The RinkFor the not so ready for prime-time players, coaches, referees, and the people that have to live with them. Discuss experiences in local leagues, coaching tips, equipment, and training.
Hi, I would to know how you guys keep the smell away from you gears?
Personally I dip them in a baby clothes detergent for a few hours, and then hang them under a blower.
I'm also curious has anyone tried those de-odorizing sprays? Do they really work?
I let it dry out first, febreze antibacterial spray all of the gear, let it dry, lysol all the gear including the bag, let it dry, and then pack it all up, never smells and i wash all my hockey socks and jerseys. Works for me
Let it air out in the garage. That's it. However, my gear IS starting to retain some smell... maybe I should invest in a good deordorizer ball... does the baby detergent damage your gear at all?
After every game I hang up my goalie gear to air it out, and spray it all with a 50/50 mix of rubbing alcohol and water.
A couple of times a season I wash my gloves, chest protector, and pants in the tub with laundry soap, and hang to dry.
My skater gear gets hung up after every game, and the soft bits (gloves, elbow pads, shouder pads, pants) get washed in the front-loader every few weeks.
I built a drying rack out of 3/4 in PVC pipe from Home Depot, only cost $9.50. I normally just set up my gear in the drying rack and it hit all with some anti-bacteria febreeze.
Buy a dehumidifier. Honestly, one of the best hockey investments I've ever made. I just lay my gear out, crank the thing, and it's bone dry in the morning. No more wasting my time and money spraying it with the alcohol/water mix.
I just washed my gloves and elbow pads with a product similar to Oxyclean and it seems to have worked wonders.
Soaked them with the "oxyclean" and some simple green then rinsed the a put them on delicate cycle in the front loader plus and extra rinse cycle and it's worked wonders.
I live in the middle east so I don't have to worry too much about cold damp storage.
I picked up a Shock Doctor bag. It's nice when you have a dry/cold environment.
Otherwise I would set the gear out to dry on a rack/shelf and spray with a little rubbing alcohol.
A few times a year I wash all my protective gear in the tub with a little detergent and bleach. Not my gloves, as they dry out. I'm finding that I just want to buy a new pair of $100 gloves each year and toss them when they get nasty.
I find that I can usually wash the smell out of things out of pads rather using my dish washer on a sanitasion cycle...
I will wash my pants on occation and will have them dry
The key is to dry after every use...
I use fresh under garmont every game, I have 3 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of elbow, 3 sets of gloves, and 2 pairs of shin pads that I rotate throughout a year, of which I play about 3-4 times
eventually you just won't be able to get that smell/bacteria out of some equipment, and I usually just toss em... i.e. shinpads/elbows
I don't buy the highest end, and usually a set of shinpads will last me about 100+ games (so a year switching back/forth)
I do know that the winwell nxt stuff does definately work, as I have a neighbor I play with who literially leaves his stuff in his bag, and his elbows, shins and shoulders don't carry any smell... just his pants and gloves and the rest smell like ass
I hang my gear after every session on a good cheap foldable multi-hook hanger from Wal-Mart. I also run a dehumidifier in the same room for a few hours to speed up the drying process. I wash my skate socks and under layer stuff and hang it with the gear to dry. This works great! There's no stink once it's all dry and when things start to smell a bit I soak them in the tub with some oxy then back to the dehumidifying room.
BTW my gloves were the nastiest and they don't stink after the tub treatment.
I let my equipment dry out fully after every single time I use it, and that helps immensely.
Every once in a while it'll start to smell sooner or later, and then I mix rubbing alcohol, water, and a touch of Febreeze in a spray bottle, spray it down well and let it air dry.
Oh, and for my gloves I rub in Barbasol once in a while - the yellow one with lanolin in it.
__________________
"Why I'll be a Devil forever [...] two words. Trust and respect." - Mr. Pat Burns
"I learned not to question Cowbell's willingness to ban." - Brian Boyle
The Shock Doctor Bag! I ve had it for about 6 years and i have no problem with Equitment oder whatsoever!
i found that the shock doctor bag didnt last me more than months, the fabric on the bag was awful! tore along the zipper everytime
the key to odor control on your gear is to not let it stay wet for long periods. drying it right after games will not let bacteria and odor develop. every 6 months or so i take my gear (minus skates and helmet) soak it in my tub with warm water and shut out soap. drain the tub rinse it, and let it dry completely
Let it air out in the garage. That's it. However, my gear IS starting to retain some smell... maybe I should invest in a good deordorizer ball... does the baby detergent damage your gear at all?
I don't think so, been using baby detergents since forever.. they smell nice too but they won't be able to completely get rid of already too smelly gears
Amazing results for all gear (except helmet & skates):
1- Go to laundromat to find a HUGE front loading machine
2- add 1 cup baking soda washing powder
3- add 1 cup white vinegar
4- put gear in machine & insert coins
5- read hockey magazine while it washes
6- hang gear at home in dry place
Awesome results every time, no gear damage.
I myself usually just air dry my wet gear in front of a dehumidifier and Lysol the inside of my empty bag.
Every year though I throw everything except my bucket and skates in the washer and put it on the delicate cycle. Mine IS a top loader but I just make sure the neck area of my shoulder pads goes on the washer's post and all the buckles are snapped. No problems so far. I then air dry with a large fan. Takes a couple hours.
I also have a teammate who has been playing a lot longer than I have who throws all his gear in the pool in the summer and let's it dry in the sun.
Amazing results for all gear (except helmet & skates):
1- Go to laundromat to find a HUGE front loading machine
2- add 1 cup baking soda washing powder
3- add 1 cup white vinegar
4- put gear in machine & insert coins
5- read hockey magazine while it washes
6- hang gear at home in dry place
Awesome results every time, no gear damage.
Thumbs up to the laundromat.
it does an excellent of washing and rinsing!!
after every game i make sure that everything comes out to dry. low maintenance, nice and simple
Always use the delicate cycle. I think that affects the speed the washer spins at.
The agitator in the middle will wreak havoc on your equipment, especially shoulder pads with loose arm pads and equipment with straps. the front loaders have no agitator, thus when spin washing, the equipment just tumbles on top of each other.
remember that it's not the agitation of the clothes that washes them clean, it's the soapy water traveling through the clothes that cleans them.
The agitator in the middle will wreak havoc on your equipment, especially shoulder pads with loose arm pads and equipment with straps. the front loaders have no agitator, thus when spin washing, the equipment just tumbles on top of each other.
remember that it's not the agitation of the clothes that washes them clean, it's the soapy water traveling through the clothes that cleans them.
Never really ran into any problems as I've always made sure straps are buckled and snapped etc...
Maybe I've just been lucky though...
