Maintaining equipment

[a64pilot]

Didn't want to hijack the duckweed thread, but it has been brought up that all equipment, especially the regs should be washed off after a fresh water cave dive?
Salt water, I got it, have a procedure, but isn't fresh cave water, just that? Wouldn't tap water be worse because of the chlorine? I don't think there is enough chlorine to hurt, point being I thought spring water was about the best water there was?

So, assuming I want to take the best care of my equipment possible, what procedures should I be following? For salt water, I screw on the waterproof caps on the high pressure inlet of the first stage, soak in a mild solution of simple green, then rinse well and hang to dry, fabrics I will soak in the simple green, but leave in fresh water rinse overnight.

Surely this isn't necessary for a fresh water cave dive, or is it?

[Slüdge]

The water in the cave is usually very, very clean, but the last place you're in the water is the spring pool, run, or river. There is usually a lot of algae or other junk in this water. That is why many of the regs I work on have green gunk in them.

I would recommend filling a large bucket with clean water (I use a 35-gallon trash can), and hold your thumb over the air inlet while sloshing it vigorously for fifteen seconds or so. Don't let water get in the reg. Chlorinated city water has very little chlorine in it, but enough to clean the reg.