How to Clean a Fishing Reel: Rinse, Dry, Oil, Send In

The short answer

Makers say to rinse a reel lightly with fresh water, not high pressure, then wipe it dry. Daiwa and Penn also say to loosen the drag afterward. Lubricate sparingly, oil on bearings and grease on gears as your maker says. Makers disagree on soaking and on how much an owner may open, so your manual has the last word.

This guide gives each maker’s own words so you can follow the one that built your reel.

It covers spinning, baitcasting and spincast reels. Maker pages differ by region and by model line, and the page names which one is quoted. Penn and Daiwa publish their step-by-step care on their Australian sites; we found no US equivalent, so check your US manual. Rod care is a separate job and is not covered here.

What each maker page says, side by side

Maker page	Rinse	Drag while rinsing	Soak?
Daiwa Australia	Fine mist	Tighten	Immersion “bad news”
Penn Australia	Light spray	Tighten	Not mentioned
Shimano (US FAQ)	Faucet or hose, low pressure	Not mentioned	Not mentioned
Abu Garcia	Soap and fresh water	Not mentioned	Submerge, or use a rag
Zebco	Light spray on body	Not mentioned (manual: loosen after fishing)	Soak the spool

Read the table as what each page says, not as a rating. “Not mentioned” means the page used here is silent, so check your reel’s manual.

Rinse and dry after a trip

Tighten the drag if your maker says to

Daiwa Australia says “Tighten the drag to avoid water contamination of the drag stack.” Penn Australia’s washdown process, credited on its page to charter operators Vic and Zane Levett, opens with “Tighten drag knob to avoid water from entering your drag system.” The Shimano, Abu Garcia and Zebco pages used here give no drag instruction for rinsing, so use your manual.

Rinse with a light spray or mist, not a jet

Penn Australia says “Lightly spray your reel with fresh water (not high pressure).” Shimano’s US FAQ says “Lightly rinse your reel under a faucet or hose. Do not use high pressure to rinse the reel.” Abu Garcia says “Avoid using pressurized water from a hose as this can force salt residue deeper into the inside of the reel”. Dave Phan, Daiwa Australia’s social media coordinator with “extensive experience within Daiwa’s Service Department”, says in its Tech Tips post “You don’t want a forceful spray” and uses a spray bottle of “warm water, no soap”.

Saltwater: choose your maker’s method

Zebco says to “remove the spool and soak in fresh water, thoroughly rinse the reel body with a light spray of fresh water”, and warns that “The majority of spincast reels are not designed for saltwater use.” Abu Garcia says “Remove the reel from the rod and submerge in fresh water with a little soap to loosen any salty debris left on the reel”, and adds “this can also be done with a rag if you don’t want to submerge the reel”. Then “pour fresh water over the reel to remove any remaining soap”. Daiwa Australia, asked what to do if a reel is dunked, goes the other way: “Total immersion in water of any kind, but particularly saltwater, is bad news for a reel.” These do not agree, so do not soak a reel whose manual does not say you can.

Wipe it dry

Shimano says “use a soft towel or rag to wipe the exterior of your reel dry”. Abu Garcia says “Be sure to dry the reel thoroughly with a microfiber towel”. Daiwa’s Phan holds the reel by the reel seat and shakes it out; Daiwa Australia’s FAQ warns against banging the rod butt on the ground.

Loosen the drag and let it air-dry

Daiwa Australia says “Loosen the drag right back so as not to compress the drag washers.” and “Let your gear air dry out of the sun.” Penn Australia says “Wipe entire reel dry with a clean towel and loosen drag tension.” Zebco’s manual says to set the drag before fishing and “loosen the drag after”.

Protective wipe: follow the label

Phan, on sealants such as Inox, says “We don’t recommend spraying any of that sealant directly onto the reel” and wipes with a sprayed rag instead, then lets the reel “sit in a cool place and let it dry”. Use a corrosion-inhibitor or reel-cleaner product exactly as its label says, including its dry or wait time.

Warning

Zebco says dried saltwater “leaves a microscopic coating” of crystalline salt residue that attacks the parts, which is why makers say to rinse after the trip. Daiwa Australia says a reel dunked in saltwater should go to a service centre (see the deeper-clean section).

How often: Daiwa Australia recommends “washing your gear after every outing”. Abu Garcia says “regular reel maintenance monthly for freshwater or daily if used in saltwater”. Zebco: “cleaned and re-lubed after each trip of saltwater fishing or if dropped in dirt or sand.”

Spinning, baitcasting and spincast: what changes

Reel	What differs	Source
Spinning	Line roller, bail, spool shaft	Zebco, Daiwa
Baitcasting	Spool open to the internals	Daiwa
Spincast	Mostly freshwater designs	Zebco

Phan says the baitcaster spool is “very exposed to the internals of the reel”, so he uses only a light mist and a wipe. Zebco’s baitcast page says “Periodically, wipe down the reel with a damp cloth.” For a spinning reel, Zebco says “Periodically, the spool should be removed and gently rinsed with fresh water, along with the rest of the reel.” For a spincast reel, Zebco’s basic clean is to “rinse the reel inside and out with fresh water and allow to dry”.

