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.
Try finding a gear cleaning machine like a Sani-Sport. If you do it at home to save money, I usually just get laundry detergent, could add a little bleach too, and dump everything in the bathtub and let it soak. Rinse, hang it up on the curtain rod and then stick everything out on the deck on a sunny day. Works well...but I rarely wash cause my stuff doesn't stink too bad, I air it out after every game, and every other game I have a little spray bottle with laundry detergent, Febreeze, or scented alcohol and mist my stuff before airing it out.
exactly
I tried it once on my shoulder pads and it actually worsened the smell. ain't doing that again. just hang em out outside. best solution I found
You think I could just hose down my shin pads, thats what really needs to be cleaned. Everything else is basically fine, and some spray works good, just the shin pads have seen alot of use.
You think I could just hose down my shin pads, thats what really needs to be cleaned. Everything else is basically fine, and some spray works good, just the shin pads have seen alot of use.
Most of your items can be washed in one of the large front loaders on gentle cycle. Pants can go in alone. Shoulder pads alone....the rest can go in together such as socks gloves jersey. Warm wash gentle sycle. If you dont have a front loader then take it to the laundromat.
With top loaders if anything rubs on the stationary tub bin it will wear a cut right into the gear.....the bath tub option is good but it takes FOREVER to hang dry with out a spin.
keeping gear fresh once it is clean is easy. NEVER leave it in a closed bag. let air dry ASAP after use and for inside gloves and other stuff you can mist it with a solution of 1 part isopropyl alcohol(rubbing) to 3 parts water after each use before you let it air dry. Bleach can weaken stitching.
I just washed my gear for the first time this year in the bath tub. I think I used antibacterial dish soap (Palmolive) but Woolite or any fabric detergent would probably work as well, just don't use too much. The main thing was getting the pads wet and then squeezing all the old, dried sweat out of them. Water was disgusting when I was through but I was glad to have clean pads at the end.
Gloves were a little different. Instead of detergent I mixed some Murphy's Oil Soap into the water -- I read on a website that it's a better choice for keeping the leather from drying out. I hung everything up to drip dry and like MikeD says it took a few days, but since I was only playing once a week it I had plenty of time.
Gotta agree, the trees work well and don't really take up any more room than a hockey bag full of equipment. I don't wash my stuff but I do hang it on my tree after I use it. My gear has a little odor, but no where near the stench some of the guys on my team equipment has. The bacteria thrives in those nice closed up bags, it doesn't do well in well aired environment.
Gloves were a little different. Instead of detergent I mixed some Murphy's Oil Soap into the water -- I read on a website that it's a better choice for keeping the leather from drying out. I hung everything up to drip dry and like MikeD says it took a few days, but since I was only playing once a week it I had plenty of time.
If you have a front load washing machine you can do it. Don't do it if its the top load machine with the spike/pole up the middle.
What I do is mix a quarter cup of ammonia and a quarter cup of regular washing liquid, put it on warm. This is for the pads only.
Pants do a quarter cup of regular washing liquid, do them on their own
For both, set the load size to small (so they don't get too wet through)
For gloves, if you have leather gloves, they will crack and dry inthe dishwasher, I have heard of people with nylon gloves using it, but I have never tried.
If you mix some lysol (or other disinfectant spray) with a balance of about 1 part lysol to about 25 parts water (fairly diluted), and spray the inside of your gloves, that should help kill bacteria and get rid of the smell
if you have a CAT in the house DO NOT use the ammonia. It will encourage/confuse the cat about the location of its little box. They can begin to spray or urinate on your gear.
MAc, you must be one of the people who makes spectator's eyes water when you go by....lol
