To ensure your hockey equipment lasts long, it’s important to wash and maintain it properly. Doing so also helps avoid unpleasant odors and reduces the risk of skin irritations caused by bacteria. Here is a complete guide on how to take care of your equipment – including skates, hockey pads, and base layers.

After a practice or match, your hockey pads, skates, and other accessories are usually damp from both water and sweat. If you don’t care for your gear properly, the moisture can lead to bad odors and damage to your equipment. To avoid this, it’s important to dry any damp items, wash them regularly, and store your hockey equipment properly. In this guide, we provide valuable tips on how to keep your hockey pads and other gear clean and in good condition for a long time.

How to maintain and wash your hockey pads
Jockstraps, shoulder pads, elbow pads, neck guards, and shin pads should all be washed regularly to prevent bad odors. Pads that are particularly exposed to sweat and moisture should be washed more frequently – ideally once a month, depending on how often you play. This is especially important for jockstraps and neck guards, which sit close to the body in areas where we tend to sweat more. You should not exceed 40°C and it’s best to use a laundry bag when washing the pads. Avoid using a tumble dryer, and instead, let the pads air dry.

How to keep your hockey gloves clean and fresh
Hockey gloves are highly exposed to moisture – both from the outside and from hand sweat that attacks the gloves from the inside. As a result, gloves are often the part of the equipment that develops the worst odors over time. Additionally, it’s common for holes to form in the inner gloves due to the leather being attacked by moisture and then drying out. There are several methods to care for the gloves and avoid bad odors, such as washing them with a bit of vinegar or placing them in a plastic bag in the freezer to kill the bacteria. However, the most important thing is to take care of them well from the start, before the bad smell has a chance to settle and cause damage. This is done by making sure to store them in a dry, warm place between practices and games so that they dry properly. Additionally, you can wash them at 30°C as soon as you notice a slight odor, without using the spin cycle, and air dry them afterward. Not only will this reduce bad odors, but it will also help your gloves last longer.

How to maintain your skates properly
First and foremost, always use skate guards when walking to and from the dressing room and the ice rink. This will prevent dirt, gravel, and other hard objects from causing direct damage to the blades. It’s also important to keep the skate guards clean and free of dirt and gravel by rinsing them with water. You can also rinse the blades with warm water after a game or practice and then dry them thoroughly with a clean towel. After use, remove the insoles from the skates to dry both the insoles and the inside of the skates. This prevents moisture buildup on the rivets, which can otherwise be damaged or even come loose. Store your skates in a dry and clean place, without the skate guards on.

How to take care of your helmet, visor, and cage
Regularly check that all screws are secure and that the chin strap is properly fastened. Be especially careful to ensure that the helmet does not have any cracks, as this could severely compromise its protective capability. To clean the visor, use a special visor spray or mild soap and water. If you use a cage, make sure all the "wires" are symmetrical and not bent, as this could cause the cage to break upon impact from pucks or sticks.

How to wash your base layer
A base layer is designed to keep you warm and to wick moisture away from your body. As a result, base layers, including socks, are particularly exposed to moisture, which can cause unpleasant odors and, in the worst case, bacterial buildup. In addition to hygiene and comfort, it is important that your base layer is both dry and clean to avoid rashes or even skin infections. Always hang your base layer to dry after practices and games, but more importantly, wash it as often as possible. Socks and base layers should be washed at 60°C to ensure that any bacteria are killed.