When I was a beginner at baseball games, I was not aware of how to clean baseball batting gloves.
Even I ruined my batting gloves a few times because I didn’t know the proper ways. Then I realized that it is crucial to keep the batting gloves clean and hygienic.
So, I researched more and more and asked my coach to provide me with proper instruction. Then I tried the solutions in the presence of my coach. And guess what?
It results in no more ruining my gloves. Now I have learned and I can use my baseball batting gloves for a long time in several matches.
From then, I think it is very important to understand how to clean them, protect them from damage and keep them safe for further matches.
So, now I will discuss from personal experience and I will share my personal knowledge with you. We will discuss how to clean baseball batting gloves and how to keep them safe for long-lasting use. I hope it will be useful for you.
Why Is It Important To Keep Your Batting Glove Clean?
I think you may know the batting gloves help to grip the bat, protect from vibration, and make the hands warm during matches. These gloves become dirty even sometimes poison can attack.
Besides, if the gloves are not properly clean, no one wants to play with a dirty one.
Dust, mud, and sweat produce bacteria in your glove that has a strange smell. It can also cause Infection. Furthermore, using clean equipment will give you lots more freshness.
As a result, to keep your batting glove in good condition, to keep your hand safe, and to make the gloves long-lasting for many more matches, you will need to clean them.
But do you know the types of batting gloves material?
If you don’t, let me tell you. There are generally two types of materials used in making baseball batting gloves.
- One kind is leather with nylon,
- Another is a synthetic fabric.
Therefore, the washing or cleaning processes of batting gloves are different as well.
Necessary Elements Of Cleaning The Baseball Batting Gloves
Do you have any idea about the elements that will need to clean leather baseball batting gloves or synthetic baseball batting gloves?
Believe it or not, just a few elements that you will find near you to clean them.
Let’s see the elements you might need to clean:
- Brush (for dry leather gloves)
- Alcohol-free detergent
- Cleaning wipe
- Washing machine (synthetic gloves are machine washable)
- Leather cleaning pad (disposable)
- Lukewarm water
- Cool and running water
- Dry towel
- Glove conditioner or shoe conditioner
- Dry cotton wipe
- Antibacterial denture cleanser tablet (if needed)
- Rag or sponge
Step By Step Guide: How To Clean Baseball Batting Gloves
Usually, you need to keep the gloves clean after every match. Because if you wait until the end of all matches, they will become dirtier and unhygienic, and you will need extra time to clean them.
So, to clean white baseball batting gloves on a regular basis, you may follow the following ways:
- Hit the gloves with each other to fall into the dry mud or dirt after practice or game. Keep in mind for your awareness, don’t clap or hit them close to your face. It can cause dust allergy or can harm your nose and eyes. Better hit them with your knee or keep distance from your face or cover your face.
- Don’t put the sweat-soaked gloves in the bag for a long time. Take time to dry them or wipe them with a dry cloth or cotton.
- Brush them with a dry leather brush to clean the visible loose mud or dirt.
But if you need a deep clean of your gloves, you will need the above elements. As I mentioned earlier, the materials differ in the cleaning processes of batting gloves. So, I will discuss the process of how to clean baseball batting gloves separately
Let’s go deeper into the discussion…
Step 01: Cleaning The Leather Baseball Batting Gloves
Primary Cleaning
Use a stain removal cloth to clean your gloves to clean the outside. If you really need to wash your gloves after a game, a fast wash with a disposable deep cleaning wipe is sufficient. But the cleaners you will use must be labeled as safe for leather.
Thorough Cleaning
Sometimes, you may need to clean the inside of the gloves because, unknowingly, if you wear the gloves in dirty hands. At this time, you need to turn the gloves inside out. Follow the below-mentioned instructions:
- Take a bowl with lukewarm water and alcohol-free detergent.
- Mix 4 or 5 drops of detergent in the water.
- Gently rub them after soaking them in the water.
- Don’t rub hard because that can tear your gloves or damage the leather.
- Then, wash them in cool water.
- Lightly squeeze out the extra water. You can use a dry towel to squeeze. It is effective.
- Dry them in the air. Don’t dry them under sunlight or by ironing them
Cleaning The Synthetic Baseball Batting Gloves
Synthetic baseball batting gloves are more sensitive than leather. It needs much care during washing.
Check the label on your gloves for information on how to care for them. The t-ball clean-up baseball batting gloves are made of synthetic fibers. So the instruction you need to follow:
Washing machines are usable for washing synthetic gloves. In fact, this is much safer. But before putting them in the washing machine, read the label attached to the packaging to get instructions on whether it is suitable or not for the washing machine.
You will find this label on the packaging of Under Armour Clean 1243732 youth baseball batting gloves.
- You can not wash the synthetic gloves with hot water settings, and don’t use bleach types detergent.
- You can use an antibacterial denture cleanser tablet. It will keep them bacteria-free and help to store them for a long time.
- Dry your gloves in the same way you will need to do with leather gloves. After washing in the machine, don’t dry in a dryer or iron. It will cause your gloves to shrink. As a result, stay away from them. So, air dry is the best for both types of baseball batting gloves.
- If you are not using a washing machine, wash them with the same ingredients but in a bowl of cool water. Keep in mind hot water is harmful to synthetic gloves. Don’t rub them hard, as I said before, for leather gloves, and put them in the air dry.
Do You Know about the Cleaning Chemicals of Baseball Gloves?
If you want, you can use harmless cleaning chemicals rather than using detergent. There are some of the most effective cleaning chemicals on the market that I can suggest to you. They are:
- Lexol Cleaning Agent: It is one of the best for cleaning and conditioning.
- Horseman One-Step As Baseball Gloves Cleaner: Horseman One-Step is effective on leather and prevents it from peeling.
