So you are driving home from the latest game and then it hits you. The smell of the sweaty hockey gear jammed in the back of your vehicle. When your child is young the smell doesn’t present itself as a problem. But as they mature they will sweat a lot more and leave it behind in their equipment and clothes.  Although you should clean the hockey equipment on a regular basis it gets more important as you son or daughter gets older.

 Most people do not realize that most of the hockey equipment can be put in a washing machine. Best to use a front loading NON agitator machine like a laundromat uses. To clean your hockey equipment you can put the shoulder pads, pants, gloves, shin guards and just about anything else except skates and helmets into your washing machine. A gentle wash cycle and some good deodorizing detergent can HELP take care of the odor and bacteria. Just wash and set aside in a nice open area to fully dry. Using OT Spray Fresh spray freshener is highly recommended to help kill and take care of the bacteria and odor.

When cleaning a hockey helmet you should make sure you use a very mild soap and water. I would suggest a no tear shampoo and water mixture with a sponge. Just fully wash the helmet inside and out with the mixture and rinse well making sure you get all the soap off. Then fully dry the hockey helmet with a clean towel. Using the no tear shampoo will ensure that if you did not get all the soap your hockey player will not have stinging shampoo in his/her eyes during the next game. This is a great time to check for any loose or broken snaps on the helmet. Also you should look for any cracks or hard impacts. If you see any cracks REPLACE the hockey helmet immediately.

The best course of action on the hockey skates is to get them some fresh air right after use to fully dry the inside of the skate. Once dry you can use a sprinkle of deodorizing foot powder to keep them fresh and odor free.

Once your equipment is dry you can maintain the freshness of your hockey equipment between washing with OT Spray Fresh spray freshener. Using a quick spray of OT Spray Freshener will keep your gear smelling better longer between deep cleanings. You can also put fabric softener sheets in your bag after washing it. This will eliminate odors within the bag between washings.

One of The most important factors in keeping the hockey equipment clean is to take your equipment out of the bag after every use. Just think of it this way only use your hockey bag to transport your equipment never for storage.