How to Keep Batting Gloves From Smelling? – 3 Amazing Tips!

A. Coatess

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A. Coatess

Sean-Hunter

FACT-CHECKED BY

Sean Hunter

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how to keep batting gloves from smelling

You are in a hurry to catch the next baseball game in time, only to realize, after pulling out your batting gloves from the cabinet, that they, ugh, smell so bad. Oh yes, that should not be a problem if you have an extra pair.

But, what if you do not? Should you go with it and not mind the smell? But what about your teammates? How would they react?

We know how frustrating that is. And so, we have collected the best tips on how to keep batting gloves from smelling!

Enjoy…

What You Will Need

wash-batting-gloves

1. Leather Brush

When choosing a brush to clean batting gloves, do not just pick any brush. Look for a leather one. That way, you can be sure that the sensitive surface of the glove is not scratched. This brush should work for both leather and synthetic pairs of gloves.

If you are looking for a product that cleans and cares for leather material, pick the one that appears most neutral in size.

2. Leather Baseball Glove Cleaner

Pick the baseball glove cleaner with fine oil droplets. This concentration of oil lifts dirt and grimes instead of removing them. The latter action changes the properties of the leather and takes away its nutrients. On the other hand, lifting leaves a restorative process on the leather.

Most importantly, avoid using alcohol-based cleaners as these can diminish the leather’s natural shine, causing the leather’s color to fade over time.

3. Leather Cleaning Pad

Also known as wipes, leather cleaner pads are necessary for ensuring that the leather is soaked well in leather-enhancing nutrients. Look for a brand that features a deep moisturizing capacity.

It must also have essential oils for hydrating and keeping the leather surface from cracking. Avoid products with high alcohol concentrations. Aim, as much as possible, for a water-based product with premium oils. The lesser the contents, the better.

4. Mild Laundry Detergent (Non-Bleached)

The laundry detergent product could be any detergent as long as it is mild and non-bleached. Laundry detergents are effective cleansers for synthetic gloves. The detergent’s primary purpose is to remove obstinate stains and odors.

While some buyers prefer strong-scented products, most buyers prefer soft-scented ones. That is because the latter does not react with the existing odor. All in all, soft-scented products remove odor without mixing up with it. In that case, natural-scented products prove to be the best choice there is.

5. Baseball Glove Conditioner

Baseball glove conditioners are different from regular cleaners because they possess advanced nutrients, concentrated coating properties, and other protectants to keep the leather’s micro-fibers intact.

Apart from the essential oils, conditioners possess micro-moisturizing agents for prolonged quality.

In other words, conditioners both soften up and harden the gloves’ leather material at the right time. No matter how many times you clean your baseball gloves, you can be sure that they’ll tighten back in place when applied with the conditioner.

6. Cool Running Water

Water has had a terrible reputation with leather. Thereby, water acts as this vital element that washes off the leather’s natural oil coating. And yet, the very act of cleaning baseball gloves itself requires water.

But what type of water are we looking out for in this respect? Simple: cool water. It must not be too hot to loosen up the leather’s fiber and not too cold to cause them to constrict. Cool water – meaning cold, but not as cold as ice water – is perfect for removing dirt. And, it does that without causing the gloves to stiffen.

Note: Identify the kind of batting gloves you own before cleaning them. They could either be leather or synthetic. Synthetic gloves can both be hand-washed and machine-washed. On the other hand, a leather glove can only be cleaned using the hand.

The tips on how to wash batting gloves work for either type.

Tips on How to Keep Baseball Gloves From Smelling

clean-batting-gloves

Behold! Get ready to say goodbye to smelly baseball or batting gloves finally. Prepare the right tools, learn the tips and expect high success in the end!

1. After-Use Dry Cleaning Tip:

  • Slap the gloves against each other.

The dirt, mud, sweat, and dust stuck along the grains of your leather gloves can pile up, eventually encouraging bacteria to thrive, hence the smell. To keep this from happening, make it a habit to loudly slap the gloves against each other at least 4-5 times after every use.

