How To Keep Hockey Equipment Clean And Odor-Free

Hockey equipment is notoriously smelly. With all the thick layers of padding, there isn’t much room for ventilation during the game, which is why everything is usually drenched in sweat afterwards. What’s worse is that most players toss everything in their hockey bag, zip it shut and don’t open it again until next use, allowing moisture and germs to run rampant.

By following these simple tips, you can ensure your hockey equipment will not only smell great but will last you a while!

Once hockey equipment gets really smelly, it’s hard to get clean and keep clean without a very active cleaning regimen. It’s always best to stick to a cleaning protocol after every practice and game as early as possible to prevent odor problems in the future. It also helps keep your equipment in better shape for much longer, which can save you a lot of money!

The name of the game is eliminating moisture. On your way home, leave the bag unzipped and roll your car windows down to increase ventilation- this helps more than you think! Remove hockey equipment from the bag immediately when you get home to begin the drying process. The sooner you do this, the less you allow moisture to fester. Also, wearing a base layer of clothing puts fabric between you and your hockey equipment and will limit the amount of sweat that soaks into your hockey gear.

Shoulder pads, elbow pads, shin guards and hockey pants take a beating out on the ice in more ways than one. Direct contact with sweat and skin makes these pads a magnet for moisture and odor. To clean these hockey pads, spray them all over with the best cleaning spray for hockey equipment and then let them air dry completely.

In our humble opinion, we think Vapor Fresh Natural Cleaning and Deodorizing Spray is the best.

Vapor Fresh was designed with hockey pads in mind, so it’s free of harsh chemicals that irritate skin and ruin pads like bleach, quaternary ammonium compounds and artificial fragrances found in a lot of other hockey sprays. We’ve designed our cleaning spray with 100% natural active ingredients to combat even the strongest hockey odors.

Once or twice a year, these pads will require a deeper clean. To do this, check out our article on how to wash your hockey equipment in the washing machine.

Hockey skates, gloves and helmets are about as smelly as it gets when it comes to sports equipment. Unfortunately these pieces of equipment can’t be thrown in a washing machine ever, so you need to be much more vigilant.

When cleaning hockey gloves, you'll want to make sure they start air drying as soon as possible. While they’re drying, it’s important to spray them down well with a sports cleaning spray like Vapor Fresh. Same goes for cleaning your skates.

When cleaning your hockey helmet, you’ll want to focus on spraying both the inside and outside of the helmet.

After the gloves and skates are somewhat dry, you can also sprinkle a little baking soda into them to eliminate any lingering moisture and leave behind a nice fresh scent.

Once your bag is emptied and you’ve begun drying everything out, take everything that’s machine washable and run it through the washing machine. This would include any base layers you were wearing, hockey jerseys and hockey socks.

Like washing any other piece of sports apparel or sports jersey, there are a few things you should keep in mind:

1. Make sure you wash them in cold water on a gentle cycle. This will reduce wear and tear.

2. Use a detergent designed for cold water such as Vapor Fresh Laundry Detergent. This will help maximize your cleaning power in cold water, which is usually tough.

3. Allow everything to air dry. Do not put these items in the dryer! The heat and tumbling will shorten their lifespan.

Let Vapor Fresh help you start fresh at every practice and game! Hockey equipment isn’t easy to keep clean, but with our strong yet safe cleaning products and your proper post-game cleaning routine, you’re equipment will be fresh, clean and last you a long time!