There’s nothing like a brand-new white golf glove, but usually, it doesn’t take long for them to stain and get dirty. We’ve put together this article on how to clean golf gloves, so you can benefit from increased durability and performance for your gloves.
Most golfers don’t realize that it’s very easy to clean golf gloves, and it does have an impact on your game!
Golf gloves take quite a beating and are exposed to sweat from your hands, wear and tear from friction, and also the elements which we all know can be quite tough some days on the course.
But gloves play a vital role in our game, since they connect the body with the club, and therefore they should be maintained properly. Not only to increase durability but also to increase performance.
So how do you go about this task? Read on to learn more.
GolfersHacks.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Purchasing through these links will be at no extra cost to you, but it will help us out.
How To Clean Golf Gloves The Best Way
There are a few ways to do this and it all depends on how much time you want to invest in it. Before you start, evaluate if it’s going to benefit you to clean the glove, or it’s better to just buy a new one.
The easy way is to just do a quick cleaning after a good round of golf. Your glove will have been exposed to sweat and dirt among other things. These two things can mostly be washed off.
If not rinsed off they will make your glove go stiff and wear faster in the long run.
The quick cleaning is simply done by pouring some room cold water over your glove while it’s on the hand. Don’t use warm water, since cold water will remove contaminants just as fine.
When the glove is wet, rub it gently with a towel to rinse off dirt and sweat. Leave the glove on your hand for as long as possible to make sure it air dries. It’s a good thing to keep it on so that it retains its form to fit your hand. Check out the video below for a good explanation.
If you feel like the glove needs a more thorough cleaning, there’s also a good way to do that.
It still only involves cold water, but also soap and some more time invested. But it will leave your glove in the best possible state in regards to the wear it’s been exposed to.
Start off by rinsing the glove in cold water – you can do it with the glove on or off. This is to remove surface dirt and most of the dried up sweat.
Then dump the glove into a bucket of cold water and dishwashing soap. Make sure the soap is activated and making suds which can really help to remove the more nasty dirt particles.
Don’t scrub too much on the glove, it can induce more wear to the glove and that shouldn’t be necessary.
Now the glove is thoroughly cleaned and you can rinse it off in cold water.
Again it’s a good idea to keep on the glove and have it air dry. If you don’t have the possibility to do that, put on the glove and squeeze some water out by closing and opening your hand a few times. Then leave it for an hour to dry.
After an hour, put the glove back on to prevent it from setting and shrinking more than necessary. Then take it off and leave it to dry fully.
Cleaning Cabretta Leather Golf Gloves
You can do the above with both leather gloves and synthetic gloves, but there’s one thing to keep in mind with leather gloves. Since it’s a natural material, it will dry out easily from soap left to dry in it.
That’s why it is very important to rinse it thoroughly if using soap so that the leather won’t dry out and crack. Leather will crack when too dry.
We do not recommend machine washing leather gloves since the mechanical force will wear the glove prematurely. Also, it’s not necessary to with machine washing, since you can do just as good with a manual wash.
Can You Wash All Golf Gloves?
Sure you can. But be sure to go around it the best way. Leather gloves are not to be excessively washed since they will deteriorate with moisture.
So you can wash all golf gloves, but be sure to go gentle about it. We recommend that you mostly hand wash your gloves and stay away from machine washing.
I’ve even heard some people mention to throw your golf glove in the dishwasher. Don’t do that! The sheer amount of heat will damage the glove immensely.
So clean them thoroughly and gently by hand, and you can do it with all gloves.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Wash Footjoy Golf Gloves?
It doesn’t matter what brand the golf glove is, if you take the right precautions you can wash your glove. We recommend not to machine wash golf gloves, since it will put too much unwanted stress on the material.
You can wash a Footjoy golf glove the simple way with cold water, a gentle rub and air drying.
Or you can wash it in a bucket of cold water and soap, with a gentle rub and proper drying afterwards.
It is a good idea to do this, as you maximize durability and performance of the glove.
Check out our guide on the best golf gloves to find the right Footjoy glove for you.
How Do You Clean A Titleist Golf Glove?
It is not much different from other gloves. In fact it’s not different at all. You can go about it in a few different ways.
The simple way is to:
- Soak the glove in cold water.
- Gently rub it to get the dirt off and to rinse sweat out.
