Every kid playing hockey on a frozen pond has dreams of being the next Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, or Alexander Ovechkin. It all starts with the right attitude, the right form on the ice, and the right equipment to keep yourself safe. The problem is that even in winter, playing hockey can make you break into a sweat, and cause your jersey, shorts, socks, and other apparel to stink. If that's not bad enough, you now have a pair of really sweaty, smelly gloves on your hands. While some hockey fans claim that part of the fun of hockey is in wearing smelly gloves, stinky hockey gloves can mess up your game. All the grime and oil that builds up inside and outside the glove can interfere with your handling of the hockey stick, and lead to a distinct disadvantage for you on the ice. Here are some tips to help you get rid of that nasty, sweaty smell on your hockey gloves.

Types of Hockey Gloves

The kind of glove a hockey player uses depends on his or her role on the team. Hockey gloves are lightweight, and are designed to help a player go through the paces of a hockey match. There are two kinds of hockey gloves used in regulation play:

• Skater's gloves are worn by players to protect their hands from the cold temperatures of the ice, and impact of flying pucks and sticks that hit the back of the hand. The glove is a lot like a lightweight, padded gauntlet that can be used to handle the puck when the rules consider it legal. Customized gloves are more expensive, but they have a perfect fit compared to standard gloves you can buy from a sports store.
• Goaltender's gloves are designed to handle pucks, deflect shots, and protect the goaltender during play. The goaltender's glove is worn on the catching hand; a standard skater's glove with a length of protective padded material is worn on the hand that handles the goalie's hockey stick.

Wrap Your Hand Before Using the Glove

Hockey gloves have heavy padding, and can cause your hands to get really sweaty when you wear them for the full length of an intense hockey game. Sweat can build up on the inside of the glove, and cause serious odor problems in the long run. Here are some ways to minimize sweating and prevent your hockey gloves from smelling bad:

• Wrist tape, like the one worn by boxers and martial artists, help to wick away sweat from your hands during play. To prevent the glove from being too tight around your hand, use just one or two layers of wrist tape.
• Gauze is especially helpful if your hands are prone to a lot of sweating, or if your hands are susceptible to major injuries.

When wrapping your hands, avoid wrapping your wrists as much as possible. The goal of wrapping your hands is to prevent excess sweat from leaching into the inner fabric of the glove. If you tape your wrists, you may end up restricting the freedom of movement in your hand and cause serious injuries during play.

Store Hockey Gloves Properly

One reason why hockey gloves stink up is because you may have been storing them improperly. Proper storage is necessary to keep the gloves smelling fresh and clean:

• Keep the gloves dry. Some hockey players make the mistake of storing gloves into a duffel bag or the storage locker immediately after the game. Hockey gloves are wet from ice crystals and sweat after a full game, and you need to dry them first before storing them. If you store a hockey glove while it's wet, you run the risk of drying out the leather and cause cracks and damage.
• Pack them in paper. One way to aid the drying process is to pack the gloves in paper after the game. Crumpled newspapers, wax paper, or other clean paper with plenty of exposed fibers can help wick away much of the moisture from the glove, and keep them dry and clean-smelling until the next game.
• Wash the glove. A mild wash in a washing machine with warm soapy water is the best way to clean a hockey glove, especially if the outside padding is covered with synthetic leather. Do not place the glove in a dryer; instead, allow the gloves to drip-dry on a cool, dry place.

Deodorize the Gloves

For old gloves, or for gloves that are used in intense games, the hockey glove smell may be quite strong and pungent. They work fine for their purpose, but leave you with really sweaty-smelling hands. To prevent your hands from smelling like really old and stinky leather, here are some ways to deodorize your hockey gloves:

• Deodorizing spray. A small amount of clothing deodorizer sprayed on the inside and the outside of the glove can help mask some of the pungent, sweat odors.
• Fabric softener strips. The same machine washing materials that make your blankets smell like sunshine can help remove odors from the glove. One or two fabric softener strips placed inside each glove can make the pair smell fantastic.
• Leather conditioner. Most hockey gloves are covered with synthetic leather, although older gloves and customized gloves may be covered with natural leather. Leather conditioner helps clean the pores of the leather, and rid it of dirt and grime. Make sure to use just enough leather conditioner to clean the glove, because leather conditioner tends to turn the textile stiff.
• Clean socks and baking soda. One trick used by some hockey players is to pack the gloves in clean socks dusted with baking soda or talcum powder. The powdery substances absorb some of the odors, and the fibers of clean socks can help wick away some of the excess moisture.

Wash Your Hands

Smelly hockey gloves are caused by smelly hands. While it does help to buy a hockey glove that provides adequate ventilation for your hands, the best way to prevent hockey gloves from stinking up is to keep your hands clean before and after the game:

• Soap and water. Make sure to get down deep between the fingers, the fingernails, and the palms of your hands.
• Rubbing alcohol with moisturizing properties can help mask the odor of the sweat coming off the sweat glands of your hands during play. Rub alcohol on your hands before and after the game.
• Shaving cream. A trick used by many hockey players is to rub some mint-scented shaving cream on their hands after the game. Shaving cream contains some ingredients that can help remove the odor of a worn hockey glove from your hands.

Fresh-smelling gloves may not be the key for you to win a Stanley Cup or beat the records set by Bobby Orr, but they do help you get a better feel for the game while on the ice. With these tips to help you get rid of hockey glove smells, you'll never have to put up with that stinky odor on your palms after an intense game on the rink again.