Summer is the best time of year for many athletes. Finally, the baseball pitches can open and the soccer and football fields are clear of snow. Even winter athletes find new activities to enjoy in the offseason!
Of course, with the heat comes summer sweat, and no athlete is immune, including your kids. After a summer spent sweating under the hot sun, there’s no doubt that their equipment is starting to show signs of excess odour, despite your best efforts to keep things fresh. While you may have been diligent in airing out their gear after every practice, washing equipment at home, and even keeping deodorizing products in their sports bags, eventually the sweat is going to catch up to you, and your kids’ gear will need a professional cleaning.
You might be wondering why you should take the time and spend your money on professional gear cleaning. At Love Your Gear, we have the largest sports equipment cleaning facility in Toronto and can handle any type of specialized equipment.
We are experts in the field of bacteria removal and cleaning when it comes to footwear, sports bags, protective pads, uniforms and more. But beyond our facilities and expertise, there are some really important reasons why we’re the top choice for getting your kids’ sports equipment cleaned. Take a look to see why:
1. We Can Help Eliminate Those Nasty Smells From Your Home, Garage and Car
We’re big proponents of airing out your kids’ equipment, including their bag, after every practice and game. But with busy lives, it can become difficult to stay diligent with this task, especially if you’re carting different kids to various sports and activities throughout the week.
Unfortunately, the more time sports equipment spends in a stuffy bag, garage or car trunk, the more likely it is to build up various types of bacteria, which ultimately leads to odours. We all try our best to keep things clean, but over time the sweat eventually starts to win. Dead skin cells that come off as your kids are wearing their equipment contribute to bacterial growth and the ensuing smells, and while home remedies (such as hand washing and deodorizing products) may provide temporary relief, the thing that will ultimately get rid of those odours is a professional cleaning that can really dig deep into padding, shoes and other items to eliminate bacteria.
2. We Can Help Keep Your Kids From Getting Sick
Socializing is a big part of growing up, and between school, home and their other activities, kids spend a lot of time in communal environments. While it’s likely that they’ll pick up a common cold or flu at some point in their childhood, it’s important to remember that places like locker rooms and sports facilities can be breeding grounds for the viruses that cause these illnesses. Just as you and your children’s school have kids wash their hands on a regular basis and promote proper hygiene, it’s important that this message continues into their sporting lives as well.
It’s an unfortunate fact that sports equipment can be an effective conductor of viruses, which are especially easy to pick up when your kids are using the same spaces that other, potentially sick, kids and parents are using to spread out their gear and get dressed for a game.
We always recommend having hand sanitizer with you and cleansing cloths for your kids’ post-game sweat. You should also make showering at home a priority if possible, as damp communal environments like locker room showers can be places for viruses to spread as well. And at the end of the season, to make sure you’re not storing anything other than the sports equipment itself, a professional cleaning will help to keep their gear in top shape, and help keep your family from getting sick.
3. We Can Help You Save Money in the Long Run
A few of the most difficult things to eliminate from sports equipment using at-home remedies are three major enemies of cleanliness – fungi, mold spores and yeast.
Since sports equipment absorbs sweat, it can’t help but become a damp environment over time, which is the ideal condition for the growth of mold and fungus. Not only do these organisms create their own smells, but over time they contribute to the breakdown and weakening of your kids’ sports gear.
Many sports, especially hockey and football, require a lot of expensive equipment to get kids through a season. If possible, parents are always looking for ways to save money on this gear, especially if they have another, younger child who will likely be playing the same sports as their siblings as they get older. Getting your kids’ gear professionally cleaned at the end of the season will extend the life of this equipment, and help to make your investment less fleeting. Contact us today to ensure your children’s gear lasts a lot longer.