How To Keep Boxing Gloves From Smelling? ​Proven Tips & Tricks

Your Easy Pro Guide on How to Keep Boxing Gloves From Smelling

Ever get a whiff of your boxing gloves and think, "Whoa, what died in there?" If you're a pro boxer, your gloves are your tools. You need them to work well. But, man, can they get smelly! Lots of fighters want to know how to keep boxing gloves from smelling. Guess what? You're in the right place to find out!

Keeping your gloves fresh isn't just about not having stinky gear. It's about being clean, making your good gloves last longer, and even staying healthy. Smelly gloves are like a party house for tiny things called germs. Nobody wants that! Ready to learn some easy ways to stop the stink? Let's go!

What Makes Boxing Gloves Smell? The Yucky Truth.

So, why do boxing gloves start to smell so bad? It’s not just your sweat, but sweat is a big part of it. The main bad guys are bacteria (say: bak-TEER-ee-uh) and fungi (say: FUN-guy). These are tiny living things, like germs. They love dark, wet, warm places. And yep, that’s exactly what the inside of your glove is like after you train hard.

When you sweat, that wetness goes into the soft parts of your gloves. If you just leave it there, bacteria and fungi start to eat and grow. As they grow, they make stinky smells. It’s like your glove becomes a science project you didn’t ask for, and the main result is a bad odor. We need to stop these tiny things from growing so much.

How Do I Make My Boxing Gloves Not Smell? Stopping Stink Before It Starts.

The best way to fight smelly gloves? Stop them from getting stinky in the first place! Think of these tips like your first punches in a fight against bad smells.

• Clean Hands First: This sounds simple, but wash your hands with soap and water before you put on your hand wraps. If your hands are clean, fewer germs get into your gloves.
• Fresh Hand Wraps, Always: Hand wraps soak up a lot of your sweat. That's their job! But if you use wraps that are already dirty or damp, you're just putting old sweat and germs right back on your hands and then into your gloves. So, a clean, dry pair of wraps for every workout – no excuses!
• Wipe Them Down Quick: Right after you take your gloves off, don't just throw them in your bag. Take a clean, dry towel and wipe the inside and outside of your gloves. This gets rid of sweat before it sinks in deep. You can also use special wipes made for sports gear.

Doing these easy things is a super important part of how to keep boxing gloves from smelling.

✔️Related Post: What Muscles Does Boxing Work? Full-Body Fitness

How Do I Stop My Gloves From Smelling? Ways to Keep Them Fresh.

So, you're doing the first steps. Great! But what about keeping them fresh all the time? This means doing a few things regularly.

• Air Them Out, Every Time: This is a big one. After you wipe them, open your gloves up as much as you can. Let them sit in a place where air can move around them. Don’t leave them packed in your gym bag. A dark, closed bag is like a dream home for those stinky germs.
• Try Glove Dogs or Stuffers: "Glove dogs" are little cloth bags filled with things that soak up wetness, like cedar wood chips. Putting these inside your gloves after you use them helps pull out the dampness. Some also make your gloves smell a bit nicer. Even rolling up some old newspaper and stuffing it in can help a little.
• A Little Bit of Sun (Be Careful!): Sunshine can kill some germs because of something called UV rays. Putting your gloves in the sun for a very short time (like 20-30 minutes) can sometimes help. But be super careful! Too much sun for too long can dry out and hurt the leather or other stuff your gloves are made of.
• Natural Smell Helpers from Your Kitchen:
  • Baking Soda: Put an open box of baking soda near your gloves, or put a little in a thin sock and stick it inside each glove. Baking soda is good at soaking up bad smells.
  • Cedar Wood: Like in glove dogs, small bits of cedar wood can soak up wetness and have a nice, clean smell.
  • Dry Tea Bags: Strange but true! Put a few new, dry tea bags inside each glove. They can help soak up wetness and smells.

I knew a boxer, let's call him Champ. After every workout, he’d wipe his gloves. Then, he’d put them wide open in front of a small fan for an hour. He said his gloves, even old ones, smelled way better than most new ones! It's doing these things all the time that really works.

How Do You Ventilate Boxing Gloves? Let Them Breathe!

We said "air them out," but letting them ventilate (say: VEN-ti-late) – meaning letting fresh air get to them – is super key. Think about how you feel after a hard workout. You need to breathe, right? Your gloves do too! They need to let out all that hot, sweaty air.

• Open Wide: Don't just toss them down. Open the wrist straps and the part where your hand goes as much as you can. You want air to get everywhere inside.
• Hang Them Up: If you can, hang your gloves up. Or put them on a shelf where air can go all around them. Don't let them sit in a wet spot.
• Use a Fan: Like Champ, a fan can really help dry your gloves fast. This is great if you live where it's often damp or rainy.
• Special Glove Dryers: Some pros who train a lot might even get a special dryer for sports gear. These use a little bit of warm air to dry things safely.
• The Worst Mistake: The Gym Bag Prison: Never, ever leave your sweaty gloves zipped up in your gym bag for a long time after you train. Your bag will become a stinky germ factory. Really!

