Don’t waste your money on buying a new pair every time, and learn how to clean a baseball glove in three steps.
Baseball is an amusing game that helps in improving one’s physical and emotional strength, as it involves body movements, responses, and social interactions. To become a part of any physical activity, some safety measures must be taken, and baseball is no exception. A player should wear safety gear, including a helmet, knee pads, elbow protectors, and gloves. The batting gloves play a vital role; let me tell you why…
The baseball gloves provide protection and grip to the player’s hands, giving them comfort and safety during the game. Gloves also add convenience in different weather conditions, like during summer, it absorbs heat and sweat to maintain the grip.
At the same time, it prevents your hands from vibrating or stung in winters, making batting easier for you. So you see, wearing gloves is never a bad idea during a baseball game, but once you get one pair, it is essential to clean them in the right way.
No one feels comfortable with a dirty pair of gloves, right? Therefore, it is necessary to know different ways to clean or restore the baseball gloves. This can be done using brushes, rags, cleaners, etc., but you should know which item is the most convenient and practical for gloves. In this way, I decided to summarise this discussion for your better understanding and help. So, let’s not waste more time and open up this blog!
How To Clean A Baseball Glove?
To increase the durability of anything, it is crucial to follow the instructions given by its manufacturer. The same formula goes with baseball gloves produced by different companies, each claiming different take care directions to the users.
Thus, the first thing you need to do is find the manual and follow the guidelines given on it. For example, some gloves boast specific materials like leather or other organic stuff, which demands extra care and protection and can only be cleaned via recommended conditioners or cleaners.
Therefore, you should follow those methods instead of adopting your own; otherwise, you might ruin your gloves. Below, I’ll provide a general way with tips to make it easier for you to choose and adopt one that goes best with your pair.
Step-By-Step Process
The cleaning process of baseball gloves includes three significant steps: cleaning, conditioning, and storing. In all three steps, you need to be focused and soft so that you won’t deteriorate your gloves. Let’s start with the cleaning stage in which you’ll need a cleaner, brush, and a cloth piece.
1. Cleaning
For cleaning, use any soap or detergent which is not toxic; however, using a dishwasher is not a good idea. Apply it directly onto the gloves, like you do to wash your clothes by hand. With a bristled hand brush, gently rub the surface to remove all the dirt from it. In this step, you can use some water to make cleaning easier and smooth, but please do not soak your gloves in liquid. Once you’re done, wipe the gloves using a cloth piece!
Tips
In the cleaning step, I suggest you use a leather cleaner if you have one because it will not harm your gloves. Secondly, try to remove the laces from your baseball gloves as it helps you clean thoroughly. After cleaning, move on to the next step, which is conditioning.
2. Conditioning
You’ll require a good quality glove conditioner and a clean cloth piece in this step. Gently apply the conditioner using that cloth piece all over the gloves in circular motions. Once you complete the surface area, wait for 24 hours or as directed by the manufacturer so that the moisturizer will absorb into the gloves completely.
Tips
In the conditioning step, I suggest you be as gentle as possible and follow the directions as supervised by manufacturers. Secondly, try not to over-use the conditioner because it might result in more dust particles sticking over the surface. The primary purpose of the conditioning step is to restore the glossy and oily nature of leather.
3. Storing
Once you’re done with cleaning your gloves, it’s time for their storage! For this purpose, find a suitable dry corner where there will be no weight over the gloves so that their shape will remain as it is. Secondly, make sure that the gloves are completely dry before keeping those in a storage area.
FAQs
Can you wash a baseball glove?
Yes! You can clean a glove pair using warm water and regular soap. Make sure to use soap or detergent that is mild not to harm your gloves. Wash the gloves so that they will not absorb plenty of water, and dry right after washing using a damp cloth or air dryer. Please never use a dishwasher for this purpose as it contains toxic chemicals.
Does water ruin a baseball glove?
It depends on the material of your baseball gloves. In general, water is not a good option for you if you have a leather pair because water removes the oily layer from the leather, making it less durable and non-glossy than before. In some cases, water also weakens or cracks the laces of your gloves.
What cleaner is safe for leather?
There are different leather cleaning agents available in the market which are safe to use but cause you bucks. In this way, make a DIY cleaner for your leather by mixing two essential ingredients from your kitchen, i.e., vinegar and water. Mix equal portions of both to create a solution, and rub this over your leather gloves using a cloth piece to remove dirt particles.
Final Statement
In a nutshell, wearing gloves is necessary while playing baseball, as it provides ultimate protection, grip, and support throughout the match. The gloves aren’t something on which one can spend money over and over again, so their regular cleaning is required. In this article, I have shared the simple cleaning process to clean regular baseball gloves.
Happy Gaming!
