Seeking Advice on Cleaning/deodorizing Hockey Equipment

Hi T..

My son ans my husband are both ex hockey players and we have NEVER put the equipment in the washer. I would be afraid to ruin it and it is VERY expensive as you know. We always layed it out to dry in the garage. Then we would spray it with frebreeze and put it back in the hockey bag with some fabric softener sheets. It did help lessen the smell.I don't think there is anything that will take the smell completely out. That would be a miracle. Good Luck and enjoy the games. I really miss watching my son play, he's all grown up now.

Hi, T. ~
I have used Young Living Essential Oils blend called "Thieves" or "Purification" either mixed with plain water OR a solution of their Thieves Household Cleaner plus essential oils.

This doesn't just deoderize but it kills the bacteria & fungi that reproduce in the materials that CAUSE the odors.

I love their products so much that I bought in as a Distributor, so you can call me to order the stuff online or you can order it yourself using my YLEO DIST # 678260.

God Bless you in your adventure of raising your beautiful family!

K. B

I have friends who played hockey (one was a goalie) and his tips were drying the stuff out after each game, getting a very large bag with a zipper to transport it to/from the game (to contain the smell) and don't ever bring it in the house.

Aside from that, he said you can't really wash it but I wonder if you could hand wash with a mild anti-bacterial soap - something that wouldn't harm the foam padding and then let it air dry (similar to how you clean car seat covers that are not machine washable.) Just don't soak it and you should be okay. If anything, maybe the soap smell will mask the odor somehow. Also maybe line the bag with bounce sheets that are changed weekly? When contained, they pack a powerful punch.

He said he used to use an entire bottle of fabreeze on his pads and it never did anything except waste fabreeze. I guess it's destined to smell and be gross. Good luck!

Just lay it in the freezer over night. It's free and kills the oders. Works great on skated and shoes too.

Hi! I'm a coach of a hockey team - and if there's anything I know about, it's the lovely locker room leftover smell that ends up in bags and brought home. What we do is first we use dish soap to clean then spray vinegar & water on the equipment to disinfect and deoderize. (Including the bag - people forget that it carries the equipment, so it too harbors the smell) Throw it in the washer and wash like usual - as for the rest of the equipment, be sure to use a rag to get all the parts, especially the plastic - once that is done, let it air out. Do this at least every other month.

To maintain a decent smell we febreeze in between cleanings and throw a few dryer sheets into the bag until the next big clean.

hope it helps!

When my brother played hockey, he would use Febreeze a lot and it seemed to help.

My son too was a hockey goalie so I know what you are going through. Someone had told me that they put their sons equipment in the washing machine. I was somewhat afraid but I did it.
I have washed the chest protector (after taking it apart and trying to remember what goes where); the goalie pants and his jock shorts. I have not had a problem. My son just graduated from high school in May. I must have washed the equipment at least 4 or 5 times. Usually after the spring and fall seasons. Nothing has fallen apart. I then lay it out to dry. You might have to wash it a couple of times depending on the smell. Also, make sure you wash down the hockey back either by hand (which I had to do) or by machine. You need to put the clean stuff back into a nice fresh bag. I also sprayed the bag with frebreeze before putting the items back in. I wiped down the inside of the helmet with lestoil and water. Hope this help and good luck to your sons in their hockey season.

boohitz

I had some boxing gloves, shin guards and a helmet when I took karate. They were made out of foam covered in a shiney plastic vinyl, as well as elastic and fabric. (No leather.) They stunk so I put them in the washer on gentle with laundry soap every couple of weeks. Then, they would air dry. Between washings, I sprayed them with Febreeze and let that dry. Using the washer did shorten the life of my equipment a little bit, but your boys might outgrow their equipment anyway and besides buying newer equipment every few years might be safer than using old equipment. I know my fellow karate students appreciated it. On those days when I wasn't able to wait for the equipment to dry, I would use a soapy sponge to scrub the gunk off of the plastic and vinyl parts of the equipment. Then I would dry everything thoroughly with a towel or sometimes set it in front of a fan. Another option would be to hand wash the equipment, then spin the water out in the washer and let it air dry in front of a fan.
Good luck!

I never thought a 4-year old could smell so bad, but hockey has definitely turned my "little angel" into a smelly animal! We have started to keep Febreeze in the bag and spray the bag and the equipment down after every wearing. While it's still nice out, I've been spraying it down and letting it sit outside to air out. It's helped, but there's still some foulness. Plus, once it's cold out I won't be able to put it outside.

My husband just ordered a new hockey bag that has a dryer/ionizer from hockeygiant.com. It's made by Shock Doctor. I don't know if it will work, but it was worth a try! I'll let you know once we try it.

I'm not sure how I"m going to deal with my little girl smelling so bad since she seems to want to do everything her big brother does!

Hello! It's that time of year again. Yes, I have washed the equipment in the washer...shoulder/chest pads, knee/shin pads, pants...I may have even washed the gloves too. I usually add some baking soda to the wash water to help with the odors. Make sure to have all of the velcro secured. I have also heard of people who have put the helmets in the dishwasher to clean them, but I have not tried that myself. Good luck...

My husband plays soccer, and his gloves radiated odor. The smell was foul and made me want to hurl from 3 ft away. One trick I learned was socks, baking soda and a towel. Put baking soda into a dry sock and put it inside the glove. It absorbs some of the odor and moisture from the inside. I also wrapped the gloves in a towel to dry it more. The gloves no longer radiated odor after about a day but the smell was not completely gone. To get rid of the smell, instead of febreezing it (which only masks the odor), I replaced the baking soda socks with ground coffee inside dry socks. The 2nd round, continues to dry the gloves and gives it a great coffee smell. (The reason for the 2 different things, is because i found baking soda to be cheaper than ground coffee and you really do need a couple rounds of deodorizing socks to get rid of the smell.)

My husband has played for over 10 years & there's no worse smell than worn hockey gear! Your best bet for all pads is to soak them in the bathtub in soapy water, let them air dry, and spray them with Febreeze. The gloves you really cannot do anything with because they're leather. My husband's gloves either stay in the laundry room or the garage.
Good luck and I hope they enjoy it!

My husband plays hockey - he is a goalie. Good luck with getting rid of the smell. It just comes with the game. We keep all of his equipment in the garage - it is NEVER allowed anywhere else. And the rule is it must come out of the car right away. We do lay the equipment out in the sun to air it often.

I am interested in any responses you receive. My son is only 4 months old right now but there are big dreams of him being a hockey player in this house.

Vinegar kills mold, bacteria, and germs (these things cause odor), is safe, and cheap! Fill a spray bottle with vinegar & spritz the equipment. The vinegar smell is completely gone once it is dry. Sunlight also kills mold, bacteria, and germs, but may fade the equipment in time.

Try Fresh Wave products. You can purchase them at ACE Hardware. I am doing cat sprayed drapes and it is working. At work it took the stale smell out of our showroom. One of my co-works was stickie from working hard and it cleared it right up. His clothes smelled fresh. We have used the crystals and spray. I want to use the laundry additive as well.