Your boxing gloves are a fundamental part of your kit and therefore require lots of care and maintenance to stay in good condition.
Ultimately, your boxing gloves are used frequently and excessively and therefore, can produce lots of germs, bacteria, and odors due to the sweat that is generated you are boxing.
Since it is used frequently, it only makes sense that you clean and sanitizes it frequently as well.
So the question remains, how do you take care of your boxing gloves?
Well, the short answer is that they are lots of useful tips and tricks, as well as cleaning methods and hacks that can be used to get the most out of your boxing gloves.
In the following article, we’ll take a closer look at all the different ways in which you can keep your boxing gloves fresh and clean and get the most out of them in the long run.
Contents
How to clean boxing gloves after training/match?
With constant use, your gloves can develop a foul smell not to mention fungus.
The best way to avoid the odor is to take precautionary measures from the start to ensure that this doesn’t happen in the first place.
The good news is that with a few simple tips, you can get your gloves clean and odor-free in no time at all.
The first step to keeping your gloves fresh is to let them dry.
You want to make sure that your gloves are completely dry before using them again.
Ultimately, this will keep germs and bacteria at bay and prevents them from multiplying and also keep the odor away.
You can leave them to dry in the sun, hang them up outside, or in a well-ventilated area.
Another solution is to wipe your gloves off after each use, using paper towels.
This is also a simple and quick way to remove extra moisture and stop bacteria growth.
Another way to keep your gloves fresh is not to put them straight into the kitbag.
This will stop bacteria growing as it is able to dry out rather than stay moist and sweaty in an enclosed space.
This basically is what you want to avoid at all costs.
Instead, what you can do is wipe your gloves after each use to tackle some of the moisture and then take them home in a plastic bag after using them.
Once you are at home, you can take them out and dry them out before your next training session.
Hand Wraps is one of the ways to stop your gloves from getting sweaty and moist.
When you use hand wraps underneath, it can help to stop your moisture from actually getting to the padding of the gloves.
However, what you should do before putting on these hand wraps, is wash your hands and hand wrap so that they don’t start to smell as well.
It’s a lot easier, however, to wash hand wraps than it is to wash gloves.
You can clean them in the washing machine, and they don’t take that long to dry.
Ultimately this is a great solution to soak up the majority of sweat.
Ways to clean and disinfect your gloves
The antibacterial spray is a good-quality and competent solution to clean and sanitize your boxing gloves.
If you don’t have time to deep clean them, but you still want them to look great, then antibacterial spray is a great option.
However, this should not be a regular practice since it doesn’t kill all of the bacteria and can also wear out the material of the gloves.
Over time it could develop cracks if you use to spray it too frequently. Ultimately this applies to any chemical that touches your gloves.
So you need to spray your gloves with antibacterial spray and leave them to dry for some time.
Freezing your gloves is another great way to kill off germs and bacteria.
It may sound odd; however, it is one of the most effective ways to sanitize them.
Before placing them in the freezer, put your gloves in a plastic bag, and freeze overnight or up to two days.
Thereafter take them out and let them dry for between 1 to 2 days. This process can be done with any type of boxing glove.
A saltwater soak is another effective way of cleaning your gloves.
You want to make sure that your gloves are made of a material that will not react to the saltwater and ultimately ruin them.
So this means that you leave your gloves to soak in a saline solution overnight, then take them out to allow them to air dry in sunlight fully.
Ultimately the salt solution breaks down the germs and bacteria that hide inside your gloves.
The stuffing method dries your gloves, so bacteria doesn’t have a chance to go on it.
Glove dogs are probably one of the most effective and useful accessories to clean your gloves and is specially made for boxing gloves.
You could also put some cedar chips into socks and stuff your gloves or alternatively use some squashed up newspaper inside your gloves to absorb excess moisture.
Shoe odor products are great for keeping the odor out of your boxing gloves.
Once your gloves are cleaned and sanitized, try using some of the shoe products inside them to keep them fresh.
How to take care of leather gloves?
Leather gloves are worn in cold temperatures and keep the hands protected and warm.
However, some boxing gloves are also made from this leather material and are usually very expensive.
However, when you have a pair of these gloves, you need to keep them looking clean and new.
Using harsh cleaning products on them can damage the leather.
So mild detergents are recommended and those that are especially suited to cleaning leather up.
When using leather boxing gloves, there are a few steps and tricks that you should remember to keep them clean and good for some as possible.
The first step is to wipe the gloves with a damp cloth and allow to dry.
This should be done every few weeks and use a damp rag if you notice any sticky residue.
In the next step, turn the gloves inside out and wipe them down with a damp cloth and allow it to air dry thoroughly before turning the gloves right side in.
A combination of cleaner and conditioner will clean leather gloves and remove any stubborn residue.
Ultimately, this will restore its natural beauty. You find this product in many leather shops and shoe stores as well.
Thereafter the gloves should be stored in a drawer similar to that of an enclosed area when not in use.
This will prevent the gloves from becoming damaged and also keep dust and dirt off it.
Why do boxing gloves smell? How to prevent it?
If you’ve ever taken the time to enjoy the smell of fresh and new boxing gloves, then you definitely hate the smell of sweaty ones.
The good news is that with proper care of your gloves, not only will it last longer, but smell fresh all the time.
If you’ve been using your gloves for quite some time, it will most likely be filled with a bad odor due to perspiration, bacteria, and germs.
So there are a few ways in which you can prevent the smell from occurring in the first place, and this is what you need to do.
Washing your hands regularly is very important before putting on your gloves.
Hands generally carry a lot of germs and bacteria, and it may not seem like a big deal; however, when germs are introduced into a hot and sweaty environment, they thrive.
A bottle of hand sanitizer should always be on hand when using your boxing gloves to keep your gloves from smelling
Wearing hand wraps is another good idea so that when you sweat, it can absorb the sweat inside instead of the sweat being absorbed by the padding of your boxing gloves.
Although stinky gloves can be remedied, the truth is it’s hard to do.
So to prevent it from happening in the first place, practice good hygiene.
Dry and clean them after each and every use to keep them smelling good for as long as possible.
There are lots of natural remedies that you can use to resolve bad odor.
A vinegar and water spray made up of 50-50 water and vinegar mixture is great for spraying on your boxing gloves after each use when you don’t have enough time to wash them.
Baking soda is another great item that can be used throughout the home and on the inside of your boxing gloves.
Dryer sheets are also great for drying out and absorbing the moisture inside gloves after every session.
A handful of cedar chips can be placed in socks and then stuffed into your boxing gloves after using them to keep them smelling fresh and clean.
Related Questions
Do boxing gloves have to be washed regularly?
Yes, to prevent them from smelling and accumulating bacteria and germs, they should be washed after each and every use.
What can I do if I don’t have enough time to wash my gloves after a training session?
If you don’t have enough time, then you can try using a disinfectant spray or mix equal parts of water and vinegar, in a spray bottle and spritz your gloves with them to keep bad odors at bay and also kill germs and bacteria.
Do hand wraps help with the bad odor?
Although hand wraps are not a 100% sure-fire way of preventing your gloves from smelling, they will absorb the sweat instead of it being absorbed by the padding on the inside of gloves.
