How To Clean Boxing Gloves

How To Clean Boxing Gloves

How To Clean Boxing Gloves Guide

In this guide, we'll aim to answer all your questions about how to clean boxing gloves & boxing equipment.
While we mainly focus on boxing gloves here, the below guide can be used with all other pieces of training gear, such as shin guards & headgear.

Boxing gloves are treated differently between each individual.
Whether you're a boxer, kickboxer, Thai fighter, etc. every student treats their boxing gloves in a different way.
How you take care of your equipment pre, during and post-training will directly affect how long your gear lasts, regardless of their build quality!
The team at Punch is here to help you learn when, why, where and how to clean your boxing gloves in order to extend their eventual retirement!

Why should you clean your boxing gloves?

The longevity of course!
Boxing gloves should be treated as an investment, like a new car if you will.
If you treat your boxing gloves with respect, they will pay you back in the long run.
Cleaning your boxing gloves can prevent infections, injury and of course, the need to pay for new boxing gloves every other month!

Womens Black Gold Boxing Glove1

How often should you clean boxing gloves?

After every session, no if's or buts!
Firstly, never leave your boxing gloves or training gear inside of your training bag after a sweaty session, air them out, immediately!
While having a breathable mesh type training bag is also extremely beneficial, keeping sweaty gear separated and in fresh air after training is a sure way to extend the life of your gear.
Once your boxing gloves are out of your bag, give them a quick wipe down with a clean towel or cloth ( at the very least ) to ensure any excess sweat doesn't set inside your boxing gloves.
If there is a lot of moisture within the boxing glove, inserting a dry towel or cloth may help absorb some of the excess sweat away from the inner lining, a ceiling or stand-up fan can greatly assist with the drying process also!
Another method is dabbing a small amount of baby powder into your boxing gloves which can have the same effect as the above, just remember to shake the powder out shortly after application.
Once wiped down, move them to a cool, dry area, preferably undercover, away from the sun with good air circulation and cool temperature if possible.

If the sun is still out, using sunlight in small doses can be beneficial for drying, too long under the sun however can be detrimental, especially if they were soaking wet, to begin with!
Ensure to keep an eye on your training gear when leaving them in the sun.

Punch Trophy Getter Black Pink 2020

How do you clean and sanitise smelly gloves?

Noone likes the disgusting smell of old boxing gloves!
Once boxing gloves or other fight gear starts to produce odour, removing it can be difficult as the bad smell is actually a consequence of not drying/cleaning your boxing gloves to begin with.
Prevention, in this case, is certainly more important than a cure!
To prevent bad smells from occurring in the first place, we recommend using boxing hand wraps, quick wraps or cotton inners EVERY time you train.
Think of this as wearing socks inside your shoes, without them, we all know how badly the smell can be after a hard day's work...
The same applies to boxing gloves, wearing boxing wraps creates a moisture barrier between your hand and boxing gloves, never forget to wear them!

To clean gloves with a current odour issue,
A light spray of natural disinfectant or deodorizer after each session can help to remove bacteria and some of the nasty smell.
Try to avoid any products with harsh or strong chemicals as they have the potential of causing damage to your boxing gloves and training gear.

Should you wash your boxing gloves?

In short... NO!
Light hand cleaning like the above is recommended, however, a heavy wash or soak is not!
If you felt the need to ever do the above, your boxing gloves are ready for retirement!
You shouldn't wash boxing gloves or other boxing equipment as the water or cleaning agents will soak into the casings and foams.
This can dramatically speed up their wear and tear, it's best to keep your boxing gloves away from any heavy wash/washing machine to ensure their longevity.

Dont Clean Boxing Gloves In Washing Machine

How often should you cycle my boxing gloves?

Our team recommends owning 2 pairs of boxing gloves if you train more than approx. 1-2 times per week.
Why?
Longevity and hygiene of course!
If you wear one pair of boxing gloves for every session, they will deteriorate much faster and not have enough time to dry in-between training sessions.
Particularly if you are a fighter, having a pair of boxing gloves for heavy bag/pad training and another pair for sparring is extremely beneficial.
You should not only have a longer lifespan in your equipment but each pair will have enough time to dry.

Boxing Glove Health Check

Remember to do a quick maintenance check on your equipment every few months, doing this will keep you pro-active with taking care of your boxing gloves and help minimise the risk of injury the next time you train.

1. How are your gloves/gear holding up?
Are they deteriorating in any particular area, is the padding ok? Is the stitching or casing broken or torn in any areas?
You wouldn't drive around with a flat tire, so it's best not to hit the bag with gloves that are also broken down.

2. Do your boxing gloves/gear cause discomfort or pain while training?
While pain and injury can be inevitable in any combat sport, wearing protective equipment can definitely lower the risks.
Your hands contain small bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons which aren't designed to take a continuous beating.
Wearing boxing gloves with adequate padding and support in the right areas should help lower the chances of injury.

Your training gear should also feel comfortable to wear throughout your training session.
If you feel consistent pain in your hand, knuckles, wrists, forearms, etc.
It's best to speak to your coach or even better, speak to one of our team members who can assist you in finding your next pair of boxing gloves to suit your needs!

3. Does your training gear smell?
If your boxing gloves can make a skunk feel nauseous, it may be time to hang them up.
There is nothing worse than being told by a teammate that you smell!

In summary,
If any of the above questions are a yes, you should consider purchasing or upgrading your boxing gloves/training gear.
Punch Equipment supplies over 10 awesome variations of boxing gloves alone, as Punch understands each person's needs are different.

Whether you need serious protection, comfort, or durability, Punch Equipment® has a boxing glove for you!
Thanks for reading our guide on how to clean boxing gloves.