How to Clean Leather Baseball Gloves

Due to the outdoor nature of the sport for which they are used, baseball gloves tend to get dirty pretty quickly. Couple that with the fact that they are generally tossed in a dugout between innings, and you may find that you need to clean your mitt quite often. This article will explain ways to clean a baseball glove, as well as minimize the number of times you'll need to clean it throughout the season.

Things You'll Need

• Mild soap such as Ivory
• Cotton rags
• Glove conditioner

Instructions

1. Lightly dampen a cotton rag. The rag should be wet, but no water should drip off when you wring it out. Baseball gloves are susceptible to water stains, so it's important to use as little water as possible.

2. Lather up some mild soap on the rag by rubbing a bar of mild soap (try Ivory soap) in a circular motion. Avoid scented, antibacterial and moisturized soaps as they are no good for the leather.

3. Lightly rub the soap over the dirty areas of the baseball glove. Once again, use a circular motion. Clean the glove in small parts to avoid saturating the glove.

4. Using a clean, lightly dampened cloth, rub the soap off of the glove. For extremely soiled areas of the glove, you might need to repeat steps 3 and 4 several times. The key is to rub out the dirt without getting too much water on the glove.

5. Let the glove dry completely. If you have the time, let the mitt dry overnight. Avoid drying it near a heating vent or in an oven, as this can damage the leather and reduce the life of the glove.

6. Using a dry rag, buff out any excess dirt after the mitt has dried.

7. Condition the mitt with a conditioner designed specifically for leather baseball gloves. This will condition the leather and help repel water and dirt, plus it will make the glove easier to clean in the future. Wilson makes a Pro Stock Glove Conditioner that sells for $6 to $10. One container will last you a couple of seasons, even if you use it regularly. If you have the time, let the conditioner set in overnight and buff out excess cleaner in the morning.

Resources

• Wilson Pro Stock Glove Conditioner