Boxing gloves are very important to protect your hands and your opponent's face from getting injured during a fight. However, boxing gloves will eventually stink from bacteria and sweat. If you clean and care for them regularly, your boxing gloves will stay clean, odor free, and last longer. To keep your boxing gloves clean, you should always make sure they are dry after each use so that bacteria inside the gloves don't grow and develop.
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Part 1 of 3: Cleaning and Sanitizing Boxing Gloves
Step 1. Remove the boxing gloves from the gym bag as soon as possible
When you put on your boxing gloves, the bacteria on your hands is transferred to them. These bacteria get their nourishment from sweat, and give off an unpleasant odor when growing that is commonly found on unclean sports equipment. Since the air inside the gym bag doesn't flow, it's the perfect place for bacteria to grow. If you keep boxing gloves in your bag, take them out as soon as you get home.
If possible, don't put boxing gloves in your bag. It would be great if the air inside the boxing gloves was allowed to flow. So, it's a good idea to carry boxing gloves outside of your gym bag
Step 2. Wipe off your boxing gloves
Once removed from the gym bag, immediately wipe your boxing gloves with a cloth or towel to absorb excess moisture. Wrap your hands in a towel and put them in boxing gloves. Dig into the inside of the boxing glove so that the sweat inside is absorbed by the towel. Repeat this process on the other hand of the boxing glove.
Step 3. Clean the inside of the boxing gloves
After wiping as much moisture as possible from the inside of the boxing glove, sanitize and disinfect it using a balanced (1:1) solution of water and vinegar. Put the solution in a spray bottle and spray the inside of your boxing gloves several times.
- You can use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar to clean boxing gloves.
- For added antibacterial and antifungal properties, mix 10 drops of tea tree oil in a vinegar solution.
- Do not use harsh cleaning sprays as they can damage and irritate the skin.
- Also avoid products like Febreze because they only cover odors and don't kill bacteria. This product can also make boxing gloves stiff and uncomfortable when worn.
Step 4. Clean the outside of the boxing gloves
Spray the vinegar solution until it coats the entire outside of the boxing glove. After that, wipe with a clean towel to remove dirt, sweat, and residual cleaning solution.
Step 5. Condition the boxing gloves
Many boxing gloves are made of leather and must be conditioned to perform well. The leather of boxing gloves comes from living things so it can dry like human skin. There are many commercial leather conditioners sold in the market. Otherwise, you can use essential oils.
To condition the gloves, pour a little conditioner or a few drops of oil on the outside of the gloves. Use a lint-free cloth and rub the oil on the leather of the glove in a circular motion. When you're done, wipe the outside of the glove with a clean towel to remove any excess oil
Part 2 of 3: Drying the Boxing Gloves
Step 1. Aerate the boxing gloves
Since bacteria live thanks to sweat and moisture trapped in boxing gloves, the cleanliness of boxing gloves can be maintained by keeping them dry. After sanitizing the inside of the glove with vinegar and cleaning the outside, let the glove air dry until it is completely dry.
- To dry the gloves, remove the straps, open the gloves as wide as possible, and reattach the straps to keep the gloves open.
- Place the gloves or hang them in a well-ventilated area, near a window, or in front of a fan.
- Even if you don't sanitize and clean your gloves after each use, you should always dry them well when you're done wearing them.
Step 2. Fill the boxing gloves with newsprint
One way to dry boxing gloves quickly is to put newspaper in them. Newsprint will absorb excess moisture inside the boxing glove and keep it wide open so air can flow freely.
Squeeze a few pieces of paper into two balls. Put the balls in each glove and let it sit for two hours. Check these newsprint balls periodically, and if they feel wet to the point, replace them with new paper balls
Step 3. Use a hair dryer
If you're going to be fighting multiple times in the near future where your gloves need to dry quickly, it's best to use a hairdryer. Make sure you wear the lowest setting as the heat can damage the gloves and harden the skin.
Turn on the hairdryer on the coldest setting and point the nozzle at the glove opening. Check for moisture inside the glove every five minutes, and when one glove is dry, move on to the other
Step 4. Try not to dry the boxing gloves in the sun
While the sun's rays are great for drying things, boxing gloves are not one of them. Sunlight can dry out boxing gloves and kill bacteria, but if left for too long, your gloves can be damaged just as the sun damages human skin.
- If you want to hang your gloves to dry, don't leave them in direct sunlight, and don't leave them in the sun for more than 20-30 minutes at a time.
- Read the end of this article entitled "Tips" and then "Warnings" to find out more about how to get rid of bacteria/bad odors using the freeze/thaw method.
Part 3 of 3: Fragrant Boxing Gloves
Step 1. Neutralize bad odors with baking soda
Baking soda is a universal deodorizer and can be used to get rid of and neutralize bad odors inside boxing gloves. When your gloves are dry, sprinkle a few pinches of baking soda inside each glove and let it sit for two hours.
To remove the baking soda, pat your boxing gloves on or use a small-nosed vacuum cleaner
Step 2. Use a dryer sheet
After cleaning and drying the gloves, take a dryer sheet and wipe the inside of each of your gloves. If you want, you can leave half the dryer sheet inside until it's time to put the gloves back on.
Step 3. Use cedar pieces
Take a pair of clean cotton socks and fill each with a piece of cedar (which is usually used for fumigating animal food or bedding). Tie the open ends of the socks and tuck one into each of your boxing gloves.
Cut cedar not only makes boxing gloves smell good, it also absorbs bacteria and excess moisture
Step 4. Use essential oils
Essential oils are great for scenting things, including boxing gloves. What's more, certain essential oils also have antibacterial and antifungal properties. Add 10 drops of the desired essential oil to one cup (240 ml) of water and mix in a spray bottle. After that, spray each glove once or twice. The essential oils that have the best antibacterial and antifungal properties include:
- Lemongrass
- Eucalyptus
- Peppermint
- Orange
Tips
Gloves will keep the gloves drier and cleaner because most of the sweat on your hands will be absorbed. Hand pads are also easier to clean, so wash them regularly
Warning
Use the freeze/thaw method to drastically reduce the number of bacteria and odors.
1. Clean boxing gloves as described above as dirt, oil and sweat will protect bacteria (especially against chemical antimicrobial cleaners and treatments). Place the boxing gloves in a plastic bag and freeze in the freezer overnight.
2. Take it out the next day and return it to room temperature. Repeat the process several times to kill a large number of bacteria. The more often this method is used, the more bacteria will be removed from the glove.
The bacteria count will double every 30 minutes so keep your boxing gloves clean and dry while taking the preventive measures described above and preventing bad odors from developing. If left unchecked, bacteria will grow and develop even if only briefly because it is impossible to get rid of all the bacteria on the boxing glove. Washing hands well before putting on boxing gloves will also help. Dirt, oil, dead skin cells, heat and humidity are conditions that bacteria need to grow. Therefore, you need to get rid of them to prevent the growth of bacteria.
