How to Clean Boxing Headgear in 4 Easy Ways

Wearing boxing headgear is of immense value as it offers complete protection to your face so that the chances of lacerations and cuts are reduced to nearly zero. But do you know how to clean boxing headgear?

Spending countless hours practicing complex strokes leads to the development of a stinky, bad odor in your headgears. And surprisingly, where nearly every second person has a headgear, only a few are up with its cleaning process.

Obviously, no one wants to be distinguished by a certain stinking smell coming from him or his equipment, and the same will be in your case.

So, if you also want to know the different methods of cleaning boxing headgear, you are in the right place. Stay tuned and stick with us till the end to engross all the valuable stuff!

Why is it important to wash boxing headgear?

After practicing the challenging, intense workouts that lead to sweaty hair and face, developing an unpleasant odor in the headgear is very common. You can’t stop the smell from developing. Still, you can play your part in finishing it by washing headgear and maintaining it. 

You definitely won’t want to enter a Ringside for your special fight wearing the same smelly head guard and lose a fight because of the itchiness and smell. So you have to clean it before that big day.

Moreover, it isn’t a very time-consuming task as you need to clean the boxing headgear 2 to 3 times every fortnight in most cases. However, different types of boxing headgear are made of different materials. So, maybe you can feel a need to clean your boxing headgear one or two times a week.

Now, let’s get into the details of how to clean boxing headgear using different ways. 

How to clean boxing headgear – 4 different processes to choose from!

Cleaning boxing headgear is not a very difficult task, and you don’t need to follow any rocket science to make it feel new with no odor. 

In fact, washing headgear is relatively easy as compared to other boxing equipment like gloves, shin guards, etc. This is due to its more accessible design. In boxing headgear, the full face is covered, but it has an open area to do a thorough cleaning.

Related: Smelly Boxing Gloves Solution: How to Clean them

Before getting into how to wash boxing headgear, it’s essential to dry your headgear properly. You can either put it in front of a fan or a properly ventilated area for nearly 6 to 8 hours.

Now, let’s break down the different ways of “How to clean boxing headgear.”

1. How to clean boxing headgear using antibacterial wipes

The first way of cleaning your boxing headgear is by using antibacterial wipes or antibacterial spray. These antibacterial cleaners have disinfecting properties. So, they clean and wipe out all kinds of germs and dirt present on the surface of your headgear, ensuring an optimal level of cleanliness and hygiene.

As a result, your headgear remains no more stinky and becomes free of germs and dust. However, make sure to check the material of your headgear before using antibacterial wipes or spray, as all antibacterial wipes aren’t suitable for use on leather products.

For cleaning boxing headgear made of leather, special antibacterial wipes are available. 

All you need to do is:

• Take your headgear out
• Let it dry for 4 to 6 hours
• Using antibacterial wipes, gently rub them all over the headgear, inside out.

2. How to clean boxing headgear using a bleach solution 

The second way of washing boxing headgear is comparatively more accessible and more effective, but you need to be careful about the ratio as I increased the amount of bleach ratio. As a result, my headgear became cracked and decolorized.

• You need to take water and bleach in exactly 10 ratios 1 part.
• Then gently dip your headgear into the solution of mild bleach. Don’t let it stay there and settle down for a prolonged time as it would damage your headgear.
• Dipping for 10 to 12 minutes is more than enough. In the given passage of time, everything will be removed from your headgear. No dirt, germs, or stains will remain there. In fact, it can also remove blood strain and cause disinfection due to the presence of chlorine. 
• Dip it for nearly 10 minutes, and then use a clean towel and tap it to remove dirt and absorb all the excess moisture available. After that, let your headgear wait and dry completely in a properly ventilated area.

Read More: Best Boxing Headgears to Wear During a Fight

3. How to wash boxing headgear with a Dish Soap or Detergent 

Another option available is to wash and clean headgear with detergent or a block of dishwashing soap. It is the best remedy to clean boxing headgear made of leather as it doesn’t harm or damage your headgear at all.

The ingredients present in the dish soap or detergent particularly contain cleaning agents that can remove stubborn dust and grease.

So, to use dish soap for cleaning boxing headgear,

• Take a clean towel. Make sure it is dry.
• Take a bowl of warm water, and add mild dish soap to it in the proper quantity. Now mix the water and soap properly to create a cleaning solution with foam.
• Dip the cleaning towel in the solution and gently rub it on the headgear to get a clean, smell-free headgear with no grease left. 
• After cleaning, make sure that no grime is left on the edges. Then place your headgear in a properly ventilated area or in a fan for 3 to 4 hours until the headgear completely dries.

4. How to clean boxing headgear using homemade cleaning mixtures 

Last but not least comes the way of cleaning the headgear using a homemade DO IT YOURSELF DIY-friendly method. It is particularly good for those people who aren’t comfortable with the cleaning sprays available in the stores.

To make your cleaning solution at home, you need to have vinegar and water.

• Take 1 cup of warm water and add one tablespoon of vinegar to it.
• Mix it well to create an effective cleaning solution to clean your headgear. 
• Take a towel, rub it on the headgear to disinfect it, and clean all the germs and dust particles trapped in it.

You can also use apple cider instead of vinegar as per your ease.

Things to Avoid While Cleaning Boxing Headgear

Now that you are well abreast with how to clean boxing headgear, let’s shed light on the factors to consider and things to avoid when washing the headgear at home. A few points to consider are:

• Never dry using any kind of dryer as its hot air with full pressure can easily damage your headgear’s surface and layers added for protection. 
• It is recommended not to place the headgear in direct sunlight. 
• Never place your headgear near fireplaces, as it can easily catch fire.
• Always check the washing precautions mentioned. For example, all of the headgear can’t be washed in the machine, especially if it is made of leather. The reason is that leather loses its durability when kept in water for a long time.
• Don’t use any kind of harsh chemical or clean headgear with detergent as it will damage the material and dry the oil in it.

Is boxing headgear worth using- Benefits You Must Know!

After we are done with the portion related to how to clean boxing headgear and the precautions, let’s discuss some of the benefits of boxing headgear. 

Protection from deep bruises and cuts 

The first and the prime reason why people use headgear is the protection it offers. It protects your face from getting hit, and hence you won’t get deep cuts and bruises. And according to my personal experience, the headgear with nose protection is the best one to wear.

Protects you from head-butts

If you are sparring with a person who particularly has a good reputation for head butting, it is highly recommended to wear a thick, foam-protective headgear. I have witnessed with my eyes that many boxers leave the ring with severe eyebrow cuts that could have been avoided using a head butt.

Feeling of Security 

Now this advantage is more of a physiologically related one. If the boxers are wearing headgears, they start to feel as if they are more protected and hence participate in fights and exchange punches with more aggressiveness. 

Conclusion- A Final Verdict!

There is no second thought that boxing headgears are a very good addition to your boxing equipment. It provides a number of advantages to eye on. However, it is also essential to clean boxing headgear properly. 

Don’t just throw your boxing headgear in your training bag, it’s mandatory to clean it regularly. Otherwise your gear will end up stinky and useless. Nobody like a stinky boxing partner, so follow one of the above-mentioned methods to clean your headgear.

So, by reading this article, you will have become all lined up with the details of how to clean boxing headgear. Then what are you waiting for? Choose the method you find most feasible, and wash your headgear! Happy Boxing! Happy Cleaning!