Just make sure to keep the gloves at a sufficient distance from your face to avoid directly inhaling the particles.

  • Do a simple brushing.

Use a leather brush to brush the dirt off the gloves as this dirt can cause them to smell. Do the brushing along the grain of the gloves. Focus on the dirtiest part.

When brushing, make sure to do it gently as too much pressure leaves scratches on the gloves’ leather surface.

  • Finalize with a leather cleaning pad or wipes.

After brushing the gloves’ surface, wipe the remaining dirt off using a leather-friendly cleaning wipe or pad. Make a circular motion when wiping the surface of the glove.

Repeat the process every time you see any remaining dirt. Use another pad or wipe to keep batting gloves from drying out. Ensure that the gloves are fully polished before leaving them off to dry.

  • Leave the gloves to dry.

After cleaning, leave the batting gloves off in the open to dry. Make sure that you are placing them in a clean and well-ventilated area.

Avoid putting other objects that might block airflow in the same area where you leave the gloves.

There is no need to blow-dry the gloves as the moisture left by the wipe should not be too wet.

2. Long Use Washing Tip:

  • Prepare the cleaning mixture.

Prepare a sizable clean basin. Fill it with tepid water. Add four drops (or four scoops if you use a powder detergent) into the basin or container. Mix the contents thoroughly. Once done, soak a clean cloth into the mixture.

Leave the cloth there for 1-2 minutes to absorb the mixture. Finally, wipe the gloves with the fabric from the inside out. Make sure not to miss the interior of the gloves as it is in this area that acid from sweat concentrates.

  • Wash out the gloves with cool running water.

After wiping the gloves with the cloth, place them under cool running water. But before rinsing the gloves, make sure to turn the faucet to low pressure. You would not want to remove the detergent content from it entirely. Upon rinsing, use your fingers to remove lather.

When doing this, begin with the interior of the gloves since it is in this part that suds are most challenging to remove. Once done, turn the gloves to their exterior and repeat the process.

  • Absorb remaining water and moisture off the gloves.

After washing the gloves, hang them around the sink using a clip to allow water to drip out. Once done, wipe the gloves from the inside out with a clean and dry towel or tissue.

Thereupon, hang the gloves once again to air-dry.

Reminder: Do not place the gloves directly in sunlight as it can cause the gloves’ color and shine to fade.

  • Apply glove conditioner once dried.

After the gloves have thoroughly dried, wipe their surface with a glove conditioner using a dry cloth (with no fuzz). Apply generously along the grain; focus on the in-between of the fingers. Do not apply conditioner to the gloves’ interior.

Let the conditioner absorb into the gloves’ surface for 5 minutes. Afterward, wipe them clean with another cloth to remove excess oils.

3. Machine-washing tips for synthetic batting gloves

  • Double-check the gloves’ tag.

Make sure to double-check the gloves’ tags for machine washing instructions. Here, you can determine, for instance, if the gloves are fit or not fit for machine-washing. Do not take risks for synthetic gloves with no tags: hand-wash them anyway.

  • Set the suitable condition for machine-washing.

Before placing the synthetic gloves into the washing machine, make sure to turn the water setting to a cold degree. Most importantly, avoid using a bleach-based detergent.

  • Air-dry the gloves.

Once the wash cycle is done, hang the gloves (not directed to sunlight) to air-dry them. Avoid ironing the gloves as this can damage their exterior quality.

Conclusion

The tips on how to keep batting gloves from smelling will not only clean your gloves but also maintain them. In this respect, cleaning batting gloves requires careful handling as the leather’s quality is not a permanent thing.

Thus, it is important to always observe pre-cleaning methods before doing the tips. Lastly, keep in mind that any tips should work in cleaning your gloves. Depending on the amount of dirt and odor, one method might prove more effective than the other.

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