How do you clean and sanitize boxing gloves?

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How To Clean Boxing Gloves
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(No Transcript)
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• Have you ever been training and seemed to keep
  catching a whiff of something so offensive and
  vile that it basically hurt your feelings? 
• Have you ever angrily stomped around the room,
  searching for this criminal act's culprit only to
  realize that the true perpetrators were located
  directly above your very own forearms? 
• One of the harsh truths of boxing is that without
  some proper hygiene and care, your gloves can end
  up smelling far worse than a rotten egg sandwich
  left on the floor of a paper mill on a hot
  summers day. 

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• In the ring, boxing gloves are solid armor, but
  the idea of cleaning them comes with a bitter
  afterthought. Simply put, trying to clean boxing
  gloves challenges the norm of regular washing.
  So, cleaning them is a fundamentally different
  ballgame. 
• For those who don't know, regular hand washing or
  machine wash won't do the trick to clean your
  boxing gloves thoroughly. 
• Sure, machine washing might help, but the truth
  is that this tends to cause damage to the gloves.
  So if you want to preserve the investment on your
  boxing gloves, you can't afford to machine wash
  them. 

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• The stench that comes from stinky gloves is the
  odor of bacteria breeding. Yes, you read that
  right - from bacteria breeding. Whether you like
  it or not, your gloves are a perfect bacterial
  breeding ground since you'll be sweating a lot
  during each training, and moisture promotes
  bacterial growth. To make matters even worse,
  many people tend to throw their gloves in a bag
  immediately after using them, which is also a
  place for bacteria to breed and grow, causing
  your gloves to stink even more. 
• This is because bacteria and harmful germs thrive
  in dark, warm environments. By keeping your
  boxing gloves clean and dry, you can keep stinky
  smells at bay. Here are some methods to keep your
  gloves clean and smelling fresh.

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Preventive Care

• Since prevention is usually always better than a
  cure, take steps to prevent your boxing gloves
  from getting bacteria and germs. 
• Let them dry completely. Allowing your gloves to
  dry completely after every use is crucial in
  keeping them clean because germs need moisture to
  survive, and bacteria needs moisture to grow. If
  you don't dry your boxing gloves after wearing
  them, they may become smelly.
• Try hanging your boxing gloves in a
  well-ventilated area.
• You can also let them air-dry in the sun as well,
  just be sure to check the weather for rain!

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• Wipe your gloves after every use. Another
  excellent method to keep your gloves from
  stinking up a storm is by merely wiping them
  inside and out with a clean towel after use.
  Doing this will greatly minimize the amount of
  moisture in your gloves to prevent bacteria from
  growing. 

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• Don't put your gloves in your bag. We already
  covered this but we are listing it again because
  it's important - never place your boxing gloves
  in your bag immediately after using them. 
• Place your gloves in a plastic bag after use.
• Take your gloves home, remove them from the
  plastic bag, and let them air-dry.
• Once they are done drying, it is then safe to put
  them in your bag. 

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• Use hand wraps. One of the best methods to soak
  up sweat in your gloves and prevent them from
  getting moist is by using hand wraps. Hand wraps
  will act like a sponge and absorb the moisture
  from padding the inside of your boxing gloves.
  This method works really well, but you will need
  to clean your hand wraps on a regular basis.
  Otherwise, they will start to stink, which will
  cause your gloves to stink too. 

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• Wash your hands. This may sound kind of silly as
  we are sure you don't need to be told to wash
  your hands, but it's an important preventative
  measure, so we're including it to the list! If
  you are trying to prevent your boxing gloves from
  smelling like yesterday's garbage, always wash
  your hands and dry them completely before
  slipping them on. 

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• Hands carry so much bacteria and so many germs.
  When you don't wash them, all of that bacteria
  goes directly into your gloves, and with the
  moisture from when you sweat, that bacteria is
  sure to grow. Do yourself a favor, and before
  slipping on your boxing gloves, always wash your
  hands. 
• Pro tip Keeping a travel size bottle of hand
  sanitizer is an excellent way to help keep your
  hands clean and your boxing gloves from smelling
  as a precaution before you even slip them on. 

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Methods for Cleaning Your Gloves

• Let's face it - we're all human and not perfect.
  If you forget to dry your boxing gloves and they
  become stinky, these methods will for sure help
  you to clean them. 
• Use an anti-bacterial spray to kill germs. Using
  a great anti-bacterial spray on your boxing
  gloves will zap germs and bacteria, proving an
  easy fix to your stink problem. 

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• First, unlace or unwrap your gloves.
• Next, spray them with an anti-bacterial spray.
• Finally, place them in an open and ventilated
  area to dry. 
• Try the saltwater soak approach. Soaking your
  gloves in a saline solution overnight is a
  surefire way to kill bacteria and rid your gloves
  from the stink, once and for all.

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• This solution will break down bacteria and
  dissolve it, leaving behind fresh-smelling
  gloves. However, this method can be dangerous for
  gloves made of certain materials that are not
  reactant to saltwater, so be sure to do a little
  bit of research before using it. 
• Add saline water to a large empty container.
• Place your gloves in the solution.
• Leave them overnight and let them dry in a
  ventilated area the next morning.