Steam cleaning equipment? Safe? Kills bacteria?

[Rags81 0]

70% ethanol works better than 99% isopropynol? Interesting...

i don't know about isopropynol per se, but its what we use in the laboratory (and we have isoprop). i believe it's because of how volatile 99% alcohol is. it would evaporate from the surface before killing most of the bacteria.

Like i said there are disinfectant sprays out there that are contact dependent, such as lysol, which contain all the necessary ingredients to kill most of the bacteria.

As for the fungal spores. If you happen to get a fungal infection from your pads, i would suggest just buying a new pair of guards. certain products may claim to kill them, but i wouldn't take their word for it.

starskie,

hows this:

http://www.homesolutionsstore.com/cgi-bin/item/RB79329

would that do the trick?

It says for hard non-porous surfaces though... would that matter?

Edited October 28, 2008 by Rags81

[Jarick 5]

Interesting point about evaporation... I did check that when I first started using alcohol, and it seems to saturate pretty well for a good couple of minutes before it dissipates. I'll keep an eye on it.

Jarick: I think what he's saying is that any 70/30 solution of pure alcohol/water is optimal whether it's pre-bottled or you mix it yourself.

Gotcha. Walmart sells the bottle of isopropyl alcohol at 70% mix for $1.50 or so.

[starskie 0]

rags

i would say that would do the trick. might want to look up what jarick said about lysol and skin rashes, i've never heard it but it could be true. it says for hard non-porous surfaces, but then says its fine for pillows and mattresses so i believe it should be okay for your hockey equipment.

i wouldn't be so concerned about it because you seem to take care of your equipment pretty well, but i guess it doesn't hurt to be extra careful.

[chk hrd 164]

This was a great discussion we had on this topic.

I cleaned everything in a tub with some laundry detergent and OxyClean. My gear is much cleaner and smells better, my cloth pads are bright white again, and the little bit of white good that was appearing on my shin pads went away. I hang it all to dry right after the game, spray down with the 50:50 alcohol:water mix, and then some Febreze antimicrobial for a fresher smell. I have a little fan pointing down at it going 24/7, and no more complaints about smell.

That is what I normally do.. Last time I threw my CCM 652 tack shoulders into the tub..The water turned a brackish green and brown..Disgusting. Do you turn the water to very hot and add Oxy with something like Tide? In the winter-time I let the stuff dry indoors so it doesnt freeze and then I sit the pads outside on the deck overnite to kill any remaining bacteria..Pretty effective in 15-20 degree temps

cold doesn't kill bacteria, it makes them go dorment

[ultraman7k 0]

just had a thought reading this thread...you know how back in the day (and maybe to this day still) people used to salt the earth to prevent anything from growing? what if you salted your gear?? I mean, just doused it in a tub of salt or whatever.

sound ridiculous? probably.

[Law Goalie 147]

The problem is that even very fine salt won't get inside the gear; you'll end up with salt-encrusted stuff that still reeks.

[starskie 0]

just had a thought reading this thread...you know how back in the day (and maybe to this day still) people used to salt the earth to prevent anything from growing? what if you salted your gear?? I mean, just doused it in a tub of salt or whatever.

sound ridiculous? probably.

Salt was used a preservative because it soaks up water needed by bacteria. similarly if there is excess water bacteria die because they loose all their water to the environment (has to do with equilibrium). So technically if your salt solution is high enough you could use that to kill bacteria. I don't think it'll work with fungai because they may have certain membrane proteins to control them from loosing water (not too sure about that though).

I personally wouldn't use salt because all of your equipment will be encrusted in salt. plus salt degrades some stuff, so it may weaken your equipment as well.

[doogie24 0]

im gona try a few things this week... I remember hearing on the gsbb that someone hung their goalie chest protector in the shower and just let hot water run over it. Those esporta and other companies sound pretty good, but they are EXPENSIVE. Maybe ill make a proposal to my parents...want my gear to stop stinking? pay for the cleaning!!! :D

[guasto74 0]

that's why I bought one of those expensive front load washing machines; they can fit my gear in it and they have the hi-temp sanitizer cycle. I wash the gear with a little bleach and they come out smelling great and completely cleaned.

I have one of those front-loaders. I've been considering throwing my gear in there. I was thinking the shin pads and other hard protective equipment would bang around too much?

[Saint George 0]

The enzymatic stuff works fairly well to break down some of the bacterial waste (which is actually what smells), but it doesn't kill anything living in there (which generates the waste that makes it smell again). If you have a piece of gear that stinks, and you've already taken the necessary steps to sanitize it, it's a good final step. NOK-Out (enzymatic pet deodorizer) also works quite well - neutralises a German Shepherd's diarrhea almost instantly - though it is relatively expensive.

I'm seriously thinking about one of those machines, chk hrd. I'd love it.. wife would love it... not sure wife would love my goalie pants in there, however. Some negotiation necessary...

Good point. My latest experiment was to spray my gear with Funk Free (hopefully alcohol works just as well), let it sit overnight, then use the enzymatic stuff the next day. Worked brilliantly ... no odor before or after my next game; basically good as new for under $10 and 20 minutes of my time.

[Brokensticks 0]

Watch out if you have a steam cleaning front loading wash machine with a sanitize option. I learned the hard way that the temp of the steam/water gets so hot that it will melt a lot of foams, including the removable knee beds from my Vector 10 shin pads. My wife thought it would be the answer to my smelly equipment. It was not.

