Revivex Odor Eliminator

Gear Aid Revivex Odor Eliminator is the fix for gear that still stinks after a wash: the wetsuit that smells of last summer at Byron, hiking boots after a wet week on the Overland Track, a merino top that has done too many days without a laundry. Mixed with water, its microbes eat the bacteria behind the smell instead of covering it with a fragrance. Odor Eliminator was sold for years as McNett Mirazyme, and this is the same job under the Revivex name.

What it is

A 59 ml bottle of water-activated odour eliminator concentrate, enough for four applications. Use it as a spray, a soak in a tub or a dose in the washing machine, including front loaders and HE machines. It leaves no residue and does not affect breathability, so it is safe on GORE-TEX, eVent and other technical fabric.

Who it's for

Surfers, divers and paddlers with neoprene that has turned sour, hikers with boots and sandals that clear a room, and anyone whose tent, dry bag or sleeping bag came out of the cupboard smelling musty. It works on neoprene, nylon, polyester, fleece, spandex, Lycra and cotton, and on anything else that can be wetted.

Key details

• Spray for boots, packs and tents that should not be soaked: about 15 ml in 475 ml of water, misted on until the item is damp but not saturated. Use about 60 ml in the same water for stubborn smells.
• Soak or machine wash for wetsuits, clothing and neoprene: about 30 ml to 19 L of water. Soak fabric for around 5 minutes and harder surfaces for around 15.
• Do not rinse. Let the item air dry out of the sun and away from heat so the microbes can finish the job. The smell fades as it dries.
• Use mixed solution within 72 hours, and repeat if any smell lingers.
• Wash a mouldy item in warm soapy water first, then treat it to clear the musty smell.
• Patch test leather first, as it can darken. The label carries an eye-irritant caution.

Looking after it

Keep the cap tight and the bottle somewhere cool and dry. Stored that way, an unopened bottle keeps for two years, so one can sit in the gear cupboard until the next stinky wetsuit turns up.