Do you remember the time when you got your first baseball glove? We bet you do. Your baseball glove was your prized possession during your childhood days. And we can say for sure that it still is one of the most important possessions for you if you continue to play baseball either occasionally or regularly.
We all want to take good care of our prized possessions. For a baseball glove, it is very essential to keep it clean, both the inside and outside of it. Almost all of us usually clean the outside part and forget about the inside. Here lies the problem. A baseball glove has to go through a lot.
Sweaty hands, tough weather, long games, and more. All of this damages the inside of the glove and not to mention makes it sticky and smelly. Without proper and regular cleaning of the inside of the baseball glove, the longevity of the glove will decrease. You can check out our picks for First Base Mitt as well.
You must now understand how important it is to keep the inside of a baseball glove clean as well as it’s outside. You may want to know more about the process and that is why you are here. Don’t worry. We will discuss in detail how to clean the inside of the glove in simple five steps.
The five steps are
- Wiping
- Cleaning or washing
- Rinsing
- Drying
- Applying Oil
What you’ll need to clean the inside of a baseball glove
Table of Contents
A few materials are required to clean the interior of a baseball glove. Don’t be alarmed because none of the goods necessary are uncommon. The majority of them are commonplace home objects. If you’re a true baseball player, you’ll already have the rest.
In the parts where they are discussed, we will offer you information on objects particular to baseball cleaning. You will require the following items:
- Dry cloths
- Warm and cool water
- Mild soap
- Glove conditioner and Glove oil
It’s time to start cleaning the inside of a baseball glove now that you’ve gathered these tools and prepared them. If you are looking for the Goalkeeper Gloves with Finger Protection, you can find the recommendations here.
Steps of How to Clean the Inside of a Baseball Glove
These five steps have been designed keeping in mind all types of baseball gloves like leather baseball gloves or even softball gloves. If you want better results, follow each of the steps as closely as possible. We will now move on to explain in detail these five steps. You might consider checking out the Batting Gloves to Prevent Blisters to use here.
Step 1: Using a dry towel, wipe the surface.
You’ll need a dry cloth of some sort for the first step, preferably a clean, dry cloth. Remove any moisture, filth, or grime that has accumulated within the glove using a clean, dry cloth.
You’ll need to shake the glove vigorously to get rid of all the filth and debris. Next, insert a slender stick into each finger and shove the dry cloth inside. Spend some time on this step because it is the first and most crucial.
After washing, store the glove in a dry, cool location for 10-15 minutes.
Step 2: Wash with a mild soap.
Get some warm water before you begin the second step. For this stage, you’ll need some soft and mild soap. In general, you’ll want something that doesn’t have any aroma and doesn’t have any antibacterial characteristics.
Those characteristics aren’t required for this technique and, in certain situations, will actually harm the glove. Now add a few drops of soap to the heated water and thoroughly mix it in. Get another clean, dry rag; you’re going to need a lot of them. Wring the fabric tightly after soaking it in the soap mixture.
After that, wipe the glove’s inside leather palms with the wrung cloth. To begin, press the fabric into each finger and wipe the interior leather areas of the finger with a small stick. In this phase, be careful not to harm the glove’s leather.
Step 3: Rinse well with cold water.
In the third phase, all we’ll need is water, and it needs to be chilly water. Simply wring out a clean, dry fabric after dipping it in cold water. Wipe the glove clean with the completely wrong material.
Make sure the cloth is only a little moist, not soaked. Because water causes leather to shrink. If you’re not sure how to remove all soap residue from the glove, go to the first step’s instructions.
Step 4: Allow it to totally dry.
The fourth step is actually the most important, so pay attention. The glove will be dried in this phase. It may appear that drying the glove is unimportant, but it is. In fact, excess moisture of any type is bad for gloves, baseball gloves, and softball gloves.
To begin, obtain another clean, dry towel and pat the glove as dry as possible with it. Pay special attention to hard-to-reach locations and use a thin stick to guide your fingertips. After ensuring that the glove is completely dry, store it in a cool, dry location.
You’ll have to keep the glove there for a week or so. You may use a fan to speed up the procedure a little bit.
Step 5: Apply Glove Oil
You’ll need a baseball glove care product, such as glove conditioner or glove oil, for the fifth and final step. The conditioner or oil will assist keep the glove supple and soft in general. A gentle, clean cloth may also be required.
When leather dries after cleaning, it might shrink or crack; however, we can use a leather cleaner to avoid any harm. As a result, finishing with an oil and conditioner like Wilson Pro Stock is critical.
Because of its importance, there are several possibilities for baseball or softball glove oil and leather conditioner, so read our post to learn about the top options on the market in 2022.
How-To Clean Your Baseball Glove?
Final Words
Whether you are a professional or infrequent player or even a beginner, you must know how to keep the inside of a baseball glove clean to make sure it lasts for a long time.
A baseball glove usually gets damaged very quickly due to all the dirt, sweat it accumulates inside. The steps that we have described here will prevent the damage and extend the longevity of the gloves. So, follow the steps and you will have a very good glove to serve you in your next games.
Mark Robinson is a sportswriter for various companies. He received his B.A. from the University of Washington in 1999, majoring in journalism. He specializes in sports reports. As he believes in love to create, to share, and to make people smile.