In the ring, boxing gloves are a strong armor, but with a sour afterthought arises the concept of clean boxing gloves. Placed, wash boxing gloves challenge the norm of frequent washing.
Fortunately, there are so many steps you can take to avoid damaging or otherwise bad-smelling bacteria from overtaking your glove. There are many different ways, and some are tailored to particular glove products, so it would be a good idea to get to know what your glove is made of before you try any of the following techniques of washing.
There are a few things you can do if you want to maintain your gloves from being stinky and germ-free. We’re going to discuss some efficient methods in this post to keep your gloves clean. Read on.
How do you Clean Boxing Gloves?
1. The freezer bag
A popular way of preventing the growth of bacteria in gloves is to keep them for a few days in the freezer, and it will kill most of the bacteria in the gloves effectively. While the freezing process is an excellent solution because bacteria can stop spreading, it often leaves the gloves covered with ice and makes it necessary for the next several days to “air out” their gloves.
To compensate for this, many have found that placing the gloves in an airtight plastic bag prevents water from soaking the gloves while frozen. This method does not necessarily kill all the bacteria as much as it destroys most of them and leaves the rest in a hibernation state. After removing them from the freezer, it would be a good idea to spray the inside and outside gloves with either Febreze or Lysol.
2. Use deodorizers
It is not uncommon to find boxing glove deodorizers in today’s age and time that can help to clean boxing gloves and are odor-free. Some of the good ones out there are doing an excellent job of keeping the fresh smells of your gloves.
Absorbs unwanted moisture and odor to keep gloves hygienic
Leaves gloves smelling fresh with Cedar, Fresh Linen, Cologne or Lavender aroma
Increases life of gloves by avoiding breakdown from moisture
Or those who don’t know, these boxing glove deodorizers are made from burnt bamboo sticks. The charcoal from the burnt bamboo stick does the trick here. The above glove deodorizers are an easy solution to your smelly and bacteria-promoting boxing gloves.
3. Saltwater soak
Soaking your gloves overnight in the saline solution is a safe way to kill bacteria and get rid of stink from your gloves. This solution breaks down the bacteria and dissolves them in your glove.
For the gloves made of a material that is not reacting to saltwater, this method can be dangerous. So, before using it, it’s better to do some research on your gloves.
4. Apple cider vinegar
Another top contender for clean boxing gloves is Apple cider vinegar. With minimal effort and expense on your portion, it can get your gloves bacteria and smell safe. Take a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar over here and rub it on the outside and inside of the gloves. Then you will allow overnight drying of the boxing gloves.
You will see the magic happening once the gloves are dried out. Surprisingly enough, all the poor smell and stickiness will release the gloves. So, apple cider vinegar is a good cleaning remedy that can do the trick for you. Besides, you can use white vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar for breathing new life into your otherwise awful pair of gloves.
5. Stuffing method
Some boxers tend to fill their gloves with whatever they can to air them out, although some suggest you should use glove dogs because they are specifically tailored to avoid bacterial growth and boost the length of boxing gloves. If you’re not familiar with glove dogs, they’re a pair of cotton sackcloths full of cedar chips that pull out bacteria from the inside of boxing gloves.
Another excellent way to soak your glove’s sweat is by wrapping your hands in hand wraps. Hand wraps function as a pad and remove most of the humidity from your gloves ‘ inner padding. This method operates fine but poses a need for regular cleaning of your bandages, or they will begin to decay and smell in turn.
6. Lavender oil
You’re lucky if you’re a fan of lavender oil because it’s an excellent disinfectant. You can use tea tree oil if you want instead of lavender oil to clean rubber gloves like kickboxing gloves. As a boss, they can look after the bitter smell.
Lavender Scent: Contains pure lavender essential oil for a soothing aroma
Detoxifying and Soothing: Helps cleanse and relax the body and mind
Gluten Free: Made without gluten ingredients for a pure essential oil
They are also useful for the longevity of the item as they seal the leather’s natural moisture. It’s like striking a single bullet with two shots. That being said, vinyl gloves may not be suitable for the use of these essential oils because they may impact the durability of the product.
Take about 4-6 drops of tea tree or lavender oil in a cup of water. Take a smooth cloth and soak it in the mixture. Then wash the gloves inside-out with a moist cloth. Of course, let the gloves dry up before reuse, or you will do yourself a great disservice. That’s right.
Precautionary measures for Boxing Gloves:
Because prevention is better than cure, take measures to stop bacteria and germs from getting into your gloves. Some of the possible ways you can use to prevent your boxing gloves with unwholesome adore and bacteria.
After every use, letting your gloves dry entirely is key to maintaining them clean as germs need moisture to survive. The complete drying of the gloves prevents germs from reproducing.
Before training, ensure that your hands are washed with hand sanitizer. This easy step keeps existing bacteria away from boxing gloves in your hands.
Another way to prevent your gloves from having bacteria is to wipe them inside and out after use with a paper towel. This will minimize the moisture that is in the bacteria’s house.
Don’t leave your boxing gloves too long in the sun. Much exposure to the sun would be more harm than good, particularly if you own leather boxing gloves. Ideally, you shouldn’t wear them in the sun for more than thirty minutes.
Do not lock your gloves immediately after use in the training bag. After use, you can dry them in the sunlight or put them in a plastic bag.
Can I wash boxing gloves in the washing machine?
The majority of boxing gloves made of artificial leather can be washed in a washing machine like PU and Rexene. Furthermore, a machine can wash gloves with a closed-cell foam design.
However, machinery washing will negatively impact most other boxing products and gloves produced with open-cell foam technology. They’re also going to dry for weeks. Such long moisture encourages the growth of mold and thus a bad smell.
I suggest you avoid the washing machine to clean your boxing gloves. You will end up with your own pity party if you ignore this golden advice. At best, the washing machine will destroy the gloves. So, don’t follow this simple path.
Remember, you’re never going to be able to kill or overcome your enemy with the smell of your stinky gloves. But, they’re certainly going to get you unpleasant looks. So, keep your mitts nice and clean all the time, so they don’t smell like your old socks. If you pursue the precautionary steps and the cleaning methods described above, your boxing gloves will not feel like a tiny dead animal.
Related Posts to * How do you CLEAN, WASH & DEODORIZE Boxing Gloves? - User's Guide
