How to wash hockey gear

Air out everything after every skate, wash jerseys, socks and base layers after each use, and machine wash the pads every week or two: fasten the Velcro, use a gentle cycle and regular or sports detergent, skip the bleach, then air dry for up to 24 hours.^1,2,3,4,5,6 Never put helmets, skates or goalie pads in the washer, and keep gloves, helmets and skates out of the dryer.^4,5

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What can go in the washer

Gear	Machine wash	How to clean it
Helmet	No	Hand clean only. Remove the cage and chin cup first. Wipe the inside, mask and chin cup with a damp cloth and mild soap such as dish soap, then wipe dry. Dry after each use, out of direct sunlight. No paint, adhesives or other chemicals unless the maker approves them. Disinfecting wipes after each use are fine.^1,2,5,7,8
Gloves	With care	USA Hockey and Pure Hockey allow a gentle washer cycle. Hockey Canada only advises air drying and warns that wet palms can crack. Never put gloves in the dryer or on direct heat; prop them open to dry.^1,2,5
Shoulder pads	Yes	Gentle/delicate cycle; do not overload the washer. Hang to dry after each use.^1,2,5
Elbow pads	Yes	Gentle/delicate cycle; remove liners when possible. Dry in a ventilated place.^1,2,5
Shin guards	With care	Liners go on the gentle/delicate cycle; wipe the hard shells with disinfecting wipes. Hockey Canada suggests lightly soapy water and a soft brush, plus a fan to speed drying on multi-game days.^1,2
Pants	Yes	Machine washable; check the label before using a dryer. Hockey Canada says to wash removable padding with mild detergent and air dry it several times a season.^2,5
Girdle/jock	Yes	Remove the plastic cup before washing and follow the care label. Hockey Canada says the straps can be machine washed regularly.^2,5
Base layer	Yes	Wash often, after every game or practice.^1,4,5
Socks/jersey	Yes	Wash after each use. Fasten the Velcro on socks, wash jerseys on the gentle cycle, follow the garment label and hang to dry. Hockey Canada suggests lukewarm water to avoid shrinking.^1,2,5,8
Skates	No	Never machine wash or soak skates. After each skate, wipe the blades dry, remove the footbeds to air dry, loosen the laces and pull the tongue forward. Wipe or spray with disinfectant.^1,2,5,8,9

How to machine wash hockey gear

Empty the bag completely and separate the items.^4,5
Fasten every Velcro strap.⁵
Optional pre-soak in warm water with detergent and 1 cup of white vinegar for 45 minutes to 1 hour.^4,5
Use the gentle/delicate cycle for shoulder pads, elbow pads, shin pad liners and gloves.^1,5
Regular household detergent works. Pure Hockey and Ice Warehouse suggest a sports detergent.^1,5,13
Pure Hockey, Source for Sports and HockeyShot say to skip bleach. HockeyShot says it can deteriorate padding.^4,5,6
Do not overload the washer.⁵
Front-loaders tumble gear well. With a top-loader, let the gear soak about 15 minutes after the drum fills.¹⁴
Never machine wash helmets, skates or goalie pads.^4,5

How to dry hockey gear

Take gear out of the washer right away.⁵
Let gear air dry completely, which may take up to 24 hours.¹
Gloves, helmets, skates and goalie pads never go in the dryer. Check every label before using one.⁵
Never dry gear on direct heat. It can break down fibers and padding and crack leather.^2,6
Spread items out on a drying rack in a warm, ventilated spot. A fan speeds drying.^2,5,6
A boot and glove dryer is an option for skates and gloves.⁵
Do not pack gear back into the bag until it is completely dry.⁵
Removing skate insoles roughly halves the drying time.³

After every skate

Take all gear out of the bag at home and hang it to air dry.^1,2,3,4
Wash jerseys, socks and undergarments after each use.¹
Wipe the helmet, skates, sticks and shin pad shells with disinfecting wipes, or spray gear with disinfectant.^1,5,8,13
Skates: wipe the blades dry, pull out the footbeds, loosen the laces and open the tongue.^2,4,9
Helmet: dry it after each use and keep it out of direct sunlight.⁷

Sanitizing services vs washing at home

Sani Sport (ozone cabinet at rinks and shops). An ozone (O3) cabinet that sanitizes equipment without water or chemicals. Example rink prices at BGSU: single item $15, player bag $30, goalie leg pads $30, goalie bag $90, team cabinet cycle $75. Individual items must be left overnight. Pro teams, including AHL clubs, use it.^10,11
Pro team equipment rooms. The Minnesota Wild equipment manager said the team normally runs its gear through a Sani Sport machine weekly.³
Local gear-washing shops (example: Love Your Gear, Etobicoke). Gear washed in a large front-loader with detergent and sodium percarbonate, then rack dried. Helmets go in an ozone cabinet. In 2022 it cost $65 per bag and $85 per goalie bag.¹²
Professional cleaning in general. Hockey Canada cites a recommendation to have gear professionally cleaned at least once a year.²

How often to wash hockey gear

Dry gear after every skate.^1,2,5
USA Hockey: thoroughly wash gear at least every other week.¹
Minnesota Wild equipment manager: wash protective gear weekly for a player who is on the ice more than 3 times a week.³
Minnesota Hockey: wash jerseys and socks at least twice a week, and wipe the helmet chinstrap with an alcohol pad weekly.³
Pure Hockey: deep clean when odor builds, after a tournament weekend, or at least a few times a season.⁵
Hockey Canada: wash all gear, including the bag, regularly, and have it professionally cleaned at least once a year.²

Where the guides disagree

Water temperature: Pure Hockey and Happy Hooligans say warm. Hockey Canada says lukewarm for jerseys and socks and cold for the neck guard. The Minnesota Wild equipment manager says hot.
Bleach: Minnesota Hockey calls bleach optional. Pure Hockey, Source for Sports and HockeyShot say to avoid it.
Gloves: USA Hockey and Pure Hockey say machine wash on gentle. Hockey Canada only mentions air drying and warns that wetting the palms can cause cracking.
Wash frequency: every other week (USA Hockey); weekly for players skating more than 3 times a week (Minnesota Hockey); a few times a season (Pure Hockey); professional cleaning at least once a year (Hockey Canada).
Dryer: Happy Hooligans allows low heat for the jock, socks, jersey and neck guard. Pure Hockey, HockeyShot and Hockey Canada warn against the dryer or direct heat for most gear.

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