Cleaning Gear
 

I searched and couldnt find anything on this forum, so does anybody have any tips for cleaning gear at the end of the year? Just simple mild soap & water on cp, leg guards, ect.? Thanks.

My .02
 

I did the end of season clean up twice this past year.....Figured I was done in August, but ended up with some fall ball so I got to do it twice ...so here are my thoughts...

I first clean out all my gear from the mobile dressing room. From March to August, the trunk and back seat are home to an ever changing array of uniforms and gear.

I take everything into my basement game room and sort out each piece. All uniforms shirts, T-shirts, compression shorts, pants, socks, jackets and ball bags are washed. I take this as a good opportunity to inventory what needs replaced this off season.

I wipe off each piece of gear with basic laundry detergent and water. I have used 409 and simple green. Once clean I spray each piece with Fabreeze and hang them up. I do not store my gear in my bag over the offseason. I also clean my gear bags...the smaller ones go in the washing maching the large one, I just wipe out.

Shoes are polished, laced up and I make sure that they have shoe trees in them for the off season.

Best part of the process is at the end I have the christmas want list ready to give to the wife....

Stan

End of the year is no different than end of the week for me. I hose my CP and SG's down with plain water outside and lay them on top of a bush to air dry. Shoes get polished regularly anyway so they get put up polished. I hang my clothes up in a closet vs. trunk of my car. My gear goes in the attic. It stays there for maybe 2.5 months max before start all over again. Ball bags do get washed before putting up, and that don't happen weekly during the season, maybe twice max.

Best method i've found:


Water + Baking Soda.

Works like none other! Just take a tupperware tray and fill it half way up with water, and pour about a little less than a tablespoon of baking soda in there and mix it around. (I don't know the exact amount of baking soada, but just play around with the mixture a little bit).

Then take a small scrub brush and dip it in there and scrub down your shin guards, chest protector, and mask. The smell practically vanishes. You can stick your nose right up to the worst smelling part of your equipment, take a big whiff, and not smell a thing. It's great!

cleaning gear
 

All good suggestions, but one thing that I have found that works nice for shoes is to clean them with saddle soap to remove all old polish, let dry and them put in the oven to heat them up (about 175 degrees) and then apply a coat of mink oil. Really conditions the leather and by heating them up it opens up the leather so that it can really sink in. Works wonders on football shoes too.:)

Mink Oil
 

Does the mink oil dry enough not to attract dust onto the shoes?

Have you ever seen a dusty mink???

LOL
Sorry I had to write this.:D