How to Clean Boxing Gloves

Knowing how to clean boxing gloves is an important step to make them last long. If possible, you should clean them up right after each training session. If not, at least take good care of them in between uses. In this article, we will discuss all methods you can use to always keep your gloves sanitized and smell fresh.

Before Use

Other items that are directly in contact with gloves will affect the cleanliness of the gloves. So make sure those things below will also be taken into consideration.

Wash up your hands before putting gloves on

Inner side of the gloves is usually the most difficult part to reach. So the best way to decrease the chance of caused bacteria is to make sure your hands clean before wearing on the gloves. Wash your hands with soap is ensure excessive cleanliness.

Hand sanitizer is also a great substitute in case you can’t find any soap and water nearby.

Take good care of your hand wraps

In most cases, you always should use hand wraps. Not only do they help to give extra layer of protection to your hands but they have an important role in soaking up sweats from your hands, letting inside of the glove dry up quickly.

That is why you also should take good care of your wraps: washing them frequently, allowing them to be completely dry before putting in use.

Wearing wet hand wraps is like putting wet socks in shoes, so make sure they are always dry for usage. Also change your wraps periodically when they wear out.

How to Clean Boxing Gloves After Use

There are different methods you can combine to achieve the ultimate result for cleaning your boxing gloves.

Get boxing gloves out from your gym bag

The first thing you will ever want to do when getting home after the training session is to take boxing gloves out of your gym bag. The dark, tight and wet environment in your gym bag will make bacteria and odor enhance.

Let your gloves dry, especially inside parts

You can just air dry by hanging them by the sunny window or close by a fan. Just make sure the area is well-ventilated. If you need the gloves to dry quickly, utilize a hot air blower but remember to carefully adjust the temperature.

Use the stuffing method

This method is mainly to air out and deodorize the boxing gloves. There are a variety of options you can use to stuff in the gloves such as:

• Glove Dogs: They are basically a couple of breathable cotton bags filled with cedar chips – which you can insert into gloves quickly. These items are optimized for absorbing moisture, purifying air and eliminating odor in the boxing glove’s interior. You can easily buy them on Amazon.
• Cedar Wood Chips That Are Put In A Stock: This method is simply a DIY version of glove dogs. Just put cedar good chips into a sock and place into the glove’s palm area.
• Paper / Newspaper: This is probably the cheapest method working just fine. This is efficient for small areas such as thumb or finger parts of boxing gloves

Utilize Chemical Solutions

Using disinfectant sprays or wipes is a quick and convenient way to clean up, remove moisture and odor and help with anti-bacteria solution for your boxing gloves. However, you need to read the using instruction thoroughly to check if the chemical might have harsh effects on your glove material (vinyl vs weather).

However, don’t take this method for granted as the primary method of sanitizing your gloves. It is efficient in covering up the odors but hard to dry out the gloves entirely. You’d better combine chemical solutions with other cleaning routines.

Freeze Your Gloves

If all above tricks cannot improve significantly the condition of your gloves, the last rescuer is to freeze the gloves in order to kill off bacteria. All you need to do is put the gloves into a zip-lock bag and place into the freezer overnight or around 12 hours. Then take them out, remove the bag and leave the gloves air dry until they are entirely dry.

However, the extreme temperature effect of this trick is in question. Does it affect the gloves’ integrity or damage the skin material? So, you’d better utilize this method with concern.

>>Read more: Can you punch a heavy bag without gloves?

Q&A

Can you wash boxing gloves and hand wraps in washing machines?

For boxing gloves, NO! It will tear your gloves apart with the powerful motions and totally damage your gloves, especially the padding inside.

For hand wraps, YES but just once in a while. It’s recommended to put the wraps in laundry bags to avoid them from tangling.

So are boxing gloves washable?

Yes, but not in washing machines. You can wash them by using a cloth with soap and water, wipe down and let them dry completely.

Do you have a video demonstrating how to clean boxing gloves?

We don’t have one yet but these guys from Fight Tips make an awesome one. Check it out below!