[RussH]

I only take the actual RODS in the shower with me. The reels I remove after each trip. Wet a papertowel down and wipe as clean as I can. I then loosen the drag if appropriate and store back in their box/bag.

I never spray direct water on my reels. That seems silly. But wiping down with a wet rag, that's how my grandfather taught me 23 years ago. So it seems to work okay. Also, most reels are aluminum now anyway, can't really corrode that. It's brass and steel that tarnish/rust respectively.