipe them down with a rag using warm soapy water (liquid dish washing soap such as Dawn), then rinse again to remove any excess soap. Let dry, or dry with a towel. Then a light coat of WD-40 on the reel, rod guides and other metal parts...applied with a cloth or Q-tip rather than sprayed directly. Is this adequate? And something I've often wondered about...does WD-40 (or other oils) have any adverse effects on monofilament line, or can fish smell it? Obviously I don't apply the oil directly to the line, but it may come into some minimal contact with it as I am cleaning the reel or as it passes through the guides.

Also, any tips on cleaning coolers that have contained bait/fish...I usually just try to clean these using soapy water (Dawn) and then some baking soda since I don't want to use any strong smelling chemicals on a cooler for bait.

Thanks!


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## HStew (Jan 8, 2009)

1 capful of clorox to 5 gal. water


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## IPNURWATER (Aug 20, 2013)

Do not use household soaps and detergents on your reels it has bleach in it and would destroy your braid and other line. Will cause it to prematurly go bad and dry out.if you want to use a soap use something you would use for a boat marine upholstery you also do not want to use WD 40 on a reel it is a degreaser. WD 40 will also ruined plastics and rubbers. Any oil or grease applied after wd40 does nothing for you ..only use dulluted bleach on coolers not the reel it self ,might br ok on the rod.


.before you wash or rinse your combo . tighten the drag all the way down so no water gets into it , then back off the drag when not in use, only rinse downward on top of the spool and not up into the spool from the underside .


For coolers dulleted bleach and keep the lid open ,or put news pappers in it to absord the moisture.

Keep it simple


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## wolfgang (Nov 7, 2007)

IPNURWATER said:


> Do not use household soaps and detergents it has bleach in it and would destroy your braid and other line. Will cause it to prematurly go bad and dry out.if you want to use a soap use something you would use for a boat marine upholstery you also do not want to use WD 40 on a reel it is a degreaser. WD 40 will also ruined plastics and rubbers. Any oil or grease applied after wd40 does nothing for you ..only use dulluted bleach on coolers not the reel it self ,might br ok on the rod.
> 
> 
> .before you wash or rinse your combo . tighten the drag all the way down so no water gets into it , then back off the drag when not in use, only rinse downward on top of the spool and not up into the spool from the underside .
> ...


So if it's not good to use soap/WD-40...is there some other type/brand of oil that I should use for cleaning and corrosion protection...or do you just rinse with fresh water and that's it?


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## ez2cdave (Oct 13, 2008)

IPNURWATER said:


> You also do not want to use WD 40 on a reel it is a degreaser. WD 40 will also ruined plastics and rubbers. Any oil or grease applied after wd40 does nothing for you.


X2 . . . I learned that the hard way, in my teen years !


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## pmcdaniel (Nov 13, 2013)

Unless your rig takes a dunk in the water, a good spray of fresh water to the areas that come in contact with wet line should suffice. If it takes a salt bath, you are either tearing it down or waiting for it to lock up and toss anyway. I use Reel Butter on my spinners when I tear them down and it has brought even the worst locked up reel back to life.


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## hunter1 (Jul 31, 2009)

Rod's and reels just get a good rinse after each use. Reels i oil berrings , line rollers, once a month. End of season , i wax all my rods, check guides. reels , i clean good, grease, oil and also remove all the line, I don't use braid. and give them a light coat of wax. I basicly get all my tackle ready for the next season. Also beats off cabin feaver.:fishing:


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## boomer (Jul 1, 2009)

I spray my reels with fresh water at the end of the day. When I get home I spray my rod & reels with Salt Away and wash them with hot water . After they air dry I use 3 in 1 oil on them or I spray them with Penn Reel Oil. After the season I break them all down for a good cleaning and new grease. On my coolers I use a bleach and water, just fill the cooler, up pour in 3 to 4 ounces of bleach , stir the mix, and let set for a few hours. Then use rag and clean the outside and the lid.


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## joek (Jun 1, 2015)

When "spraying" your rods/reels use a fine mist.
a hard spray will drive salt/sand into places it doesn't belong..


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## gshivar (Aug 29, 2006)

Removing odor from cooler. Bleach works as stated. Or rinse cooler real good and put open top down on green grass. Works great. BUT "green grass". In Winter use bleach. best - glenn


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## drumrun (Dec 5, 2007)

gshivar said:


> Removing odor from cooler. Bleach works as stated. Or rinse cooler real good and put open top down on green grass. Works great. BUT "green grass". In Winter use bleach. best - glenn


A splash of vanilla extract kills any odor.


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## IPNURWATER (Aug 20, 2013)

drumrun said:


> A splash of vanilla extract kills any odor.


I've been told that white vinegar works to


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## bigjim5589 (Jul 23, 2005)

I use a product called Salt X to remove salt spray, or if my gear gets dunked. It's not cheap, a gallon of concentrate is about $32 plus shipping, but it makes 8 gallons of rinse, which goes a long, long way if you're only cleaning fishing tackle. It won't hurt your gear & it's non toxic. You spray on the mix ( 2 oz per gallon of freshwater) and rinse, that's it. However, I do wipe down my reels to dry them off.


