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Cleaning and looking after your boxing gloves are the best way to increase the lifespan of your boxing gloves. You might have spent a lot of money on your boxing gloves, and you surely wouldn’t want your money to get wasted. Who would want their gloves to stink out the whole gym? I am sure you wouldn’t.
Taking care of your martial arts equipment is as important as taking care of yourself. Having a clean and well-maintained pair of boxing gloves will not just make you able to fight well, but it will also help you stay healthy. Here are the 7 best ways to keep boxing gloves clean.
1. Wipe Your Gloves Down
It might seem like a fairly obvious tip, but make sure to grab a slightly damp cloth or paper towel to wipe down the sweat after your gym session. Leaving them wet for a longer period will cause damage to the gloves, as the sweat damages the leather/vinyl layer and can even cause leakage into the padding below over time. Get the hairdryer and set it to high cool and blow it into the gloves for a couple of minutes to absorb the moisture.
Moreover, do not keep your gloves with your sweaty workout clothesin your gym bag, but rather use a laundry bag for damp clothes.
2. Use Disinfectant/Deodorizer Sprays
This is absolutely the key point to keeping your gloves in good condition, especially from the inner side. As it is very hard to wipe out the inner side of the glove, the sweat from our hands and fingers can get wet from the inside during a training session. So, it's always best to invest a small amount in buying deodorizer to make your gloves stay fresh. Using these disinfectants will kill most of the odor-causing bacteria and help eliminate the funky smells.
However, when buying, look at the ingredients of the spray. Always buy deodorizers with organic essential oils instead of buying something that has harsh chemicals that can damage your gloves. I give my gloves a spray once a week to keep them smelling fresh.
3. Air Them Out
Once you have deodorised your gloves, it's time to take a step ahead and air out your gloves. Don’t put your boxing gloves into your gym bag after your training session; instead, keep them in an open space to let them take in the air. Putting your gloves into the bag after your training will create a horrible sweat smell over time. You should do this, especially if your gloves don’t have a mesh palm or you use them quite often.
4. Stuff Them with a Newspaper or Glove Dogs
If you are not using any deodorizer or disinfectant spray for your gloves, you can go for a much simpler and easier way by stuffing the inner side of your glove with a paper towel or a newspaper. This might not be as effective as using a deodorizer in the long run, but it will certainly absorb most of the sweat from the inside of your gloves. You can also use "glove dogs" to stuff inside your gloves. This is a more effective way to increase the life of your glove and kill bacterial growth.
5. Wear Hand Wraps
Along with providing a cushion for your hands, wearing a hand-wrap can also soak up some of the sweat from your hands while you train. Hand wraps act like sponges and absorb a considerable amount of moisture from the inner padding of your gloves. However, you need to wash the hand wraps regularly, otherwise, your gloves will start to stink.
6. Use Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is used to clean many things, like shoes and bags. This is a very effective way to remove stains and to remove the smell as well. It is super easy to use this material to freshen up your boxing gloves. Simply pour a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into your hand and run it inside out thoroughly, allowing it to dry overnight. Surprise, surprise. Here is your new glove with no stains and a bad smell.
7. Avoid Leaving Your Gloves in the Sun
This is one of the most common mistakes that most people make with their gloves. However, it is common practice to put your gloves and gym equipment in the sun for about 30 minutes after training. This works to some extent, but the downside of this is that long exposure to sunlight may cause the leather of your glove to deteriorate and crack quickly. So, avoid this and use the above-mentioned tips to clean and prolong the life of your gloves.
8. Bottom line
The maintenance of your glove is not a science, and you don’t need to overthink it. Simply giving some air to your gloves and wiping them out after the training can do the work. I hope these tips will help you take better care of your boxing gloves.
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