drying rack

[coachkadub]

I was just wondering,how do most players dry thier gear? Do they use drying racks or keep the stuff in the bags to get stinky? Do they dip it in the pool or use the washing machine? Let me know. thank you coachkadub

[RichardGraham]

Hi coachkadub,

Once I borrowed Ari Pe's helmet in a Topcat tournament and almost suffocated. Another time, I accidentally picked up a teammate's glove after an ice hockey game. My car stunk so bad I thought a skunk had been cooked in my engine.

Some guys do leave their stuff in their bags and those folks deserve to be shot...

After a game, I spray my gear with Sonic Aroma <A HREF="http://sonicsports.com/products-hockey.html" target="_new">http://sonicsports.com/products-hockey.html</A> and then air it out. I hear other people have found success with Febreze. I will also occasionally use the washing machine for my gloves and lightweight inline hockey shoulder pads, but I let them dry naturally. Good luck!

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[eurekaiv]

IMO the best thing that you can do is simply dry your equipment ASAP after each skate. I bought one of those steel racks for around $40 at Lowes and either hang or lay my gear on it when I get home from a skate. I also turn on a very small fan to circulate the air around. This is all in a fairly decent sized closet btw. My gear barely smells if it smells at all. Even gloves I've used for months have no significant hockey odor. Another thing is, I don't recommend Febreeze since it will make your equipment oily and it's very difficult to get out.

[RichardGraham]

Hi eurekaiv,

Thanks for the heads up on Frebreeze. I've never used it, I just heard it recommended. However, I've just "aired" out my equipment before, and that wasn't enough. Too much "animal musk," I believe. /wtimages/icons/wink.gif

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[cyclonewinger]

Dry you gear gentlemen and have it washed once in awhile. I have seen players get infections and even get sick.

Never borrow a jersey from a goalie "Too Nasty".

[SpiderRat]

What are you talking about!! We are the cleanest players on the floor. We only get nasty when you players rub up against us with your nasty sweat. I remember this one time when Mike H. shook my hand after a game. I put my hand back in my glove and I couldn't get the smell out for months. They don't call him dirty for nothing.

Blah Blah Blah, Shoot the puck already

[EndGame]

I built a drying rack for myself out of PVC pipe. It has one pipe up the middle and two "arms" and legs" branching out of it. I stuck a small fan pointing up the figure's bottom, and drilled holes where my pads hang. It was a fun project and it dries my equipment out very fast. I usually spray it with generic antibacterial air freshening stuff. Fabreeze is too expensive.

[CreaseKeeper28]

yeah, seriously...what 'chu talkin bout willis???

Bill "The worm"

[NJCoach28]

Avoid Febreeze on your eqipment. It is a chemical, not a disinfectant, it will soak from your equipment into your skin. Not good. I have seen infections from using it. Best bet is naturally dry it out in the open air. The cleaning systems that are out there do work well. I have used Esporta with a great deal of success. I now use something called Tri-Lex, actually designed to clean our firefighters gear here at work. It is the same principal as Esporta. An actual enzyme is injected into the gear and it eats all the odor causing bacteria. Do it once a season, or every ten weeks, its worth it.

[fromonkey]

Man... I really like febreeze too. Been using it for a year or two on my gear after games and it's worked for me.

I air my gear out on a grated pvc shelf in the garage. Usually spray the febreeze on my leg, elbow, girdle and gloves every time I play and also take the helmet out of the helmet bag and let it dry out. And the jersey and roller pants go into the washer, every time. Haven't dealt with hockey funk since middle school when I was playing every day after school and there was just no time to let it dry out.

[sactosaxons]

I've also found that taking the gear (gloves, elbow pads, shin guards) to a laundromat and tossing 'em in one of the washers with no center agitation gizmo works wonders. Take 'em home, hang 'em up to dry.