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## levellinebrad (May 27, 2015)

Great thread. I was going to post the same question. I actually dunked my spinner last week in Florida so I'm tearing it down today. Thanks OP and thanks to the guys who responded. Good info.


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## Benji (Nov 19, 2014)

Bible?


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## ez2cdave (Oct 13, 2008)

Benji said:


> Bible?


Yes, bring one of those along, too . . .

*PSALM 107: 23-31

23 Those who go down to the sea in ships,
Who do business on great waters;

24 They have seen the works of the LORD,
And His wonders in the deep.

25 For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind,
Which lifted up the waves of the sea.

26 They rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths;
Their soul melted away in their misery.

27 They reeled and staggered like a drunken man,
And were at their wits’ end.

28 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
And He brought them out of their distresses.

29 He caused the storm to be still,
So that the waves of the sea were hushed.

30 Then they were glad because they were quiet,
So He guided them to their desired haven.

31 Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness,
And for His wonders to the sons of men!

*


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## flathead (Dec 18, 2003)

Next trip to the coast go to the nearest dock used by everyday charters and watch what they do to all their gear after(hopefully) unloading the catch.

I never, ever, use WD40 on any of my fishing equipment and never, ever spray my reels. As someone previously mentioned, spraying drives sand and dirt into the reel. A steady stream is what you want, like out of a hose without a nozzle. A hard spray can also cause sand to chip your guides.


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## SloppyTilapia (Oct 4, 2013)

Also, if you choose to use dish soap, use one without the grease cleaning properties. There is grease in your reels and this soap may dissolve it........I just use regular ole water out of the hose and seems to work fine, but like others have said, don't force the water in there.


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## levellinebrad (May 27, 2015)

I finally tore my reels down and cleaned them. WHEEEW! The abu 5600 c4 was easy. That Shimano baitrunner was a royal pain in the rear. For the spinner, I ended up using reel kleen and sprayed al the internals after I took them out and used it on the inside of body as well. I dunked it by accident while I was in Florida, it was green inside on a few shafts from the salt. I then used the Hot Sauce grease and oil to lube it up. Did I mention that the spinner was a PAIN? Now that I've done it , the next time probably will not be nearly as bad. The conventional was easy. I just used a rag and water and wiped everything out and greased it and oiled it. It wasn't sandy or salty at all inside since I had only fished it about 5 days. I then used some new finish car wax and waxed the rods. Boy are they shiny. I guess the rest of the winter I will tie rigs, or at least try to tie them.


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## CoolDude (Sep 28, 2010)

I use Ajax or Comet on my coolers...whichever I can get cheap. If they are really bad I don't rinse it off...just scrub it good, then let it set for an hour...they spray it off.

I'm pretty neglegent when it comes to equipment care...especially my rods and reels. I sometimes don't have access to fresh water to clean them off, but when I do I just run water over them and let them air dry. Ones that take a dunk I try to wash them real good as soon as I get back home. I only service my reels when I feel some degredation in their performance. I have a few that are water tight and I've never opened them. Once a year I try to take them apart for a cleaning. If they are real bad I send them out for service. I have to start getting better about it though...reel service is starting to cost quite a bit.


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## Catch This (Nov 19, 2005)

Softscrub works great on coolers. Removes the stains and odors.


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## Mastrbaitr (May 7, 2014)

The reason most people's coolers smell like bleach if they use it is because they use to much. If anyone has ever seen a three compartment sink or have looked inside a commercial kitchen, fill the sink with water and put in one cap of bleach. That about 10-15 gallons per capful. Sanitizing bath for dishes and general cleaning of all surfaces using bleach, you only need 100-150 ppm. Use a rag and a little soap to get off any oils. I left a bag of bunker and bloods in the cooler for a week during the summer with no ice. Not a smell you wanna sniff again but my coolers are clean and smell free.


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## poppop1 (Feb 16, 2004)

I use regular oil and grease to lube moving parts and wipe off any excess so the sand doesn't stick, then I spray a light coat of silicone on both the rod and reels. I try to avoid spraying the silicone directly on my braided line but have nicked it many times and did not have any issues. And '' Amen '' there ec2cdave, what part of NC do you live?


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## kurazy kracka (Oct 14, 2008)

I use the Penn rod and reel cleaner once a month or so, otherwise I just hose it all down. My SSv got dunked prolly 40+ times this past weekend and reeled through splashing waves, i opened her up and had 1 drop of water inside it total.


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## Sandcrab (Mar 20, 2002)

levellinebrad said:


> I finally tore my reels down and cleaned them...


Hate getting started doing this - This always ends up taking up a lot of weekend time.

I have to inspect/clean/lube:

Fly reels - 3 reels
Ultralight spinning - 3 reeks
Baitcasting - 4 reels
Lake spinning - 4 reels

Saltwater
Conventional - 5 reels
Spinning - 4 reels
Low profile S/W or Pike - 3 reels

Boat/party boat
Conventional - 4 reels

Then I start the rods!

Sandcrab


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

The one thing u always do with my coolers is leave the lids propped open so that air can flow through. Keeps the musty smell out


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## redhorse9902 (Jan 5, 2008)

Been using WD40 for years on reels. Never had any issues with it. As far as rods go, washed with warn water and dish detergent rinse and oil guides and reel seats with lightweight oil.


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