Cleaning gear

Sorry if this has been asked before. I looked around a bit, but didn't see anything.

I googled this and a couple sites were claiming to put bleach/chlorine in a tub with detergent and let it soak for 3-6 hours. Some places even say it is alright to machine wash (I have a HE front loader...).

Can't this hurt/discolor the fabic?

Any better ways to go about this?

Thanks

Washing machine has always worked for my elbow pads and things like the inner part of my shin pads. I think I put my shoulder pads in there once and it did okay, too. Anything else, I've soaked for a bit in water and detergent, then scrubbed them with a bristled brush. The key has been rinsing everything well and hanging it to dry outside on a nice warm day.

I've never tried bleach, and honestly that would scare me a bit with some of the fabric. You could probably do it pretty diluted and it'd be okay, but again, rinsing it all out thoroughly would be key.

Amazon.com: Febreze Sport Extreme Odor Eliminator Spray: Sports & Outdoors

Give each piece of gear a couple sprays, hang it up and put a fan on it for a couple hours. The only time my gear spends in the bag is to and from the rink. Haven't had a problem yet.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lososaurus

Amazon.com: Febreze Sport Extreme Odor Eliminator Spray: Sports & Outdoors

Give each piece of gear a couple sprays, hang it up and put a fan on it for a couple hours. The only time my gear spends in the bag is to and from the rink. Haven't had a problem yet.

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Haha, I've done febreze in the past, and it is good for covering odor. My main pieces that reek are my shoulders, elbows, and shins.

Thanks guys

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mr. Teeny

Washing machine has always worked for my elbow pads and things like the inner part of my shin pads. I think I put my shoulder pads in there once and it did okay, too. Anything else, I've soaked for a bit in water and detergent, then scrubbed them with a bristled brush. The key has been rinsing everything well and hanging it to dry outside on a nice warm day.

I've never tried bleach, and honestly that would scare me a bit with some of the fabric. You could probably do it pretty diluted and it'd be okay, but again, rinsing it all out thoroughly would be key.

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yeah i did the inner shins and elbows fine. my shoulder pad straps got twisted in the machine and eventually got ripped out. it smelled good though.

I've put:
Gloves
Pants
Shoulder Pads
Elbow Pads
Shin Pad Liners
All in a front loader w/ regular detergent on warm a few times.
I even put it all in the dryer on low for ten minutes to get more water out.

All gear is still in good shape.

Now a days I put a fan on all the gear after I hang it and spray it down w/ good ole Lysol, it's dry in the AM and smells fine. Haven't had to wash anything in years.

Every so often I'll rinse my helmet in the shower w/ hot water.

Some throw their gear in a pool then let it dry in the sun. That's usually the player w/ the faded pants.

i head pouring boiling water on it to kill the bacteria is great. some stuff can go in the washing machine or dishwasher, but i airdry my gear all week personally.

It is sitting in my shower tub right now with liquid detergent and oxiclean...with 30lbs of billet aluminum holding it down to keep it from floating...haha.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by P. Diddy

some stuff can go in the washing machine or dishwasher, but i airdry my gear all week personally.

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:yuck: Please tell me you dont wash your dishes with your hockey gear.

How'd that work dabeechman ? You airdry afterwards ?