Your gloves worked hard with you. Now they need to cool down and dry out. Good ventilation is a must for keeping boxing gloves from smelling.

Can I Spray Deodorant In My Boxing Gloves? Nope, Bad Idea!

It sounds like a quick fix, doesn’t it? Gloves are smelly, you’ve got body spray… why not? Hold up! Don’t do it.

Spraying deodorant or body spray in your gloves is mostly a bad idea. Here’s why:

1. It Just Hides the Smell: Deodorant covers up smells with perfume. It doesn’t kill the germs that cause the smell in your gloves. So you’ll just get stinky sweat mixed with fake flower smells. Gross.
2. It Can Hurt Your Gloves: The stuff in deodorant (like alcohol) can be bad for the soft inside parts of your gloves. It can make them get old and fall apart faster.
3. It doesn’t Get Rid of Wetness: The main problem is the wetness where germs grow. Deodorant doesn’t dry anything.
4. It Can Bother Your Skin: The deodorant stuff, mixed with sweat, might make your hands itchy or red.

A smart boxing coach once told me, "Your gloves are like your second skin. Take care of them right. Don't just try to make them smell like roses over garbage!" If you really want to spray something, look for special bacteria-killing sprays made for sports gear. These are made to kill germs without hurting your equipment. Always try a tiny bit on a hidden spot first.

How Do You Get the Smell Out of Boxers (Meaning Super Stinky Gloves/Gear)? When the Funk is Strong.

Okay, "boxers" here means your super stinky boxing gloves or other gear, not your shorts! What if your gloves already smell really, really bad? Maybe you forgot to air them out, or you got some old ones. Don’t give up yet! There are ways to fight strong smells.

A Good Wipe-Down (Carefully!):Vinegar and Water: Mix white vinegar and water, half and half. Get a cloth a little wet with this mix and wipe the inside of the gloves really well. Vinegar helps kill germs and smells. Make sure they dry all the way after, or they’ll smell like vinegar!

Tea Tree Oil Mix: Put just a few drops of tea tree oil (it’s a natural germ-fighter) into a cup of water. Wipe the inside of your gloves with a cloth dipped in this. Tea tree oil has a strong, clean smell that goes away as it dries.
Super Important: Before you use vinegar or tea tree oil all over, try it on a tiny spot inside your glove to make sure it doesn’t change the color or hurt the glove. And don't make the gloves soaking wet! Just damp.
Special Cleaners for Sports Stuff: You can buy cleaners made just for sports gear. These are good at fighting germs and smells without hurting your gloves. Look for "enzyme cleaners" – they help break down the yucky stuff.
The Freezer Myth: Some people say to put smelly stuff in a plastic bag in the freezer for a day or two. They think the cold kills all the germs. Well, it might make them sleep for a bit and smell less for a while. But when the gloves warm up and get wet again, the germs that didn't die can wake up and make smells again. So, it’s not a forever fix.
Time for New Gloves?: Sometimes, if gloves are super old and have been stinky for a long time, the smell just won’t leave. The soft parts inside can be full of old germs and even mold. It’s okay to say, "These gloves had a good run," and get a new pair.

My friend, let's call her Knockout Nora, got some used gloves. They looked good, but phew, they stank! She tried the tea tree oil wipe-down. Then she stuffed them with tons of cedar chips and left them in front of a fan for two whole days. She saved them! But it took a lot of work.

How Do You Make Boxing Wraps Not Smell? The Secret Weapon for Fresh Gloves.

Your hand wraps are like secret weapons in keeping your gloves fresh. They soak up most of the sweat before it even gets to your gloves. So, if your wraps stink, your gloves will stink too. It’s that easy!

Wash Them Every Single Time: Yes, every time! Think of them like your socks. You wouldn’t wear stinky, sweaty socks again, right? Wraps get just as sweaty.

Wash in a Machine (It's Usually Okay): Most hand wraps (the cotton ones) can go in the washing machine.

• Use a Wash Bag: Put your wraps in a mesh laundry bag (like for socks or underwear). This stops them from getting tangled up like a big spaghetti monster in your machine.
• Cool or Warm Water, Gentle Wash: Use a little bit of mild soap. Hot water might make them wear out faster or lose their color.

Dry Them All The Way: This is just as important as washing. Wet wraps are germ heaven.

• Air Dry is Best: Hang them up to dry. This is gentle on the wraps. You can put them over a clothesline or a drying rack.
• Dryer on Low (If an Option): Some wraps can go in a clothes dryer on a low heat setting. It’s best to keep them in the laundry bag. High heat can mess up the stretchy ones.