- Put it on your hand and close/open the hand a few times to squeeze water out.
- Let it air dry.
The more thorough way:
- Rinse off dirt in cold water.
- Make bucket of cold soapy water and immerse the glove.
- Cleanse the glove gently in the bucket.
- Repeat above steps 3. and 4.
This way your Titleist golf glove will be clean and nice for a new round the next day or a few hours later.
How Do You Dry A Golf Glove?
The best way is to let it air dry. But before it dries up be sure to put it on to stretch it and make it conform to your hand.
Never put it in a dryer since it’ll damage the glove and stress the materials!
It can be a good idea to place it on a dry cloth, to absorb some moisture quickly. But it one of the best ways is to hang it on a clothesline for it to air dry.
How To Clean Smelly Golf Gloves?
For golf gloves to smell it usually takes some abuse Maybe it’s left in the golf bag for too long or it hasn’t been set to dry after a round of golf in the rain.
You should consider if you should just get a new glove if the smell is very bad.
If you want to try and remedy the smell, there are a few tips you can try out. For one try the above cleaning method with soapy water.
If regular cleaning doesn’t help, you can try masking the smell with some shaving cream. This is a well-known trick in the hockey world where sweaty equipment is very common
Another trick is to use dryer sheets and put them into the glove after use. They absorb moisture and also helps with a nice smell to mask the bad smell.
No Need to Read From Here
If you are a golf player, golf lover, or an ardent follower of the sport, you know how disgustingly sweaty golf gloves get. Golf gloves are relatively expensive compared to other gloves, so most golfers will fancy every opportunity to reuse them, leading to the question of whether they can be washed.
So, can golf gloves be washed? Most golf gloves are designed to be washable, although golfers are advised to employ caution when washing their gloves. For instance, you should ensure to only wash golf gloves when they are noticeably soiled, as continuous washing may cause the leather to wear.
There are several other unwritten rules as far as the washing of golf gloves is concerned. This article will explain the rules in detail and help guide you through the process of washing your golf gloves. Let’s go!
You probably already know that there’s nothing like a brand new white glove. But you can’t continue buying new gloves every time you want to play, and it doesn’t take too long for your golf gloves to stain and get dirty.
Unfortunately, many golfers do not realize that it is possible and, in fact, easy to clean golf gloves. Several others are scared that it could impact their games (which is not true). If you are still wondering why you should wash your golf gloves, here are some reasons.
1. Golf gloves take some beating over time
Like every other sports item, golf gloves are exposed to conditions that will make them take some beating over time. Most golf gloves have soft leather parts, and these soft leather parts can absorb sweat during play. There’s also the occasional wear and tear that happens from how you grip your club. So over time, you’ll notice that your glove would begin to experience tears because of the beating you’ve exposed it to.
However, knowing when and how to wash your golf gloves can help you increase its active lifespan. In fact, several golfers today are not aware that some habits they consider insignificant can cause their gloves to get dirty. The easiest way to prevent your glove from taking an occasional or regular beating is by knowing the best way to use them and safe ways to clean them. We’ll discuss some of these cleaning methods in the latter part of this article.
2. Exposure to sweat
Golf gloves play a vital role in our game, especially considering that they connect our body with the club. However, the same gloves designed to connect our hands with golf clubs can also be damaged by our sweat. Yes, there are modern gloves designed to reduce perspiration from your hand and improve grip, but such gloves can also begin to wear when oversaturated with liquid sweat. There should be limits, even with leather.
Studies also show that salt from perspiration can dehydrate the leather and cause the glove to break down faster than usual.
3. Bacteria, fungus, and insects
Playing in the open leaves your gloves and every other equipment you are using prone to attack from bacteria and other insects. It’s possible to transfer bacteria, scabies, and fungus from the golf balls or club to your hand gloves. After all, you’ll constantly need to use these gloves to pick your golf ball throughout your stay on the course. The last thing you’ll want is to store these organisms in your house alongside other golf equipment. Fortunately, you can get them out by washing your gloves with the right steps.
4. To maintain personal hygiene
Just like our clothes, not washing dirty hand gloves can affect personal hygiene. As explained above, the sweat and secretions from the body can cause the hand glove to become a natural habitat for microorganisms. Hence, leading to illnesses. On the other hand, proper and regular washing of gloves can remove bad smells from the glove. Your golf gloves will also remain sparkling every time you want to use them.
