How To Air Out Lacrosse Equipment

If you ever accidentally left a lacrosse bag of wet lacrosse gear overnight, you probably swore to yourself never do that again. “The worst smell in the world has to be wet lacrosse gear after a long game or practice.” Say no more. Today, we are going to fix that for you. 

Additional benefits of keeping your lacrosse equipment odor-free and clean include prevention from infections and wound complications. Hence, airing out lacrosse equipment is critical in terms of keeping players safe and healthy. 

There are a couple of ways to air and dry out your lacrosse equipment. Depending on what tools and resources you have at hand, you might find some methods easier and more convenient than others.

6 ways to air out your lacrosse equipment

Window Dry

This is the easiest way to dry out your lacrosse equipment. Simply put your wet lacrosse equipment by the window and let it air out naturally. Crack the window open so the air can ventilate and blow dry your wet equipment. 

In a typical student dorm or an apartment, the space near the window is pretty limited so if you are planning to air out your equipment this way, it might only fit gloves and shoulder pads. After a game or practice, leave them by the window to get exposed to the open air dry of sunlight. Don’t delay the process since it takes time to air out. 

How To Air Out Lacrosse Equipment

Direct Sun Exposure

In contrast to window dry, full 360 direct sun exposure works more effectively. To follow this method, you would need to find an open and secure space without the blockage of the sun. It could be a rooftop, running field, or a park. Direct sun exposure allows extra heat to speed up the process and kills odor-causing bacteria. 

Just remember to pick them up after. Or if you don’t feel safe leaving them behind for too long, read a book or hang out with some friends in the meantime. Especially if there’s potential rain later in the day, it’s best to keep an eye on them.

Hair Dryer

If you are looking for a quick and lazy fix, this is the way to go. To do this, you will need a hairdryer. Similar to how you dry your hair, you are drying the wet lacrosse equipment instead. I normally don’t recommend this method as a hairdryer can overheat the gear that causes damage. So to minimize the risk, also set it on low when drying your wet lacrosse equipment. Also remember to move and rotate the equipment around so every part receives the same heat.

Paper Towel/Newspaper Pack

If you have some paper towels and newspapers handy, this could be an even faster and more effective method. We choose paper towels and newspapers because both are really good at absorbing water and moisture. 

All you need to do is wrap and pack your wet lacrosse equipment with paper towels or newspaper a few times and let it sit for 5 minutes. 2 or 3 replacements are good enough. At this point, your equipment is probably dry but still not smelling great. 

It’s time for a sports cleaning spray. It’s the most popular and common way to fight odor on your lacrosse equipment. By spraying everything down after it’s dry, your equipment will be clean and ready for use again. 

I recommend Vapor Fresh Sports Cleaning and Deodorizing Spray. Unlike a lot of harmful heavy-used cleaning sprays, Vapor Fresh is 100% natural and is not made of harmful chemicals like ammonia, chlorine and artificial fragrances. It works like a charm that fights any tough and strong odors. 

How To Air Out Lacrosse Equipment

Laundry Wash/Dry

If you have some time to spare for thorough cleaning of your lacrosse equipment, the best way to eradicate any remnants, bacteria and bad smell is to throw it in the laundry. There are some dos and donts that are important to keep in mind. 

First of all, helmets should never go into the laundry. Shoulder pads and arm pads can go into the washer but not the dryer. Gloves, socks and uniforms can go into both the washer and the dryer. For shoulder pads and arm pads, you can leave them on a counter to air dry naturally. 

If you are wondering which product is the best detergent for activewear, HEX Performance Laundry Detergent is the best and most popular option for athletes. This detergent is anti-stink and anti-bacterial that removes tough odor and stains. 

Washing your lacrosse equipment is probably the best and the most effective way to clean and deodorize your lacrosse equipment. Even if you don’t have the time to do deep cleaning every week, I high recommend deep cleaning at least twice every season.

How to take care of your equipment

How To Air Out Lacrosse Equipment

This is not only just about keeping the equipment fresh and safe to use, airing it out is a good practice to make it last longer. We all know how expensive lacrosse equipment is, so the best and smart thing to do is to take the best care of it. 

Here are a few tricks and tips that will help you better take care of the equipment:

  1. Remove the inner liners inside the gloves to make sure they can air out properly. Remove the insoldes from cleats to allow sufficient airflow and wipe down the cleats with a damp towel. 
  2. If your cleats and gloves have a very strong and persistent odor, try to sprinkle some Foot, Shoe & Glove Powder inside to eliminate moisture and ordor. 
  3. Once the shoulder pads and arm pads are removed, unstrap everything and expand them as much as possible to improve airflow. 
  4. Take extra care with your helmet. Helmets are very expensive so we want to make them last as long as possible. Apply the cleaning spray to the inside and outside of the helmet and wipe down with a towel. After that, leave it upside down to continue the drying process.

Conclusion

As we wrap up here, you now know everything about how to air out lacrosse equipment and keep it clean and fresh so you are ready to deliver the best performance in the next game. This is one of those things that doesn’t take a ton of time to do but benefits your gameplay and career tremendously. 

Click here to learn how to clean your lacrosse head like a pro

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Adrian James
I am Adrian from Florida. After playing lacrosse for 15 years, I decided to start this website to share my journey and knowledge to help people get better at lacrosse.

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