Put Them Away Clean: Once they are totally dry, roll them up nice and neat. Keep them in a clean, dry spot until your next workout.
Did you know your hand wraps can soak up almost a whole cup of sweat in a hard workout? That’s a LOT of wetness! If you don’t wash that out, it just goes into your gloves and makes them smell. Keeping wraps clean is a huge step in how to keep boxing gloves from smelling.

Why Do My Hands Smell After Boxing? It’s Not Just the Gloves.

Ever take off your gloves and wraps, and your hands still have a funny smell, even after you wash them? This happens to lots of boxers.

It’s for the same reason your gloves can smell: bacteria growing on your skin. When you work out, your hands are wrapped up tight inside gloves. It gets warm and wet in there. This lets the normal bacteria on your skin grow a lot. These bacteria eat stuff in your sweat and make smells.

Even if your gloves are pretty clean, just training hard can make your hands a bit smelly because they’ve been in that sweaty place.

What can you do?

• Wash Hands Really Well: After training, don’t just splash water on your hands. Use soap and warm water. Rub your hands together for at least 20 seconds. Get between your fingers and under your nails.
• Special Soap?If the smell is really strong, you could try a soap that kills bacteria. But don’t use it all the time, because it can make your skin too dry.
• Scrub Sometimes: Using a hand scrub once in a while can help get rid of dead skin that bacteria might stick to.

Knowing that clean hands help keep gloves clean is important. Clean hands mean cleaner wraps. Cleaner wraps mean cleaner gloves. It all works together!

Table: Easy Guide to Glove Cleaning & Smell-Fighting Ways

Here’s a simple table to help you pick the best ways to fight glove stink:

Way to Clean/De-Stink	How It Works	Good Things About It	Bad Things About It	Best Time to Use It	Watch Out For!
Airing Out (Ventilation)	Lets wetness dry up, slows down germ growth	Free, easy, super important!	Can be slow; might not be enough if gloves are super wet.	Every day, right after you use them.	Make sure air can get all around and inside. Don't seal in a bag!
Glove Dogs/Stuffers	Soak up wetness; some have nice smells (cedar)	Good at drying; some make gloves smell better.	You have to buy them; they need to dry out too.	After workouts; stops smells from starting.	Get ones that soak up lots of water. Air out the stuffers too.
Baking Soda	Soaks up smells and wetness	Cheap, natural, easy to find.	Can be messy if it spills; doesn’t really kill germs.	For light smells; soaking up wetness.	Keep it in a sock or small box so it doesn't go everywhere.
Cedar Wood Chips/Blocks	Soaks up wetness; natural germ-fighting oils	Natural, nice smell, lasts a long time.	Some people don’t like the smell; mostly freshens.	For keeping them fresh long-term.	Best in little bags or inside glove dogs.
Sunlight (Just a Little!)	Sun's rays can kill some germs	Free, natural germ-killer.	Can hurt gloves (leather, etc.) if out too long/too hot.	Once in a while to help kill germs (15-20 mins, not hot sun).	BIG RISK of ruining gloves; use very, very carefully.
Special Sprays	Made to kill germs & stop smells	Easy to use, often kills germs well.	Costs money; some have strong chemicals. Check if it KILLS germs.	Quick clean; kills germs after workouts.	Try on a small spot first; make sure it’s for sports stuff.
Vinegar & Water Mix	Vinegar is a natural germ/smell fighter	Natural, cheap, good for strong smells.	Smells like vinegar at first; can hurt gloves if too strong.	For deep cleaning bad smells (wipe, don't soak).	Mix 1 part vinegar, 1 part water; dry all the way; test first.
Tea Tree Oil & Water Mix	Natural germ/fungus fighter	Natural, strong against tiny germs.	Strong smell; can bother skin or hurt gloves if not mixed right.	For deep cleaning really bad smells (wipe, don't soak).	Just a FEW drops in water; test first; dry all the way.
Washing Machine	Cleans really well all over	Can get out deep dirt and germs.	WILL LIKELY RUIN most boxing gloves (padding, leather).	ALMOST NEVER! Very, very bad for most gloves.	Only if the glove tag says "machine washable" (super rare).

This table should help you figure out how to keep boxing gloves from smelling using what works for you. Doing the easy, gentle things is usually better and safer for your gloves than doing harsh things only sometimes.

Last Round: Fresh Gloves Mean Better Boxing!

Knowing how to keep boxing gloves from smelling is more than just stopping bad smells. It shows you're a pro. It shows you care about being clean, your gear, and even the people you train with. Clean gloves help keep your hands healthy. They last longer. And they let you think about your boxing, not about stinky gear!

When you know why gloves get smelly and you use these easy tips – like washing your hands and wraps, letting your gloves air out, and using smart ways to get rid of smells – you can make your gloves last a long time. And they’ll be something you’re proud of, not something you want to hide. Those bad smells are tough, but you now have the moves to beat them.

So, use these tips. Try them out. You’ll feel (and smell!) the difference next time you train. What’s your best trick for keeping your gloves fresh? Share it and help other fighters win the fight against stink!