The more leather baseball gloves are cared for, the longer they will last, thus, saving you money, and saving you from the hassle of having to break in new gloves. There are actually a few tips you can follow when you wash leather gloves, as well as tricks you can use for baseball glove care which can enhance how your gloves look as well as elongate their lifespan:
Tip #1: Dust gloves off on a regular basis.
Did you know that dust is like a sandpaper that ‘hurts’ leather based things e.g. your glove, your leather jacket, and so on, which is why you need to eliminate dust on your leather baseball gloves from time to time. Just take a towel or even a rag and wipe away the dust that accumulated on your gloves.
Tip #2: Remove unnecessary spots.
Another tip on how to clean leather gloves is removing unwanted spots. For instance, if you notice pen marks on your baseball glove, you can place a small amount of hairspray on the problem areas, wipe with a small piece of cloth, then, just blot that spot with paper towels to remove those marks.
If grease stains are found on your baseball gloves, even if you wash leather gloves many times, you may not be able to get rid of those oil stains totally. The solution: Place rubber cement on the stained spot, wait for it to dry, then, proceed to rubbing it off – you’ll surely notice that the stains are gone after performing this procedure.
For alcohol stains, try wiping them off with half a cup of water + half a cup of vinegar. The said solution also works with stains made by sugar based liquids e.g. caramel.
Tip #3: Store leather baseball gloves in the right place.
Proper baseball glove care means not allowing gloves to become damp as that can result to molds forming on them. The best way to store leather gloves, therefore, is to store them in an area that’s dry and cool, while wrapped with cloth that has the right size as the gloves. You should also avoid placing other stuff on top of the wrapped gloves to avoid crease formations which can shorten the gloves’ life spans.
Tip #4: Wash leather gloves properly.
Experts say that gloves should be washed at least once per year. How to clean leather gloves the right way: wet gloves with cool water and apply mild soap on them. Rinse the gloves, then, squeeze out water gently. Avoid wringing out gloves just to take out water because wringing them out will destroy their shape. For better results, purchase a special detergent for leather products which you can use every time you clean your precious gloves.
Tip #5: Dry leather baseball gloves appropriately.
Drying gloves is simple. You just have to place them on top of a towel. Make sure that they are left to dry at room temperature. More often than not, it takes a few days for the gloves to become completely dry. As soon as they’re really dry, it is best to apply some leather conditioner to maintain their soft texture and to prevent them from developing cracks.
