Fit Bottomed Girls did a review today on some great bamboo products for Earth Week. The Moso bag is one I’ve actually used and was pretty pleased with the results. Being a person who is sensitive to fragrances, keeping chemical air fresheners or potpourri in the house is torture so I’ve had to get a little creative with cleaning and keeping unpleasant smells in check.
Cardio-boxing is by far my sweatiest workout at the gym and all though you might not consider hand-sweat as nasty as pits or feet, those gloves get gamy FAST. A week or so ago, I was pounding away in class and Mr. Stinkypaws, behind me had clearly not been taking care of gloves. Standing near him was a bit whiffy, but every time he threw a punch, it was like having my head stuffed into an old hockey bag after playoff season (I think that’s actually something they did to prisoners at Gitmo).
So, before someone calls out the hazmat team, here are some really easy ways to extend the life and…um, “freshness” of your boxing gloves, that are also pretty useful in caring for a lot of other equipment (yoga mats, hockey pads, shoes, athletic supporters etc).
- Check the labels in your smaller items. These days, a lot of stuff can actually be tossed in the washing machine, in cold water and hung to dry.
- If you’re into preventative care, get some thin gloves to wear inside your padded ones that can be washed every time you use them.
- Don’t leave your stuff in your gym bag or locker after a work out. You’re basically incubating the bacteria. Take it out, and hang it up to dry.
- For things like boxing gloves that are closed and heavily padded, stuff some paper towel into them with the top hanging out (I think Martha called that “wicking the moisture out”). If your gloves are already on the smelly side, fold up a few teaspoons of baking soda into a paper towel and pack it in there too.
- Antibacterial spritzes work ok when your stuff has dried, but for the tight-budget and allergy crowd, you can make your own by filling a squirt bottle with rubbing alcohol and water (50/50).