- Dr. Glove Cleaning Chemical: It is ideal for a smooth transition and also for wonderful conditioning.
- Goo Gone: A Great Cleaning Option: Goo Gone will swiftly clean dust and dirt from your batting gloves.
However, from my personal experience, I must say these processes are effective and best for the gloves. I followed them, and I still obeyed the instructions.
Step 02: Check for Proper Fit
- After cleaning your baseball batting gloves, first, make sure they are completely dry before trying them on. Wet gloves can feel tighter than they actually are.
- Slide your hand into the glove as you would in a game situation. The fit should be snug but not tight enough to restrict movement or cause discomfort.
- Close your fingers into a fist, mimicking the grip you would use on a bat. The gloves should allow you to move your fingers freely without any resistance.
- Check the wrist strap. It should close securely around your wrist without cutting off circulation or causing discomfort.
- Lastly, hold a bat and take a few practice swings to ensure the gloves do not hinder your grip or swing in any way. If any discomfort or restriction is felt during this process, the gloves may need further adjustments.
Step 03: Apply Glove-Conditioner If Needed
- After ensuring a proper fit, it’s time to condition the gloves. Conditioning helps to soften the material, making it more flexible and comfortable to wear.
- Start by applying a small amount of leather conditioner on a soft cloth.
- Gently rub the conditioner into the gloves, paying special attention to the areas that are constantly bent during use, such as the knuckles and finger joints.
- Allow the conditioner to absorb into the gloves. Do not wipe off any excess; it should naturally absorb over time.
- Repeat this process periodically, especially if the gloves start to feel stiff or dry. Regular conditioning can help extend the life of your gloves and enhance performance on the field.
Do you want to paint your baseball helmet? Here is how you can paint your baseball helment.
How Often Should I Clean my Baseball Gloves?
If you use the glove less frequently, perhaps only a few times per month, then a good rule of thumb is to clean it every two to three months.
You should maintain consistent cleaning even with less frequent use, as environmental factors like humidity and temperature can affect the glove’s material.
Remember, proper cleaning and maintenance don’t just keep your glove looking good; it’s crucial to ensure the glove lasts for many seasons.
Therefore, irrespective of how often you play, your glove should always be cleaned and conditioned at the end of each season to prepare it for storage during the off-season.
How Should I Dry My Glove after Cleaning it?
After cleaning your baseball glove, pat it down with a clean, dry towel to remove excess water.
Then, let it air dry naturally in a well-ventilated area. Avoid placing it in direct sunlight or near heat sources like radiators or heaters, as this can cause the leather to dry out and crack.
How To Store Baseball Batting Gloves For A long Time
Besides cleaning in the earlier time, I was not also aware of storing the gloves. Therefore, I found my two favorite batting gloves damaged in the equipment bag.
But one day, in a match, I saw a senior player of our team playing with his old gloves. After the match, I asked him for suggestions. So, he gave me the following tips to store the gloves:
Store The Gloves Dry And Cool
First, you need to check if your gloves are dry or not. Make absolutely sure the glove isn’t wet when putting it in the store.
Please store the gloves in a cool environment. During the winter, the normal temperature is enough to keep your gloves comfortable.
But Pleasanton placed the glove or equipment bag close to a fireplace. Furthermore, do not leave it outside in freezing weather.
Don’t Gather All Equipment In A Small Place
Don’t put too much pressure on the gloves, keep them in a small bag with other equipment. It may destroy the gloves’ shape. So keep this in mind when storing your gloves.
Have you ever thought of making an wooden baseball bat at home? Read this article and let's make one.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I Wash My Baseball Batting Gloves?
Yes, you can wash my baseball batting gloves if gloves are not made of leather. But it is much better to clean them regularly after a match. But if the gloves are too dirty, you will need to wash them with detergent or liquid soap and dry them in the air.
2. How To Clean Baseball Batting Gloves With Soap Instead of Detergent?
If you want, you can use soap instead of detergent, but the soap must also be alcohol-free. Don’t rub the soap on the gloves directly. Rather, use liquid soap to clean the gloves.
3. Should I remove any laces or other parts of the glove before cleaning?
No, it’s generally not necessary to remove the laces or other parts of the glove before cleaning. However, you should be careful to avoid soaking the laces too much as they can shrink when dried.
4. Why Do Disposable Leather Cleaning Pads Important To Clean The Gloves?
Disposable leather cleaning pads are important for cleaning gloves because it clean the gloves softly. The light stain can be removed easily by this.
5. How Many Times Can I Wash The Batting Gloves?
One or two times a month, you can wash the gloves if your matches are running. But keep in mind that there is no need to wash the glove out of the store.
6. How Can I Remove The Bad Smell From Baseball Batting Gloves?
You can add an antibacterial denture cleanser tablet to the water. It keeps the gloves safe by removing bad smells and dirt from the gloves. It actually makes the gloves bacteria-free, so it will also prevent them from smelling bad again.
Wrapping Up
When you are interested in baseball games, you need to know the proper use and cleaning process of the baseball batting gloves.
You know, during playing games, the gloves become dirty. So, aside from removing dirt, cleaning your batting gloves on a regular basis to prevent unpleasant smells will help them last longer.
I hope after reading the whole article, you got the proper suggestions about how to clean baseball batting gloves and properly store them.
For now, goodbye.
Hello everyone. My name is Jason Butler, and I live in California, America. I was a professional AAA Minor League Baseball player. I lost my chance of playing MLB for injury issues, but I did not lose my love for baseball. I attended the coaching training program and am now working as a coach in a small school in San Diego.
I always love to share my experience and knowledge if that can help you. Play baseball, and stay fit.