Anyone who boxs or kickboxes knows the feeling: you just bought a new set of boxing gloves, and within a few weeks, they're already worn off.
A few more weeks of training and they'll start to stink. That's not pleasant, considering the gloves are on your hands several times a week.
Discover everything you need to know in this blog to keep your gloves fresh for as long as possible.
Where does the smell come from?
Boxing gloves develop a smell over time due to a combination of sweat, bacteria and sometimes even fungus.
During exercise, your body produces sweat to protect you from overheating. This sweat is absorbed by the lining and padding of your gloves. Because the inside of your gloves is warm and wet, it creates the ideal environment for bacteria and fungi to grow.
These feed on your sweat and produce a specific odor as a byproduct. This is the unpleasant smell you notice over time.
3 tips to keep your boxing gloves clean
Now that we know where the smell comes from, it's pretty easy to combat the unpleasant odor. There are several ways to prevent your gloves from getting smelly or to remove as much of the odor as possible once it's already there.
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Ventilate: When fresh air gets into the gloves, they quickly lose heat. This is precisely what bacteria like. So make sure you always take your gloves out of your bag after training when you get home.
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Drying: Besides removing the heat from your gloves, it's also important to dry them. This eliminates the ideal environment for bacteria to grow, and it's also more pleasant for you the next time you train. You can use a hairdryer, for example, to dry the inside of your gloves.
Pro tip: Use a shoe freshener from Shoefresh.
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Antibacterial spray: Once your gloves start to smell, it's very difficult to completely eliminate the odor. However, you can drastically reduce the smell and keep your gloves fresher longer. Antibacterial sprays kill the bacteria and are often scented, so your gloves stay fresh.
View our antibacterial sprays here.
Do your gloves need replacing?
Are you really unable to get rid of the smell and are your gloves completely worn out? Click here to view all our boxing gloves.
Would you rather speak to an advisor? Call +31 85 06 06 340