Washing gear....

[Blue32]

Hey all...I've heard conflicting reports on washing gear.

My son's stuff is starting to stink. (He's only 6 so I'm sure I'm in for a treat later on down the line. )

Anyway...I have a mom that washed her kid's stuff in her regular washing machine....agitator & all. She said everything came out great. We're talking EVERYTHING including gloves.

Have you done this and would you advise it? Or do you have other suggestions for de-gunking your stuff? I'm not really financially capable of replacing all of this equipment if I ruin it.

Suggestions please?

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[Crosbyfan]

Hey all...I've heard conflicting reports on washing gear.

My son's stuff is starting to stink. (He's only 6 so I'm sure I'm in for a treat later on down the line. )

Anyway...I have a mom that washed her kid's stuff in her regular washing machine....agitator & all. She said everything came out great. We're talking EVERYTHING including gloves.

Have you done this and would you advise it? Or do you have other suggestions for de-gunking your stuff? I'm not really financially capable of replacing all of this equipment if I ruin it.

Suggestions please?

There is a service for that, though that's not cheap either.
Does he air it out each time after playing before packing it up?

 

[ovi951]

Hey,
Washing it in the washing machine is not a good idea. When they're down washing the pads never get totally dry...this causes mold to build up....I do my in this machine called sani sport.....it is unbelieveable.....it took the smell right out of it

 

[RangersMoogle]

I use a hose.

 

[Phoenix]

some guys just soak it in the laundry tub - whether any good i have no idea. and others spray it with some stuff that I cant remember.

I personally just air it out (for days to my dad's angst who likes a tiny living room), occasionally putting it in the sun and wind outside.

Once I got a cloth with some soap on it to clean off all the velcro tabs because they looked rather brown. Came back sparkly white. But so far airing has kept most of the smell off. But then I havent played competitively for long either so I might get probs later.

I cant imagine using the washing machine - i worry about the hardness and thus protection decreasing, and i have hard plastic shoulder protectors - either it will break my washing machine, or the machine will break them.

 

[keef]

I spray my gear after every use with a mixture of rubbing alcohol and a little white vinegar and always let it air dry. Every once in a while, I'll wipe it down with some soapy water. There are also services that will sterilize gear. The one around here charges $40 to sterilize a full set of gear.

 

[javorka]

I haven't tried this myself, but just the other day one of the mom's on my son's team said she had washed her boy's things in the dishwasher. She said the stuff came out really nice - don't think she did the gloves, though.

Anyway, the water gets very hot and there's no agitating, plus most models have a heated sanitizing/drying cycle. The only thing I'd suggest is to make sure none of the equipment is touching the heating element at the bottom of the dishwasher. And don't use laundry detergent. I did that once when I was a lot younger and found out (the hard way) that it is way to sudsy....

 

[RangerSteve]

I don't wash my gear unless it starts walking across the room

 

[Ri hards]

As others have stated, it's a bad idea to use a regular washer, and that some places have an equipment sterilization service.

I like using Febreze for the smell. I suspect that Febreze Anti-bacterial would work well too.

 

[Backstrom #19]

I use a hose.

Most the time i don't wash them i let them stinck, but when they get really bad i get the hose out.

 

[McNasty]

Airing it out is the best way to get the smell out, as for actually making the gear somewhat sanitary a wash cloth with a bit of dish soap does the trick. Not really sure about the gloves, airing them out doesn't do much for the smell.

 

[Blue32]

You guys rock.

Many thanks!

 

[nni]

5% vinegar 95% water. get a hockey tree, put his gear there after his games and spray it with the vinegar solution. the vinegar will kill mold and the smell. let it air out and youa re set.

 

[Marns]

I haven't really been playing for long enough (just over a year), but my gear has been fine pretty much since day 1. After each training sesh or game, I just air my stuff out in the garage and it's fine 24 hours later. Unless (as someone else said) it's walking across the room, it's fine.

 

[Whiplash27]

I wash it in the Bath tub

 

[stick9]

I've known people to put them in the wash. Gentle cycle with cold water.

