Maintaining Your Soccer Equipment: 5 Points to Remember

The fall soccer season is right around the corner, which means it's time to clean your equipment and come up with some safe and convenient storage solutions. Organizing your gear and taking care of it on- and off-season will prolong the life of your ball, cleats and uniform and ensure you play and practice to the best of your ability. Plus, maintaining your equipment will save you money in the long run. 

Here are a few things to remember as you get to work:

1. Treat Your Ball With Respect 

Improper care and flagrant abuse of your soccer ball can completely ruin it within a single season. However, if you take care of it, your ball should stand up to years of games and practices. Therefore, it's important to both store and clean it carefully and treat it with respect.

One of the best ways to prolong your ball's life is to clean it regularly. After every game or practice, use a damp cloth to wipe off dirt and debris. Doing so will also improve its playability. You should take care not to put too much weight on the ball either as this can warp its shape and scuff it up. Lastly, remember to deflate it before storing it to give the bladder a rest.

2. Keep the Cleats Clean

In addition to caring for your ball, you should also prioritize keeping your cleats in good condition. After all, your cleats allow you to play your absolute best on the field, so you don't want to wear them down or ruin them. 

As with your ball, keeping your cleats clean is one of the best ways to prolong their life and help you keep your footing during games. Keep popsicle sticks or a putty knife in your duffel bag to clean between your cleats between games or during halftime for optimal grip. Then, use laundry detergent and warm water to clean the uppers when you get home. 

3. Regulate Garage Temperatures 

Of course, you'll also want to store your equipment properly between games and during the off-season. Otherwise, you could inadvertently damage your gear, leaving you unprepared for the next season and with less cash in your wallet after replacing certain items. 

If you plan to store your gear in the garage, it's good practice to regulate the temperature inside. Otherwise, your equipment may expand and contract with fluctuating temperatures, causing them to crack and break. To ensure an optimal climate, you might increase the insulation in exterior walls and replace your garage door with an insulated one. Alternatively, you can install an awning or ceiling fan, open the door to provide ventilation and declutter to improve airflow. 

4. Organize With Bins, Bags and Racks

Organize your equipment better and keep it cool, dry and safe from critters with smart storage solutions. You can purchase storage units like stackable bins or shoe racks or build your own. Either way, storing your most precious gear in a covered container of some sort is a good idea. 

Do you have some extra duffel bags lying around the house? Store your equipment in them and stack them along a wall or loop the straps around wall pegs. You might also use storage bins or shoe racks to organize your things and keep them off the ground. Are you tool-savvy and love woodworking? Build your own rolling cart with bungee cords and hooks. You can easily move it around the garage as you reorganize each season.

5. Use Your Walls and Ceiling

Don't just take up floor space — make good use of your walls and ceiling, too. After all, if you want to park your cars in the garage this winter, you can't store all your soccer equipment on bulky racks and carts. 

Once again, grab your hammer, drill and saw and DIY your way to a smart storage solution. In most garages, a large pegboard with hooks and nails will provide an adequate amount of storage space without crowding out your vehicles. If you end up needing more room, look up. As long as the overhead beams are stable, you can easily install ceiling hooks or a sliding bin system. Label the bottoms of containers to locate gear quickly and easily.  

Take Responsibility

Ultimately, it's your responsibility to clean and care for your soccer equipment. If you want to be the best player you can be and save some money while doing it, putting some effort into maintaining and protecting your gear will prove to be more than worth it.

Author Bio:

Oscar Collins is the managing editor at Modded. He writes about cars, fitness, the outdoors and more. Follow @TModded on Twitter for more articles from the Modded team.