Hockey Equipment Tips and FAQs:

How To Clean Hockey Pants Overview

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.

Clean Your Hockey Pants - Step 1

Remove the pads from your ice hockey pants (if they are removable).

Clean Your Hockey Pants - 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.

Clean Your Hockey Pants - Step 3

Hang the hockey pants to air dry on a clothing line outside if the weather is warm and dry. Otherwise, hang the hockey 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.

Clean Your Hockey Pants - Step 4

Spray your hockey pants and removable pads with disinfectant spray if they still smell after washing and air-drying.

Clean Your Hockey Pants - 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. If hang drying your pants outside be sure to hang them in the shade as the UV rays will wear down the nylon fabric.

Clean Your Hockey Pants - Step 6

Spray disinfectant spray on your hockey pants and removable pads between washings to kill harmful bacteria and to minimize odor. We recommend spraying your gear after hockey games which also allows you and others to handle the smell of your hockey bag and gear on the drive home after your hockey game.

Clean Your Hockey Pants - Step 7

After spraying disinfectant spray on your hockey pants and they dry insert dryer sheets. Dryer sheets are an essential component of any laundry cycle, both for their anti static properties and for their fresh aroma, but throwing them away after every dryer load seems like a waste so stuff them in your ice hockey pants, elbow pads, skates, etc. to help minimize odor and remove moisture.

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 To Clean Your Hockey Pants:

Special thanks to the website www.livestrong.com, Read more here: http://www.livestrong.com/article/91046-clean-hockey-pants/#ixzz1HveWKQqO