i have always washed my gear in a full bath tub, with running water, then about every 10 dives or so i will rinse the inside of my BC out with the McNett B.C. Life wash. this will give it a good clean and it claims to increase the life of your BC. ever since i started diving i have rinsed my regs under running water and hung them, and never had a problem. My LDS informed me the other day they i need to hook them to a tank to wash them. i have always keeped the dust cover on my 1st stage. i then hang my gear over my bath tub and have a 36" fan that dries my gear in about 2 hours. the only time my gear sees the sunlight is when im in it. i hate faded gear, and i hate scatches on any of me gear. everything is stored in padded bags and wetsuits and BC are hung in a closet. my dives buddies claim in a little OCD with my gear, but it all looks like new and works great. if you look after your gear it will last you a life time. good luck and safe diving.