No matter how you play, your body will produce sweat, develop odors, and shed dead skin cells. These waste products are passed to gloves, and they can cause your gloves to feel and smell different. Occasionally washing them can lift dirt and oil from the gloves, leaving them clean and fresh for the next time you’ll wear them.
How To Clean a Golf Glove?
Now that you know about how perspiration and grit can break down golf gloves, you’ll probably want to remove the build-up immediately after your game. The truth remains that being able to wash your gloves immediately you get home will help to preserve its lifespan. Fortunately, you can easily clean your pair of leather gloves using the following steps.
To wash your golf gloves
- Start by soaking your gloves briefly in a bowl of mildly warm water and detergent.
- After a few minutes, gently wash the gloves to remove dirt, perspiration, and every other thing that needs removal. Please note that some leather gloves do not support washing, so you should note the dos and don’ts of your gloves before washing them. Almost all bionic golf gloves are safe to wash because of their unique manufacturing process and ability to withstand washing.
- Gloves made from Cabretta leather are typically delicate and, as such, do not require regular washing. Therefore, you should only wash them when they are soiled, as frequent washing can cause the leather to wear out.
- We recommend using a mild detergent if you are washing by hand, as hard detergents can have adverse effects on some leather gloves.
- Avoid using bleach to wash leather gloves.
Drying your golf gloves
- Like washing, drying can seem like a lot of work if you don’t know how to go about it. The wrong drying methods can also damage your gloves, so you need to know the right way to do it. Here are tips for properly drying your golf gloves.
- Always remember that the best way to dry your glove is by exposing it to a good level of fresh air. Exposing leather gloves to an extreme amount of heat will cause the leather to shrink or crack.
- While drying your hand gloves in mildly warm weather can help it to dry quickly, it’s important to be careful about the temperature. Leather gloves can begin to dry out if you expose them to arid or warm weather for too long.
- If at any point, you feel like the leather is beginning to dry out, especially after a long day on the golf course or after washing, you should use some leather conditioner. Leather conditioners are designed to ensure that the leather remains supple for long. When conditioning, we recommend giving attention to the creases because those are areas where the hands and fingers need to remain fingers. If you are unsure about the right place to buy conditioners or the right conditioners to use, we recommend selecting from the numerous options available online.
Maintaining Golf Gloves
Since regularly washing your gloves can sometimes be an issue for them, we need to discuss how to maintain gloves so you won’t need to wash them too often. Of course, golf gloves need constant freshening up, but constant cleaning can also cause them to get pretty ripe. There’s no rule or etiquette when it comes to how long it should take before you wash your gloves, but the farther you can go with your glove without needing to wash, the better for you. Here are a few maintenance tips that you can adopt to properly maintain your golf gloves without necessarily washing them too regularly.
Practice with your old gloves
Like every other sport, becoming a professional in golf requires constant practice. You can’t buy a new pair of gloves every time you want to practice, especially if you are still playing at an amateur level. This is where using your old gloves comes into play. You can try playing a couple of rounds with the same gloves. However, take note of when they begin to fail to grip the club as well as you’d like. If it gets to this point, consider replacing them.
Store them properly
It’s not just about what you do with your gloves on the course. It is also important to store them properly. Cleaning your gloves after use keeps them fresh and ready for use during your next game.
Wash them as regularly as you can
New gloves are great, but they are not always an option. If you own a few pairs, try rotating them to keep them fresh between washings. You can wash the old ones for reuse during casual rounds and practice sessions, so your new pairs don’t wear out on time.
Take them off between rounds
This is one tip that many golfers often take for granted. Yes, leaving your gloves between rounds might be tempting, but that would make it more prone to dirt and sweat. As explained above, sweat and dirt are not friends with your leather, so removing them between rounds would help to prolong their lifespan.
Conclusion: Can You Wash Golf Gloves?
That’s it, a detailed look into the question “can golf gloves be washed.” So far, we’ve seen that washing golf gloves is possible and even recommended. However, there are procedures to be followed if you do not want to damage your gloves.
Repeatedly wearing your gloves without washing them can damage the gloves or even leave you prone to diseases. You can follow the steps outlined in this article to wash and dry your golf gloves.
We’ve also highlighted some maintenance tips to help ensure that your gloves last longer without getting damaged by the effects of regular washing.