If you are picking a first reel and want one that is easy to look after, our roundup of beginner fishing reels compares eight. Spincast owners may also like our Zebco 33 roundup.

Oil or grease, and where each goes

Makers agree on one thing here: use little. Zebco says to “use only small amounts of each when lubricating” and “Too much oil or grease can reduce the performance level of a reel, so a light coating is recommended.” Abu Garcia: “less is more here”. They differ on where the oil goes.

Zebco lists, for spinning and spincast reels, grease for the crank gear, pinion gear, center shaft, roller wheel, anti-reverse pawl and “Spool Washers and Bushings”; oil for “Handle Knobs (both ends)”, ball bearings and the spool release.
Abu Garcia (spinning): “Lightly grease the main gear, then lightly oil bearings and oscillation slider.” and “Be careful not to over oil any of the components and do NOT oil the one-way clutch.” It also says “Don’t use too much oil here as it can slow down the bearings.”
Penn Australia (spinning) says “Put a thin coat of grease on the teeth of the gears and a small drop of oil on each accessible bearing”, and “add a drop of oil in the gap between roller and bail arm” at the line roller.
Daiwa Australia says “Grease is the best lubricant used in Australia’s hot climate” and “Oil is most often used in reels intended for cold climates where grease becomes too thick.” It names three places where oil is “very useful for Australian conditions”: “The handle knob bearings of all reels”, “Line roller bearings of spinning reels” and “Spool bearings of bait cast reels”. Its FAQ also says “Oils should not be used on internal mechanical parts of Daiwa reels”, and for those bearings “One drop is more than enough for each bearing”.
Shimano (US FAQ) says its reel oil “is a ten-weight mineral oil”, and names its own products: “Clean excessive salt/dirt/sand and lubricate with Bantam oil” for bail pivots, and “Lubricate with Shimano oil” for a binding line roller.

One direct conflict: Penn Australia’s wash-down says “Remove spool and apply a small drop of oil to the main shaft.” Daiwa Australia says “never put oil down the main shaft of a spinning reel as this is the most common cause of a slipping anti reverse”. Follow the page for your brand, and if your manual is silent, leave the main shaft to a service.

Any lubricant you buy is a product-applied step: follow its label for amount and wait time.

A deeper clean: only what your maker lets owners do

The makers split on how much an owner should open.

Zebco describes an owner’s detailed clean of a spincast reel: remove the covers, spinnerhead, spool and other parts, “Line the parts in order of removal to allow for easy reassembly”, scrub with “a mild detergent (such as dish washing liquid)”, then dry and relubricate. It adds “If you are uncomfortable with a more detailed cleaning”, contact a Zebco service center, and for baitcast reels “send the reel to the nearest authorized Zebco Brands” service center. The same page also says “Annually the reel should be professionally cleaned and lubricated by an authorized Zebco Brands” service center. Zebco’s tips page offers both, and its manual’s warranty text (below) does not cover damage caused by repairs or attempted repairs by anyone other than an authorized servicer.
Abu Garcia walks owners through the handle, side plate and spool on a spinning reel and the spool on a baitcaster. Its warning: “Make sure you do not remove any of the gears manually as they have very high tolerances and can be difficult to realign”. For a baitcaster it says to “use a dry microfiber cloth or shop towel to wipe away any debris or grime”.
Penn Australia says of its periodic service, “The great thing about PENN is that you can easily do it yourself at home.” and “For normal use, we recommend completing every 6-12 months”.
Daiwa Australia says “All Magsealed reels should be returned to the Daiwa Australia Service Centre for servicing of Magsealed components.” Outside Australia, contact Daiwa’s service center for your country; Daiwa US says “You may send your reel to any of Daiwa’s Authorized Warranty Centers or to our North American Service Center.” For a dunked reel, Daiwa Australia’s steps are “Spray the reel with fresh water using a hose.”, “Shake out the water”, then “Have the reel stripped and rebuilt by our service centre as soon as possible”. Its warranty page adds that many screws “should never be unscrewed or undone”.
Shimano (US FAQ): for a line roller that has stopped turning, “This may be due to saltwater intrusion causing the internal components to seize. Please send the reel to Shimano Service for inspection.” For a bail that will not close: “The reel may require more extensive service at a Shimano Authorized Service Center.” The page used here gives owners no teardown instructions.

If you do open a reel your maker sanctions, work on a towel with the parts in order, and stop if you reach a gear or a screw the page says to leave. If your reel was dunked in saltwater, Daiwa Australia’s immediate steps are “Spray the reel with fresh water using a hose.” then “Have the reel stripped and rebuilt by our service centre as soon as possible”.

Quick check

Shimano’s FAQ names rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip for two baitcaster jobs: the SVS brake pipe (“Clean the brass brake pipe with a Q-tip and rubbing alcohol.”) and dirt or oil on the spool shaft or spool lip. It names no other use, so follow the page for your model.

