This One’s For the Parents…
Your kids stink. Not at lacrosse, but literally; they smell. And we get it, when we were playing we didn’t want to spend our time cleaning our stuff either. We just wanted to focus on getting better, and then enjoy ourselves off the field once practice was over.
Not only is it common hygiene to clean your stuff, but no one wants to practice next to the guy who is radiating his or her stink all over the field. There are also health risks that come along with leaving your things uncleaned: Athlete’s foot, jock itch, and staph infection are all possibilities, and can sideline you in severe cases. But you asked and we listened, so here is how to keep your kid’s lacrosse equipment as fresh as their skills out on the field.
First and Foremost, Don’t Ever…
EVER, for any reason, leave your equipment closed in your bag after a game, or practice, or tournament. This will not only dig the smell deep into the fabric of your equipment, it won’t allow the sweat to dry and your equipment will still be wet when you try to put it on the next time. It will also stink up your bag – which is a whole other problem in and of itself. Overall, it’s just gross. Don’t ever, for any reason, leave your nasty equipment in your bag.
Getting Down to the Nitty Gritty
Alright, now that you know what to avoid, here’s how to actually wash this stuff. There’s two ways to go about this: handwashing or machine washing. If you are going to hand wash, get a large container (i.e. a tub, a large sink or a large bucket), and fill the container with warm water. Then, take your detergent and fill the container with the appropriate amount – you’re probably going to want to use the same amount that you would use for an average load of laundry, or maybe a little more if it really smells. Then, put your equipment in and gently massage the soap into the material. Do this for each piece of equipment for about 10-15 minutes, making sure you don’t miss any spots. Then, lay out your equipment to dry, either outside or in a dry spot inside.
If you want to wash your equipment in a machine, first check the tags on your equipment to make sure it is machine washable. Then, put the machine on delicates, add your detergent, and start your cycle. We would still recommend air drying your equipment, but if you want to machine dry then be sure to also use the delicate cycle.
To get a cleaning advantage, we at LU recommend you use Sweat-X. This is an activewear specific detergent used to get out the toughest stains and odors, in even the most unconventional materials. They have a variety of products, such as stain remover, odor remover, and a new Max Odor killing detergent.
We know cleaning sucks, and no one wants to take extra time to clean lacrosse equipment, but in the long run it will help your kids be more comfortable while they perform out on the field.