Hockey is a physical-difficult sport and by the end of a game, most players are drenched in sweat and tired from the hard work they put in on the ice. Unfortunately, all of this sweat can lead to some pretty smelly equipment, such as your jersey.
As someone who frequently forgets to wash sports gear and equipment, I know the awful aroma it can lead to. In order to ensure your home doesn’t become overrun by the smell, it is crucial to wash your hockey jersey frequently to keep it fresh and clean.
Even if you only wear NHL jerseys to games or on game days, you will still need to wash them from time to time, especially if you spill something on them.
But how do you go about correctly washing a hockey jersey to keep it in the best shape? Well, this blog post is going to take a closer look at exactly that. Read on to learn the things you should do (and not do) to keep your hockey jersey clean.
Contents
1. Start By Removing Any Stains
Before you put the jersey in the wash, it is important to do some preliminary work, such as removing stains. The water in a washer (if it is hot), can be enough to set stains. Because of this, be sure to use a safe stain removal method beforehand on any major stain.
In addition to removing the stains by hand, many people may decide to pre-soak their jersey to remove debris before actually putting it into the washer. This isn’t required but can be a good idea if the jersey is in particularly rough shape.
2. Be Very Delicate
Once it is time to wash your jersey, you need to be sure you are delicate. The jerseys should be washed without fabric softener, only a little bit of detergent and on the lowest spin cycle, and never any bleach. Generally, powdered detergent is better for jerseys, as well.
If you wash on a high setting, or with too much detergent or other products, it can often do more harm than good. A jersey often contains several different fabrics and stitching methods when compared to regular clothing, so be careful.
If the cleaning isn’t gentle enough, it can impact the look of the jersey. Each time you clean it, the jersey will look more and more worn out, just like most clothing after it is run through the washer too much.
3. Be Mindful of Colors
Like washing anything in a washing machine, you need to be mindful of colors when washing a jersey. The last thing you want is an expensive jersey to come out of the wash and be discolored due to the colors running to and from other articles of clothing or bleach.
Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to keep the colors of your jersey looking great and just the way they are supposed to. First of all, make sure the detergent you use is color-safe and won’t change your team colors.
Next, you should always wash hockey jerseys alone. If it is the only thing in the wash, there is no chance of color running from another item onto the jersey. Also, the lint from some items (like towels) can often stick to and damage the name and numbers on the jersey.
Last, but certainly not least, be sure to wash the jerseys in cold water. Hot water can shrink clothing, fade colors, set stains, ruin decals, and more.
4. Turn it Inside out
An underrated, yet very important, tip for washing your hockey jersey is to turn it inside out before putting it in the wash. The main reason for this is that it will protect the patches, letters, numbers, logos, and decals on the jersey.
If you don’t turn it inside out, these will rub together and could become worn and damaged. While the jersey may not be damaged if you don’t do this step, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
5. Let it Air Dry
Once the jersey has been adequately washed, it’s time to dry it off. While you might dry normal clothes in a dryer, this shouldn’t be the case with hockey jerseys. These dryers can not only shrink clothes but the crests and logos on the jersey could be melted or damaged.
Instead, consider air drying your jerseys. Sure, this will take longer but will ensure the jersey doesn’t get damaged or change sizes on you. If you do need to use the dryer, use it on the lowest heat setting, and only have it in there for a very short time.
I hope this guide has been able to help you keep your jerseys clean and in great shape. Are there any additional steps you take when washing your hockey jerseys? If there are, I’d love to hear about them in a comment below.
About Kale