How to Wash Your Hockey Gear

There's nothing quite like the stench of old sweat on hockey gear to inspire one to do a bit of laundry. Fortunately, most padded hockey gear can be washed in a commercial front-loading washing machine. While your padded and cloth gear is washing, you can work on wiping down your helmet shell. Cleaning your hockey gear after every game and after hard practices is a good practice to keep the smell from becoming a problem.

Things You'll Need

  • Sponge
  • No-tear shampoo or dish soap
  • Front-loading washing machine
  • Deodorizing detergent or baking soda
  • Fabric freshening spray
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove any padding that you can from inside the hockey helmet and set them aside with the rest of your padded hockey gear.

    • 2

      Wipe down all hard surfaces on the hockey helmet with a rag dipped in a small bowl of no-tear shampoo mixed with water, or with a mild dish detergent. Rinse by wiping with a clean sponge or holding the helmet under running water, then dry thoroughly with a clean towel.

    • 3

      Place any padded hockey gear---shoulder pads, pants, gloves, shin guards--- and the padding from inside your helmet in a front-loading washing machine. If you don't have such a washing machine in your home, you'll need to go to a Laundromat.

    • 4

      Set the washing machine to a gentle cycle and cool water. Add a deodorizing detergent to the wash or use about 1/2 a cup of baking soda.

    • 5

      Run the hockey gear through the entire wash cycle, then set out in a well-ventilated area to dry. You can also run the hockey gear through your laundry drier on an air-fluff, no heat setting.

    • 6

      Spray the hockey gear down, inside and out, with a fabric freshener if odors persist after the washing.