For those who say they won't dry completely. What's the difference between the hose a bathtub or a washing machine? You are still soaking it. If you take care and dry them correctly it shouldn't be a problem. It's not like you are getting something wet that shouldn't be.

I've used to the washing machine on certain pieces. I've put some stuff in the tub and scrubbed them by hand. Some pieces I've never cleaned, just diligent about drying them after playing.

Airing them out and hitting them with Freebreeze will do wonders.

 

[Happy Pony]

Or you could just let it stink..it's hockey, not ballet.

 

[Grave77digger]

1.Ive soaked it in the tub with bleach- good resuts for the 1st week then back to square one.
2.Soaked in tub with laundry detergent - smells better than bleach and smeels better slightly longer
3. I just let it all rot in the trunk of my car til I play again a couple days later - I do this until I cant bear to force the jersey over my head.
4. Rub shaving cream with aloe into the palms of gloves for smell- this works surprisngly very well.
5. Air dry on a rack after every use- this is the best one of them all but requres more upkeep and attention. My games are over past 11pm-12pm, who has time to do all that? not me.

The only real problem I have with airing my gear out is that I actually prefer skating in soggy skates. they fit better and tie tighter the first time without adjustment. As soon as I started wearing dry skates I started getting blisters on my ankles.

 

[Whiplash27]

The bacteria in your equipment can lead to infections if you get cut or something. I think it's happened to Joe Thornton once.

 

[Evil Ted]

The bacteria in your equipment can lead to infections if you get cut or something. I think it's happened to Joe Thornton once.

Yeah I think the chances of that happening are very slim, I find that I wash my undershirt and shorts, socks and such, and just let the rest air out, Ive played hockey for close to 20 years and if someones hockey equipment doesnt smell one way or another he or she is not working hard enough.

 

[sc37]

1.Ive soaked it in the tub with bleach- good resuts for the 1st week then back to square one.
2.Soaked in tub with laundry detergent - smells better than bleach and smeels better slightly longer
3. I just let it all rot in the trunk of my car til I play again a couple days later - I do this until I cant bear to force the jersey over my head.
4. Rub shaving cream with aloe into the palms of gloves for smell- this works surprisngly very well.
5. Air dry on a rack after every use- this is the best one of them all but requres more upkeep and attention. My games are over past 11pm-12pm, who has time to do all that? not me.

I've had the best success with a bathtub. Dishwasher ain't bad either cept it gets reallllly hot and might melt some of your stuff. If you wash gloves, def use some shaving cream to get your palms uncrusty or even as a normal cleaning. But all these do it yourself things can't get your skates cleaned so def look into a Sani Sport or some other gear cleaning service. Also try leaving your stuff out on the deck, sunight does some good stuff. And don't listen to the guy who said to not clean your stuff, as someone mentioned you can get infections like Joe Thornton among other ppl. It's actually getting to be quite common according to a local paper article here recently.

 

[javorka]

...don't listen to the guy who said to not clean your stuff, as someone mentioned you can get infections like Joe Thornton among other ppl. It's actually getting to be quite common according to a local paper article here recently.

Yeah, check out this article that someone suggested on another thread....http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/story.php?left_nav=1006&article=smellyEquip&right_nav=normal

I know the chances of getting an infection are probably pretty slim, but it doesn't hurt to be a bit careful, either - I don't wash my kid's stuff (exept jerseys, undershirts, etc.) until he's done with it for the season. But yeah, I'll feel crappy if he gets an infection when I could possibly have prevented it....

 

[octopi]

Well, elbow pads,jills and socks wash well. Depending on the type of shin pad you may be able to machine wash the liner. Spray down everything else....or if you really want to wash everything use the heavy duty machine at the laudromat.

 

[Matty31]

I know in Edmonton and Calgary they have professional places that do a great job. It gets rid of all the bacteria and stuff. Not too pricey and good to do once a season.

 

[RangerSteve]

Yeah I think the chances of that happening are very slim, I find that I wash my undershirt and shorts, socks and such, and just let the rest air out, Ive played hockey for close to 20 years and if someones hockey equipment doesnt smell one way or another he or she is not working hard enough.

Good barometer