Glove Care

Unless you're an elite-level pro, or you're lucky enough to be looked after by someone who shares you love for gloves, the chances are you're responsible for sorting out your gloves before, during and after matches and training. Knowledge of proper glove care has been a secret closely-guarded by a small collection of the most hardcore of keepers - until now.

It makes sense to look after your gloves. A well-cared-for glove will not only look cleaner, but perform better and for longer, enabling you to save cash as well as more shots.

Before first use

The latex foam used on the palm of gloves is a natural material. It slowly deteriorates every day that it is exposed to air. To put a halt the deterioration, manufacturers add a fine layer of chemicals to the foam surface. These chemicals do a great job of preserving the foam's natural characteristics, but they also reduce the quality of grip privided. For this reason, once you've tried the gloves on for size, it's important to remove these chemicals before you use your gloves for the first time. In our experience, this can be achieved most effectively by following the below steps.

• Rinse the palms under lukewarm running water, holding the glove upside down so the fingers are pointing down; starting at the latex nearest the wrist and, while working the latex between your thumb (on the palm) and your fingers (on the backhand) in a downward motion to the end of the thumb and of each finger in turn.
• After rinsing each glove, fill a sink with lukewarm water and submerge the first glove, palm-side down. Leave the glove for a few minutes to absorb as much water as possible and then return to squeeze the glove in clenched fists while still submerged. The water may go slightly cloudy, and/or bubbles may be emitted from glove.
• Repeat the clenching motion until there are no or very few bubbles being produced, and remove tee glove from the water. Drain the sink and repeat the process for the second glove. Finally, repeat the rinsing process under running water.

Before subsequent use

Before taking your gloves to matches or training sessions we recommend that you moisten the palms and wrap them in a towel, ideally in a glove bag separate from other items of kit.

During use

Most latexes, particularly Supersoft foams, perform best while moist. We recommend that during training and matches you periodically dampen the palms with water from a bottle and absorb and excess water by clenching a towel. Moistening may not be necessary when using in wet conditions and we recommend using a towel to remove excess water in very wet conditions.

After use

The most important time to care for your gloves is after use. We recommend that you carry out the first step described in the 'before first use' section after every use of your gloves. We also suggest that periodically, and after use in muddy conditions, you also carry out the second step to remove dirt and other deposits that will collect inside the glove.

Storage and drying

Between uses, we suggest that you store your gloves on a towel with the palm down. This will help to keep the foam moist, while allowing the rest of the glove to dry. We strongly recommend that you do not place your gloves in or near a source of heat, such as a radiator or heater, or in direct sunlight. Heat and sunlight will dry the latex foam excessively and this will reduce its gripping properties as well as it durability. If you need to dry your gloves quickly after submersion, we suggest that you wrap each glove, in turn, in a thick towel and press excess water from the glove using your own bodyweight, for example by kneeling and/or standing on the towel. This simple process can reduce drying time by as much as two days.

Please note that the above recommendations and suggestions should not be adopted as a substitute for any instructions provided the manufacturer, and we cannot be held responsible for any adverse effects that any glove care regime .