Cleaning gloves?
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Discussion

shirt

Original Poster:

25,480 posts

231 months

Wednesday 8th September 2021
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Any tips? Just washed my helmet liner and textile jacket after a week’s commuting in 40degC and 80% humidity (never again!) but now stuck on how to freshen up my leather gloves. I’ve not washed these since I bought them a year ago, they’re a bit pungent!

Pica-Pica

16,665 posts

114 months

Wednesday 8th September 2021
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I don’t ride (now) but I have used Autoglym leather cleaner and restorer for ordinary (non-bike) leather gloves. Just put the gloves on and wash your hands using the creams.

Max5476

1,021 posts

144 months

Wednesday 8th September 2021
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Stick them in the freezer for a few days, it will kill the bugs making them smell.

Krikkit

27,938 posts

211 months

Wednesday 8th September 2021
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Cold soapy water, then let them dry in a cool dry place to avoid shrinkage.

Preferably keep putting them on and clenching your hand every half hour

Rubin215

4,201 posts

186 months

Wednesday 8th September 2021
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Hand soap and warm water with them on your hands; you will be revolted by how much dirt comes out of them.

Tumble dry on cool and they will stay soft whereas air-drying will make them crispy and hard.

Pop them back on before "washing" your hands with a good leather conditioning cream.

KTMsm

28,982 posts

293 months

Thursday 9th September 2021
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Thanks - I was thinking I really ought to do mine (after a year) yuck

hiccy18

4,186 posts

97 months

Thursday 9th September 2021
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Mine have just been through the washing machine on a 30C gentle wash, both sets have come up fab. That said, pretty sure they've never been washed before and the summer gloves were properly honking after a week away.

RizzoTheRat

29,022 posts

222 months

Thursday 9th September 2021
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Rubin215 said:
Tumble dry on cool and they will stay soft whereas air-drying will make them crispy and hard.
Well I've learned something today! I usually end up with crispy gloves and then rub Renapur in to them to soften them back up. I'll try the tumble drier next time.

wa16

2,423 posts

251 months

Thursday 9th September 2021
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
oooh jesus

i use hand saniitizer - using before the bat flu debacle, cover my hands in the stuff and insert into glove. quite effective, but resigned to the fact that gloves are a regular replacement item like tyres and chains/sprockets due to the pong

the cueball

1,909 posts

85 months

Thursday 9th September 2021
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I've never cleaned any of my gloves either...

I ride a lot in the rain though if that counts... same thing for sure... scratchchin

getmecoat

R1 Dave

7,158 posts

293 months

Thursday 9th September 2021
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
This. Been riding since 2004 and used 3 or 4 pairs in that time. Never cleaned any of them and not noticed any smell from them either.

Salted_Peanut

1,788 posts

84 months

Friday 10th September 2021
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You could always get them cleaned professionally (worth it if they're expensive gloves) by Scrubbers: https://scrubbersleathers.co.uk/thumbup

AceOfHearts

5,957 posts

221 months

Friday 10th September 2021
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R1 Dave said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
This. Been riding since 2004 and used 3 or 4 pairs in that time. Never cleaned any of them and not noticed any smell from them either.
Same here boxedin

DirtyHarley

478 posts

103 months

Friday 10th September 2021
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the cueball said:
I've never cleaned any of my gloves either...

I ride a lot in the rain though if that counts... same thing for sure... scratchchin

getmecoat
Same - Although the Mrs did bully me into wasing off my main pair in the sink after taking a pigeon to the knuckles a couple of months back.

shirt

Original Poster:

25,480 posts

231 months

Sunday 12th September 2021
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Rubin215 said:
Hand soap and warm water with them on your hands; you will be revolted by how much dirt comes out of them.

Tumble dry on cool and they will stay soft whereas air-drying will make them crispy and hard.

Pop them back on before "washing" your hands with a good leather conditioning cream.
seems i don't know how the tumble dryer works! did this, threw them in the dryer and walked off but it wasn't on cool. the upshot being i have some new rukka virium goretex gloves which are very comfortable but not at all breathable so useless in the current weather. more purchases incoming i guess.

Bob_Defly

5,904 posts

261 months

Sunday 12th September 2021
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shirt said:
Rubin215 said:
Hand soap and warm water with them on your hands; you will be revolted by how much dirt comes out of them.

Tumble dry on cool and they will stay soft whereas air-drying will make them crispy and hard.

Pop them back on before "washing" your hands with a good leather conditioning cream.
seems i don't know how the tumble dryer works! did this, threw them in the dryer and walked off but it wasn't on cool. the upshot being i have some new rukka virium goretex gloves which are very comfortable but not at all breathable so useless in the current weather. more purchases incoming i guess.
What, the liner melted?

shirt

Original Poster:

25,480 posts

231 months

Monday 13th September 2021
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yes, plus they shrunk!

slightly annoying as they were good gloves, ducati branded spidi [i think] carbon/leather but much cooler than these goretex jobbies.

graham22

3,326 posts

235 months

Monday 13th September 2021
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AceOfHearts said:
R1 Dave said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
This. Been riding since 2004 and used 3 or 4 pairs in that time. Never cleaned any of them and not noticed any smell from them either.
Same here boxedin
Think how many fly guts you clean off your visor, helmet and headlight. I guess your gloves get hit by the same, then you put these gloves in your lid?

That's enough reason for me to ckean my gloves once in a while - plus they have tan coloured kangaroo skin palms which soon look grotty.