How to Clean Football Gloves

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: September 16, 2021

The grips to your football gloves are made from sensitive materials, which means you can’t just toss them in your regular laundry without another thought. Hand-washing them is generally recommended to avoid damaging them by accident in a machine. However, if the manufacturer states that they’re machine-washable, following a couple of precautions when you load them will help keep them safe from excessive wear and tear. Adopting a few other preventative practices will minimize wear and tear that much more, as well as reduce offending smells.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Hand-Washing Your Gloves

1
Prepare a bath for your gloves. Shut the stopper in your sink’s drain and start running lukewarm water from the faucet. As the sink fills up, pour 1 tablespoon of mild liquid detergent under the running water. Give the water a stir to mix it evenly with the detergent and then shut off the faucet.^{[1]
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- If they’re particularly stinky, try using a couple of denture cleaning tablets instead of soap.
- Avoid using hot water. Excessive heat can damage some of the materials used to make football gloves.^{[2]
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2
Scrub your gloves. Put them in the sink and hold them under water. Let them soak up the soapy water until they are totally wet all over. Then use your fingertips to scrub them under water. Pay particular attention to any areas that are especially stained or dirty.^{[3]
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- Alternatively, you could wear the gloves and clean them as you would wash your bare hands.^{[4]
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- Always use your fingertips instead of a laundry brush or anything abrasive. Avoid damaging the grips to your gloves.
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3
Rinse them off. Open the stopper so the dirty water can drain. Then shut the stopper and pour a second bath from the faucet, only this time use cold water. Dunk the washed gloves in the cold water and stir them around to rinse out any lingering soap.^{[5]
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4
Dry them off. Once the soap is all gone, squeeze your gloves over the sink to get rid of as much water as possible. Air-dry them on a flat surface, clothesline, or drying rack. Remember:^{[6]
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- Excess heat can damage your gloves. Don’t throw them in the dryer or otherwise try to dry them with another heat source, like a hair dryer.^{[7]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using a Washing Machine

1
Read on how to wash your gloves. Keep in mind that a glove’s construction can vary by brand and model. Always check the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding washing. Expect some to be machine-washable, while others should be hand-washed only. If in doubt, always hand-wash.^{[8]
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2
Turn your gloves inside out. Keep in mind that the outside of a garment experiences a harsher ride through a wash cycle then its inside. Protect the grips to your glove by turning them inside out. Reduce the chance of damage that might come from snags, tears, or wear.^{[9]
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3
Bag them in a pillowcase. Expect top-loading washers to have a rougher cycle than front-loading machines. If your machine loads from the top, protect your gloves further by placing them inside a pillowcase or something similar and then tying it shut. Front-loaders’ cycles should be softer on your gloves, but err on the side of caution if inclined and bag them anyway.^{[10]
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4
Wash in cold water on the delicate cycle. Be aware that heat can damage your gloves’ components, depending on the material used. Set the temperature to “cold” for both your wash and rinse cycles. Then select “delicate wash cycle” for the gentlest wash. Add a mild laundry detergent to the washer as it fills.^{[11]
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5
Air-dry. Run your cycle. Once it’s completed, lay the gloves flat on a surface or hang them on a drying rack or clothesline. Don’t use the dryer, since its heat will likely damage the grips and/or other components.^{[12]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Minimizing Wear, Tear, and Smells

1
Wash sparingly. Whether you machine- or hand-wash your gloves, expect each wash to add some amount of wear-and-tear to your grips. To lessen the impact of repeated washes, refrain from washing after every single use. Wash once a week or every other week unless they desperately need it.^{[13]
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2
Air them out after each use. Since you’re not going to be washing them after every single use, don’t ball them up in your bag or locker. Bring them home and hang them up on a clothesline or drying rack so they can breathe. Allow any sweat or other moisture to air-dry with plenty of circulation to keep smells from building.^{[14]
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3
Soak up smells with absorbent materials. Even if you air your gloves out after each use, expect lingering sweat to start stinking them up at some point. Combat this by stuffing them with materials that will absorb the smell when not in use. Handy household items that can be used include:^{[15]
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- New tea bags
- Dryer sheets
- Newspaper

Community Q&A

Question

Do gloves lose stick if they are washed multiple times?

Community Answer

No, gloves do not lose their stick if they are washed multiple times; they actually stick better after a wash.
Question

Do the fingertips of a football glove wear out or tear?

Community Answer

Yes, the tips wear out with time.
Question

Does this apply for goalkeeper gloves as well?

Community Answer

Yes, it does.