[Rustpot 1]

Watch out if you have a steam cleaning front loading wash machine with a sanitize option. I learned the hard way that the temp of the steam/water gets so hot that it will melt a lot of foams, including the removable knee beds from my Vector 10 shin pads. My wife thought it would be the answer to my smelly equipment. It was not.

Good to know. "Try it out" and then get new stuff when it's destroyed.... Perfect.

[mickz 107]

Just reading this topic for ideas, I am trying Isopropyl Alcohol on a pair of gloves I have right now... things are looking alot better than the other alternatives I've tried. Sprays I had lying around the house like Lysol and Sneaker Deodorizer and they don't work at all!

[Law Goalie 147]

Be careful with alcohol on glove palms and other synthetic leather - it can really dry them out. Scrub in some lanolin-based shaving gel afterwards, and your palms will be protected form funk and supple as kid leather.

[epstud74 24]

I tried the alcohol/water mix and got a bit dizzy from it heh

[Law Goalie 147]

Don't drink it! :)

[seanFLA 0]

I think Sani Clean is probably the best alternative. But since I don't have one near to where I live, I throw mine in my shocked swimming pool from time to time and let it soak for an hour or two. Then I air it out on the rack in the sun all afternoon until completely dry. The chlorine does take most of the smell and stains out. When you think about it, chlorine is nothing more than a form of mild bleach anyhow. The only problem is your can't throw your pants, gloves or skates in the pool, but it works well for shins, shoulder and elbow pads.

[Law Goalie 147]

For the love of god don't leave your equipment in the sun to dry - sunlight breaks down plastazote foams and plastic like you wouldn't believe. I can't say chlorine's that great either.

[in da crease 0]

There is no substitute for laying or hanging your gear to dry. It sucks when you have kids playing and you have 3 sets of hockey gear and 3 sets of inline gear. The basement has gear strung out all over. I really need to make a couple of "equipment trees" to manage the mess. I, too, have a fan blowing on all the equipment.

As for products, I have been using a product called "Unique" (found here... http://www.uniquedistributing.com/index.php ) The Athletic Deodorizer, Pet Odor & Stain Eliminator, and Odor & Stain Eater are all the same product. I initially picked it up at a hockey shop in North Dakota and found it to work very well. I now buy it in concentrate at a carpet cleaning store and have found many uses for it around the house. I mix it 4.1 and use it on hockey equipment, carpet, pet stains, sometimes laundry and in my cars.

I spray our gear down after each use and also use it in tubs or the machines to wash equipment at the end of each season. I haven't found anything better.

[drewptwo 1]

OT spray will kill the bacteria, doesn't have a masking scent and is non-toxic. I use it on my skates, gloves, and shinpads. Its pretty good stuff, but you have to make sure you let your stuff dry out (it doesn't work if you just spray it and through your stuff back in the bag.

[interpathway 9]

I throw mine in my shocked swimming pool from time to time and let it soak for an hour or two. Then I air it out on the rack in the sun all afternoon until completely dry. The chlorine does take most of the smell and stains out. When you think about it, chlorine is nothing more than a form of mild bleach anyhow.

I'm going to have to RSVP no to that Pool Party you're hosting for your kid's 5th birthday :lol:.

Edited March 10, 2009 by interpathway

[westcoastsniper 0]

I've started to use concorbium, I believe it might only be available in canada, and its meant for walls and this sort of stuff, but its non-toxic and kills the smell by killing the fungus. Plus I let it air dry religiously after ice time.

[lifebird 3]

Clearly, there are as many ideas for hockey smell solutions as there are players. So ,,, here's what works great for me, every time I need to de-stink .. and it's cheap:

#1 BEST PRACTICE

Always remove all gear as soon as you are home and hang to dry. It takes just one 24 hour hockey bag stink session to contaminate all gear & your bag with odor-causing bacteria.

NEEDS

• Laundromat with HUGE CAPACITY front-loading washer
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup washing soda (find in the laundry detergent section of your supermarket)
• a bunch of quarters

HOW

• Place everything except helmet, bag & skates in washer
• add vinegar to liquid detergent area of machine
• add washing soda to powder detergent area of machine
• wash warm / rinse cold
• push the start button
• come back in 30 minutes
• hang to in dry room back home
• enjoy absolutely smell-free gear

SKATES / HELMET / BAG

• Remove laces & insole
• Soak/agitate in bin of Mirazyme solution for 5-10 minutes (Mirazyme is available at scuba shops, REI, Amazon, etc)
• Place in dry room (NOTE: Skates require a longer time to dry. Forced air speeds the process along)

Merry Christmas and Happy Hockey Everyone!

Edited December 23, 2012 by lifebird

[CommodoreColt 19]

Once I got into the habit of showering before each skate, my bag became a much nicer place. The poster above who noted that most of the bacteria comes from your skin is probably right.

Washing my hair (quite a mane, by the way) before each skate is probably responsible for not only not having sweat-stung eyes in a long time, but the uncommon longevity of the memory foam pads in my V10.

I'm definitely an advocate for having a routine of drying equipment. I mixed up a bottle of water/alcohol spray but honestly it hardly needs to be used.

[icewalker_bg 126]

I always remove my equipement as soon as i get home to dry. Never had to use any fancy alcohols/vinegar or whatever you people use. I wash everything in washer except pants and shoulder pads ( i have ripped them before in the washer so i just wash them in bathtub occasionnaly). My equipement has no smell and stays fresh is washed regularly (especially jerseys, jock, socks, knee pad liner).