How to Clean Football Gloves: Easy Step-by-Step Guide

Every goalkeeper should know how to clean football gloves at home. Because of constant contact with the ball, your football gloves are prone to dust, grass stains, mud, and wetness. These gloves require regular cleaning and proper maintenance to retain their grip. 

Without that, the gloves can become severely dirty and smelly. They can become a breeding ground for bacteria.  Football gloves of any color are easy to maintain if you know how to clean them. This detailed post explains the entire step-by-step procedure. Keep reading to learn how to wash and maintain your gloves. 

How to Clean Football Gloves – A Simple DIY Project

Football gloves are easy to wash by hand or in a washing machine. Manufacturers usually state the correct cleaning method. If their instructions recommend hand-washing, do not toss the gloves in the washer to prevent damage. 

Read care instructions carefully, as they are part of this topic: how to clean football gloves. After that, carry out these cleaning steps: 

Step 1: Gather the Cleaning Materials and Tools

The first step in how to clean stinky football gloves is to gather the tools you will use. The necessary materials and tools include:

1. 2 buckets or basins
2. Microfiber towel
3. Mesh bag
4. Clothesline and clothespins
5. Mild, non-bleaching detergents
6. Stain and odor removers - distilled white vinegar and baking soda
7. Cold water.

Note that you may require a washing machine if the manufacturer recommends it for the laundry. In most cases, you should air-dry your football gloves. However, if the manufacturer allows automatic drying, you will need a dryer. 

Step 2: Washing Your Football Gloves using a Washer

Some gloves will retain their structure even after machine-washing. If yours are machine-wash styles, here is how to clean football gloves that smell with a washing machine:

• Change the washing machine settings according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Most machine-washed gloves need cold water and mild wringing. Thus, select the gentle cycle setting. 
• Choose a suitable detergent according to the care tag. Usually, most football gloves use non-bleaching, gentle detergents. 
• Toss the football gloves in the mesh bag to start cleaning them. This technique of how to clean football gloves is perfect because it protects them from direct tears. Add the mesh bag to your usual laundry load and clean everything. However, if some of the clothes run colors, avoid adding them to this laundry load. You can easily stain your bright football gloves if you do that.
• Remove your gloves, turn them inside out, and air-dry them on a clothesline with pins. An alternative to clothespins is an ordinary skirt hanger. Ensure the area is not sunny.

How to clean football gloves may require automatic drying. It uses high heat, which can make some gloves too brittle or shrunk. Thus, use an automatic dryer if you are in a hurry, and the manufacturer allows it.

Step 3: How to Hand-wash Your Gloves

Supposing your glove manufacturer recommends hand-washing strictly.  Here is how to clean football gloves by hand:  

• Pour cool water into a bucket and add enough cleaning detergent. About a teaspoon of the detergent is enough. Mix the two to form a strong cleaning solution. 
• Soak your football gloves in this solution. Do it without turning the wrong side out. Submerge them to ensure they are beneath the soapy water for ten minutes.
• Begin the cleaning process by squeezing the solution through the gloves. If you spot a stubborn stain, add a drop of the soap to it and scrub gently with your thumb. Hand-wash each glove until you are happy with the results. 
• Rinse your gloves with clean water. Pour cold water into the other bucket. Dip your gloves inside. Squeeze the soapy water out and rinse until no more foam appears. 
• Dry your football gloves correctly. Air-drying is the most common drying method.  This means hanging them on a clothesline with clothespins. So, squeeze out the remaining water with your hands. You can roll the gloves in a dry towel and wring them to speed up the process. Turn the wrong side out and hang them on the clothesline with the pins or a typical clothes hanger. 

If the manufacturer allows automatic drying, get your dryer and finish the process. Latex gloves should air-dry in a well-ventilated area, without direct sunlight. Latex should not dry out excessively, as it may lose its grip and quality. 

How to Clean White Football Gloves and Remove Odor

Cleaning white gloves can be slightly laborious if they have stains. Pre-soaking in a soapy solution with natural products is the first step. The most popular and safe natural products are baking soda, white vinegar, lemon juice, rubbing alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide. 

Some sources recommend using oxygen bleach in their how to clean football gloves guides. In this section, however, you will learn how to use baking soda and white vinegar. Here is how to clean cutters football gloves with stains and a bad odor at home: 

• Baking Soda - Fill a bucket with cold water. Add a full cup of baking soda and stir the ingredients.  Next, soak your white gloves in this solution for about thirty to sixty minutes. Pour cold water into the other bucket and rinse your gloves well. After that, air-dry the gloves on a clothesline as aforesaid. The baking soda will restore their whiteness. 
• White Vinegar – How to clean football gloves with distilled white vinegar is simple.  First, mix one-half cup of cool water with the same amount of distilled white vinegar in a clean container. Submerge your premium-quality microfiber towel in the solution to make it wet but not drippy. Ensure you have hand-washed or machine-cleaned your white gloves before treating them with vinegar. Now wipe the gloves with the microfiber cloth. Turn them inside out and wipe them everywhere with the white vinegar-soaked fabric. Air-dry the gloves without rinsing the vinegar to remove any odors. 

Post-cleaning Football Gloves Care Tips

How to clean football gloves by hand, a machine, or natural products like distilled white vinegar and baking soda is doable. Once you wash your gloves successfully, you need to continue maintaining them to ensure longevity. Follow the following how to clean football gloves tips: 

• Cleaning – Each football glove product comes with a care tag with various instructions. If the care tag strictly prohibits machine washing, avoid it. Hand-washing prevents excessive wringing and retains the stickiness of the gloves. 
• Grip Loss - After finishing a football game, you might notice that the gloves are not as sticky as before. The loss of stickiness and grip is quite common because of direct contact with debris and sweat. If you encounter such a problem, the first thing to do is to clean the palm and the fingertips of the item with baby wipes. An alternative remedy if you do not have baby wipes is to use a wet microfiber towel. Wipe the palms and fingertips well to restore the glove’s grip. A little water can help if you are in the field and the gloves no longer feel sticky. Splash some water onto the gloves and rub your hands together.
• Stain Removal - As aforementioned, the best way to remove stains from a pair of gloves is to soak them in a natural baking soda solution or wipe them down with vinegar. If you decide to use hydrogen peroxide or another harsh product, do a patch test on a hidden area of your latex gloves. 
• Storage – Like other football gear, gloves can develop mold and a bad odor. Check the gloves to ensure they are dry before storage. Further, store gloves in a breathable cotton bag and place them in a dry, well-ventilated area where they cannot get wet, moldy, or smelly. 

One thing to know is that you cannot repair damaged football gloves with things like glue and still use them in leagues. Instead, get new gloves to retain a snag-free fit and grip. 

Final Word

Football gloves encounter dust, grass stains, mud, and sweat. They can soil quickly and develop an awful smell if you fail to clean them. How to clean football gloves is relatively straightforward and affordable since you have most cleaning materials and tools at home. All you need to do is to create time for the activity when you are not busy with other things.

Just like football gloves, regularly cleaning your football shoulder pads helps prevent odors, bacteria buildup, and keeps your gear fresh, safe, and long-lasting.

By taking a few simple steps to clean and maintain all your football gear, you’ll not only extend its lifespan but also stay comfortable and protected on the field.