Drag washers

Makers give two rules for the drag washers.

Keep them dry while rinsing, and unloaded in storage. Daiwa Australia says to tighten the drag to protect “the drag stack”, and to loosen it afterward “so as not to compress the drag washers”.
Grease, not oil. Shimano’s FAQ lists “Lack of grease on the drag washer or drag washer soaked with oil. Replace drag washers or re-grease.” as the cause of a rough drag. Penn Australia says “Grease drag washers, main shaft and washer stack that the spool sits on with PENN Precision Reel Grease.” and Zebco lists “Spool Washers and Bushings” under grease. Pulling the drag stack apart is a deeper-clean step: do it only where your maker sanctions it, and use the grease your manual names, following its label.

What not to do

No high-pressure water. Shimano: “Do not use high pressure to rinse the reel.” Penn Australia: “not high pressure”. Abu Garcia: a pressurized hose “can force salt residue deeper”.
No soaking where your maker warns against it (Daiwa Australia, above).
No aerosol sprays inside the reel. Daiwa Australia: “Daiwa does not recommend the use of aerosol style penetrating lubricant sprays directly on or in any of our reels.” Daiwa allows them on a clean rag. No maker page used here names WD-40 itself, so this is the closest maker statement.
No oil on the one-way clutch (Abu Garcia) or down the main shaft of a spinning reel (Daiwa Australia, against Penn Australia’s step above).
No over-lubricating (Zebco, Abu Garcia, Daiwa), no tight drag in storage (Daiwa, Penn Australia) and no sun-drying (Daiwa Australia: “Let your gear air dry out of the sun.”).
No unscrewing locked screws. Daiwa Australia says they “should never be unscrewed or undone”.

Warranty and owner disassembly

Read your own warranty. Two makers’ pages address work by anyone but them:

Zebco’s spincast manual says “Zebco shall not be liable or in any way responsible for any damages or defects caused by repairs or attempted repairs performed by anyone other than an authorized servicer.”
Daiwa Australia’s warranty guide excludes “Daiwa products that have been serviced/modified by non-authorized Daiwa Australia Service technicians.” That is Australia’s clause only: the same guide also excludes “Daiwa products that are purchased from overseas”.
Daiwa US’s warranty page, for US readers, says that if damage “is determined to not be warranty eligible (missing parts, accidental, misuse, inadequate care, wear and tear)” it will contact you with a price estimate before starting work, and asks you to “Do not remove parts” when returning a reel. It does not mention owner servicing.

Others exclude neglect rather than owner work. Penn’s US warranty does not cover “neglect, improper care or maintenance, unauthorized modifications, or the normal wear and tear”. Abu Garcia’s does not cover “failure to provide reasonable and necessary maintenance”. Shimano’s FAQ says “Damages determined to have occurred due to neglect, accident, or normal wear and tear are not covered under the limited warranty” and “Maintenance is not a warranty related issue and therefore incurs a charge.” Zebco’s manual excludes wear caused “by neglect of cleaning and lubrication required”. Cleaning does not void a warranty by itself on these pages, but skipping it can leave you uncovered. If you are unsure, ask the maker before opening a reel inside its warranty.

The maker’s instructions are the last word

Where this guide and your manual disagree, follow the manual: it is written for your reel’s seals, drag and parts. Makers publish them by model; Daiwa’s US owner’s manual and parts diagram page, for example, links a PDF manual for each model series. Our spinning reel size guide explains the size numbers on spinning reels, which helps when you look up a manual.

Ready to buy?

If your reel is worn out or unsuited to saltwater, start with our roundup of the best beginner fishing reels.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How often should I clean my fishing reel?

The makers’ intervals run from after every outing to annually; see the how-often paragraph above and your manual.

Q. Can I use dish soap?

Makers differ. Zebco uses a mild detergent for a detailed clean; Abu Garcia uses a little soap in saltwater, then rinses it off with fresh water; Daiwa’s Phan says “no soap” for a spray rinse.

Q. How do I clean a reel after saltwater use?

Rinse with fresh water at low pressure, wipe dry and loosen the drag, as above. Follow your maker on soaking.

Q. Can I use WD-40 on a reel?

No maker page read here names it. Daiwa Australia advises against aerosol penetrating sprays on or in its reels; use a reel-specific lubricant and follow the label.

Q. How do I clean an old or dirty reel?

Zebco says “Do not use the reel until it is fully clean, as dirt and sand will cause damage.” Otherwise use the same maker rules. If your maker says to send it in, Shimano’s FAQ tells owners to check the serviceable reels list first, and a satellite service center may take it if it is not serviceable in house.

Q. Is there a reel cleaning service?

Yes: Zebco, Penn, Shimano and Daiwa all run service centres. Shimano’s FAQ says “you are responsible for shipping charges to and from Shimano American Corp.” for a paid service; return shipping is covered if it is a warranty issue.

Sources (13)

Outgearly Team

Written and reviewed by the Outgearly Team. See the About page for how we work.