How to Wash Hockey Gloves

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: December 28, 2021

If you're tired of stinky hockey gloves or can't seem to get their smell off your hands, it's time to wash them! Toss your dirty gloves in the washing machine along with your favorite detergent and cleaning booster. If you don't have a washing machine, you can hand wash the gloves in the sink. Washing and air drying your gloves after every game and practice will prevent smelly bacteria from growing in the gloves.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Machine Washing the Gloves

1
Air dry the gloves for several hours after games or practices. While you may not be able to wash your gloves right after you leave the rink, you should at least dry them. Take the gloves out of your hockey bag and place them on a drying rack, clothesline, or equipment tree so air can circulate. Leave them for several hours or until they're completely dry.^{[1]
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- Airing the gloves can prevent bacteria from growing on the gloves and will reduce their odor.
2
Put the gloves in the washing machine and soak them for 15 minutes, if needed. If you're using a front-loading machine, place the gloves and any other equipment you want to wash into the machine. If you're using a top-loading machine, put the gloves and equipment into the machine. Fill the machine with cold water and soak the gloves for 15 minutes before running the wash cycle.^{[2]
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- Front-loading washing machines do a great job of tumbling the gloves and equipment. While top-loading machines can clean hockey equipment, gloves can float to the top of the drum. This is why it's important to soak them before running the wash cycle.
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3
Add bleach-free detergent and a cleaning booster to the machine. Use your favorite laundry detergent to wash the gloves. Don't use any detergents that have bleaching agents that could damage the glove material. Add the standard amount of detergent as recommended by the manufacturer. You should also include 1/2 cup (120 ml) of a cleaning booster.^{[3]
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- For cleaning boosters, use borax, washing soda, oxygenated laundry booster, or vinegar.
4
Pour vinegar into the fabric softener compartment of the machine. Instead of using fabric softeners on the gloves, add the same amount of vinegar to the machine's fabric softener compartment. Vinegar will remove unwanted smells from the gloves and will strip away any laundry detergent residue that could be left on the gloves.^{[4]
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5
Run a regular wash cycle. Close the lid of the machine and run a standard wash cycle using cold water. The cold water will agitate the gloves in detergent and booster solution so dirt and grime loosen. The vinegar added to the rinse cycle will also remove odors from the gloves.^{[5]
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- If you're washing a lot of other hockey equipment at the same time, you may want to divide it into 2 to 3 loads.
6
Hang dry the clean hockey gloves. Remove the gloves from the washing machine and hang them up on a clothesline. There's no need to pat them dry on a towel since the machine's spin cycle removed excess water from the gloves. Let them air dry for several hours or overnight. Wait to use them until they're completely dry.^{[6]
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- To speed up drying time, consider drying the gloves on an electric drying rack or blowing the gloves with a hair dryer set to cool. You can also run a dehumidifier in the room with the gloves.
- Avoid drying the gloves in a clothes dryer. The heat from the dryer can cause the fabric on the gloves to split or crack.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Hand Washing the Gloves

1
Air dry the gloves for several hours. If you can't hand wash the gloves immediately after practices or games, take the time to air dry them. Remove the gloves from your hockey bag and place them on a drying rack, clothesline, or equipment tree so air can circulate. Leave the gloves for a few hours or until they're completely dry.^{[7]
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- Airing the gloves can prevent bacteria from growing on the gloves and will reduce their odor.
2
Mix hot water, laundry detergent, and a cleaning booster in the sink. Measure 1/8 cup (30 ml) of laundry detergent into your sink along with 1/4 cup (60 ml) of a cleaning booster (such as vinegar, color-safe bleach, borax, or an oxygenated laundry booster). Run enough hot water to fill the sink about half full.^{[8]
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- Use the hottest water that comes out of the tap. This will dissolve the detergent and booster.
- If your sink is too shallow to fit both gloves, fill your bathtub half full with water and use the same amounts of cleaning solutions.
3
Add the gloves and saturate them in the solution. Place the dirty gloves in the cleaning solution in the sink. Push them down so they become completely soaked. If you don't saturate them, the gloves will float.^{[9]
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4
Stir and agitate the gloves in the cleanser. Use your hands or a spoon to stir the cleanser around. Moving the cleanser will agitate the gloves so the dirt loosens. You should see the cleanser become cloudy or dirty after you've agitated the gloves.^{[10]
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5
Soak the gloves in the sink for 30 to 60 minutes. Leave the gloves to rest in the cleanser solution for at least 30 minutes. If the gloves are very dirty, you can leave them for an hour.^{[11]
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6
Rinse the gloves in clean water. Drain the cleanser out of the sink and turn on the water. Run each of the gloves under clean, warm water to remove the cleanser solution and any visible dirt or grime. Keep rinsing until the water from the gloves runs clear.^{[12]
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7
Use a towel to soak up excess water. Lay an old, clean towel on your work surface and lay 1 of the cleaned hockey gloves on it. Roll the towel over the glove and press down on it so the towel absorbs some of the excess water. Get out a new towel and dry the other clean glove in it.^{[13]
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8
Hang the gloves and let them air dry. Use clothes pins to attach the hockey gloves to a clothesline. Leave the gloves to air dry for several hours or overnight. The gloves should dry completely before using them again.^{[14]
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- To speed up drying time, consider drying the gloves on an electric drying rack, running a dehumidifier, or blowing the gloves with a hair dryer set to cool.
- Never dry the gloves with hot heat or a clothes dryer since the heat will make the fabric split or crack.