How to Clean Hockey Gloves

After a long and hard-fought win on the ice, your hockey equipment is usually full of sweat and potentially other debris. However, few pieces of equipment get as nasty as your gloves. The smell not only stays on the gloves and in your bag but gets all over your hands, too.

While it would be lovely if airing your gloves out was enough to get rid of the smell, this isn’t the case. They can stink up a hockey bag and your home for weeks if not taken care of and cleaned frequently.

But how do you go about cleaning your gloves and ensuring they are fresh for your next game, without damaging them? Without any further ado, let’s look over a few different ways hockey players can wash their gloves to make sure they are clean.

Washing Your Gloves in the Washing Machine

The first method to wash your gloves is to use a washing machine. Before running a wash cycle, it’s a good idea to let the gloves soak for a little bit of time, generally about 15 minutes. Once you are ready to wash, add your detergent to the machine, and you are ready to go.

You can also use things like vinegar and/or cleaning boosters to help ensure you fully get rid of the smell associated with the gloves. Next, simply start the washer on a regular (or even gentle) cycle, but be sure to use cold water.

While the gloves are tough, hot water and an overly aggressive cycle could potentially damage the gloves and also lead to running colors.  Also, use a detergent that won’t damage your gloves and other gear.

You can put other things in the load with the gloves, but be careful not to put too much as overloading the washer can damage the contents or the machine itself.

Hand-Washing Your Gloves

Another popular way for players to wash their hockey gloves is to hand-wash them. If you can wash them immediately after the game it’s a good idea, but if not, be sure to let the gloves air dry for a bit.

Next, mix hot water and laundry detergent in the sink. Once the sink is full, place the gloves in the solution and fully saturate them. Using your hands or another utensil, stir and agitate the gloves and get them moving. This will loosen dirt and other debris.

The gloves should be left to soak for between half an hour to an hour. After this time passes, rinse the gloves with clean water to get rid of any soapy residue. Then simply towel down the gloves a little and leave them to air dry.

Preventing Hockey Gloves From Getting as Gross

While washing your gloves is important, it’s not the only way to keep them in decent shape. There are a few preventative measures you can take to keep your gloves fresh that can certainly have a positive impact.

One of the first things to do is to always air your gloves out after a game. Instead of simply throwing them back in your bag and leaving them there until your next game, put them on a drying rack or somewhere else out of the bag.

Having them out can help slow the growth of bacteria and airing them out can drastically reduce how bad they smell. Wiping them down with a disinfectant and wipes before airing them out can also be a good idea.

Not only can this tactic help your gloves smell a little better, but also other gear like your jersey, pads, and helmet.

Another thing to do is to consider wearing a thin glove as a base layer under your gloves. This will create a fabric barrier between your hockey gloves and your hands. This means that these thin gloves will absorb a lot of your hand sweat, instead of the hockey gloves themselves.

Also, there are several different types of deodorizing bags that can be placed in your hockey bag that can stop your gear from smelling as bad.

While doing these preventative measures won’t stop you from having to clean your gloves altogether, it may stop them from ever getting too smelly in between washes.

As you can see, getting your hockey gloves looking and smelling great can be easy. Are there any other tips or methods to clean hockey gloves that you feel should have been mentioned or covered in this article? If so, let me know in the comments section!

About Kale
Being from Canada, hockey is essentially a way of life. I instantly fell in love with the game since I was being put on skates. From playing as a child (and the occasional street hockey game with friends today) to being a fan for over 20 years, I’m here to share my knowledge and passion for hockey. Email: kale@hockeyhow.com

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