How To Maintain Your Gear During the Off-Season

top view of various sport balls, baseball bat and glove, badminton racket on green lawn

Spending all season putting your heart and soul into the sport that you’re passionate about isn’t exactly an easy task, but it certainly can be rewarding. With lots to concentrate on, such as strategies and practice, it can get difficult to schedule a time to regularly and thoroughly clean your gear.

As Wayne Gretzky once said, “Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.” We completely agree with Gretzky, which is why we want to help all athletes avoid procrastinating on storing away their gear after a season of hustle.

If your duffle bag contains a smell that your friends and family members often comment on, you’re not the only one. Recently, we put together a guide on how to maintain your sports gear. While the tips were adjusted to those that regularly take part in a sport, we’ve decided to compile a list of our best tips on how you can maintain your gear during the off-season.

Keep Your Gear Separate From Other Equipment

Wall storage for gear

 When you don’t need something for a long period of time, it can be tempting to toss it into a bin or store it away with lots of other items. One of the crucial parts of maintaining your gear during the off-season is to give it space. Avoid mixing up your gear with other equipment or household products. Here are a few ways you can effectively store your gear:

  • Wall Storage: Find a spot in your home that has an empty wall or a significant amount of free space. Whether it’s in a basement, garage, or spare bedroom, any wall will do the trick. Visit your local hardware store to pick up one of the following: floating shelves, metal baskets, assorted hooks, wall studs, ball claws, wood planks. Feel free to choose which works best with your home. Having a wall dedicated to your gear will help keep it organized and undamaged.
  • Closet Storage: Though it’s easiest to toss your gear into any closet, it’s not exactly the most responsible thing to do. Utilize any bins or cardboard boxes you have and give your gear its own spot in the closet. Rather than having expensive equipment tossed amongst jackets and shoes, you can keep it stored safely in bins.
  • Sports Room Storage: If you’re lucky enough to have a room in your home dedicated to your sports gear, take full advantage of it! Install a combination of wall and closet units to maximize your space and keep your gear organized.

Air Out Your Gear

Close-up view of various balls and sports equipment near grey wall

Storing away your gear for months at a time can cause a build-up of smell and odor. To ensure this doesn’t happen, air out your gear every so often. Even after storing it effectively in your home, it’s still possible for smells and odors to transfer onto your gear, especially if it’s hanging on a wall. If you do start to notice a smell, don’t toss your gear into the laundry basket. Wash each item individually or take your gear outside and leave it there overnight. After airing it out, put it back into storage or rewash if necessary.

Continue To Clean Your Gear

Mid adult woman doing laundry. Turning on or off washing machine.

 

As rewarding as it is to share the experience of winning a game with your teammates, playing a sport comes along with unpleasant body smells that quickly transfer onto your gear. If you regularly play a sport, you may wonder why the sports odor spreads so quickly and why it’s difficult to shake.

A common misconception about storing away your gear is that it will make the odor vanish. It’s completely untrue that putting away your equipment for off-season means that you no longer have to clean any of it. The longer your equipment sits around, the more dust and dirt it can collect over time. We recommend doing a bi-weekly or monthly cleaning to avoid having to rely on Febreze as a solution.

Need Professional Gear Cleaning Help?

Hockey equipment left on the floor

 

Maintaining sports gear is no easy task. If you’re tired of dealing with the odor and smell that won’t disappear from your duffle bag, don’t stress! We’re more than happy to work our gear cleaning magic.

 With over 30 years of experience, we know what it takes to remove bacteria and stench by sanitizing, cleaning, and maintaining gear the right way. At Love Your Gear, we take pride in saying that our specialized cleaning process completely eliminates any viruses, potential bacteria, mold spores, fungus, and more. We are dedicated to ensuring that any of your sports gear is odor-free with a money-back guarantee.

To learn more about our sports cleaning services and prices, feel free to contact us today to get a free quote for gear cleaning.