You put your hockey pants through heavy use. You sweat in them and fall in them, and when you get injured, you sometimes get blood on them. Sweat- and blood-soaked hockey pants are the perfect environment for bacteria to grow in. Keeping your hockey pants dry between use and doing regular cleanings will reduce bacteria growth and eliminate foul odors.
Step 1
Remove the pads from your hockey pants (if they are removable).
Step 2
Launder your hockey pants and pads in a washing machine set on "gentle cycle" and "hot water." Use regular bleach-free clothing detergent. For best results, use a washing machine that does not have an agitator. Hockey pants can catch on the agitator, resulting in snags to the pant material. If you must wash your hockey pants in a machine with an agitator, set the machine to "large load" and wash the pants alone to reduce the chances of snags.
Step 3
Hang the pants to air dry on a clothing line outside if the weather is warm and dry. Otherwise, hang the pants on a hockey gear hanger (available at sporting goods stores), a regular clothes hanger or over the back of a chair. Lay the removable pads flat on top of a dry towel to dry. Flip the pads over after a few hours to allow them to dry on both sides.
Step 4
Spray your hockey pants and removable pads with disinfectant spray if they still smell after washing and air-drying.
Step 5
Hang-dry your hockey pants between washings so bacteria does not grow in the pants' material. Take out the removable pads between washings and lay them flat to dry.
Step 6
Spray disinfectant spray on your pants and removable pads between washings to kill harmful bacteria and to minimize odor.
Tips and Warnings
- Send your hockey pants and removable pads to a professional sporting gear cleaning service to get your pants and pads extra clean when regular laundering fails to remove sweaty odors.
- Different brands of hockey pants are made of different materials. Always check the manufacturer's cleaning directions for your hockey pants before cleaning them. Launder your hockey pants and removable pads alone or with other washable hockey gear. Do not wash them with your regular clothing. Zippers from your regular clothing can snag or tear your hockey pants, and the sweaty smell from your hockey pants can transfer to your regular clothing.
Things You'll Need
- Bleach-free laundry detergent
- Clothes line, hockey gear hanger or clothes hangar
- Disinfectant spray
References
- "Athletic Protective Equipment: Care, Selection, and Fitting"; Scott A. Street, Debra Runkle; 2000
- Elite Skating: How To Hockey Equipment Instructions
- Hughston Sports Medicine Foundation: Proper Safety Equipment for Ice Hockey
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