For all regulators except Sherwood brand regulators, I soak the entire regulator in warm water to dissolve any remaining salt crystals. For Sherwood regulators, soak only the second stages (primary, octopus, airsource, inflator). The salt crystals will corrode your regulator over time resulting in more frequent overhauls to keep it working properly. Make sure you have the dust cap in place on the first stage before soaking. If you forget and don’t have a regulator with a Automatic Closure Device, attach the regulator to a tank and purge the second stages (primary, octopus, airsource, inflator) for about 30 seconds each to remove the water from the regulator. When you are done, Hang it up... don’t twist the hoses any more than you need to.