Washing
Hand wash with a small amount of mild detergent in warm water. Try not to submerge the rubber and never leave it to soak. Avoid getting the fabric of the zip wet, as its hard to dry. Do not use anything abrasive. Rinse in cool clean water. Never wash in a washing machine.
Do not wash excessively, rubber is a natural product washing effects the surface.
Dry
Dry naturally out of sunlight, may towel dry but you will get lint on the rubber. Once dry lightly talc using unscented talc. Avoid baby powder it will soften the rubber and shorten its life, it also smells pretty nasty. Ensure all zips are thoroughly dry before you put your rubber away. Zips sandwiched between two layers of rubber takes time to dry out which is why we suggest avoiding getting it wet. Ensure all metal fitting are dry using a cloth to dry inside press studs.
Storage
Store talced out of direct sunlight, in a black bag in a draw or box is good. Do not hang, do not place heavy objects on top of your rubber. Avoid contact with metal which can discolour rubber.
Lubes
All lubes are bad for rubber.
Oil based ones like 'Crisco' will rot the rubber. Water based lubes are also bad as they are absorbed by rubber. The worst are silicone based ones which do not wash off or dry out easy. Silicone based lube once in the zip fabric will often never wash out. If you use lots of lube expect you rubber not to last as long.
Dirty?
If you enjoy your rubber dirty and sweaty and not washed that is okay, but remember it won't last as long.