Tips for keeping sports equipment clean

Most sports equipment is made of tough materials and can stand getting dirty and scuffed. In fact, over-cleaning can be as much of a problem as under-cleaning, since racquets, balls, skis and other sporting goods often contain finely calibrated, high-tech materials. The trick is knowing not just how to clean your sports gear, but how often to do it.

• Brush away dirt with a stiff-bristled leather-care brush, available from shoe stores.
• If the glove gets muddy, let the mud dry and then brush it off.
• Don't use water on your leather glove.
• If your glove gets rained on, let it dry naturally in a warm, well-ventilated place. Don't put it on or near a heater or fireplace, as heat causes leather to stiffen and crack.
• After the glove has dried, use lanolin or a lanolin-based shaving cream to soften the leather.

• Use a cloth and a solution of water and dishwashing liquid.
• When clean, rinse the basketball with plain water and air-dry.

• When your football, which is usually made of synthetic leather, gets dirty, wipe it with a moist rag.
• If it gets wet, air-dry it. Don't use a heat source such as a hair dryer or a heater to dry a football.

• Wipe the dirt and mud off them after each day of golfing.
• Use a cloth and plain water or a mild solution of dishwashing liquid and water.
• Rinse by wiping with a wet cloth.
• Try not to get the leather grips wet.
• Large deposits of dirt on your clubs can affect your game, so keep a moist cloth handy while playing to spot-clean after digging up divots.

• Wipe it with plain water or the same mild, soapy solution recommended for golf clubs.
• Remember to vacuum out the bottom and the pockets occasionally.

• The most important thing is to allow it to dry properly — which means letting gear dry naturally, not with the help of an additional heat source.
• After each game, dry and store pads (hanging them, if possible) and the stick in an upright position.
• Dry ice hockey skates with a cloth after each use to avoid rusting.
• Wipe visors clean with a moist cloth after each use.

• Wipe them down with a moist rag (you can use a soapy solution of warm water and dishwashing liquid), rinse them and then dry with a dry rag.
• Wax your skis every few times you use them.
• When you wax them, clean the bases either by using a spray-on and wipe-off base cleaner or by putting on hot wax with an old iron and scraping it off with a plastic scraper before it has dried. (Once you've used an iron for waxing, never use it on clothes.)
• After you ski, always dry your skis and poles with a cloth to keep them from rusting.

Just wipe it off with a moist cloth.

• Or a squash or badminton racquet, wipe it with a damp cloth.
• Don't get the strings wet, because moisture can ruin them.
• Try not to wet the leather grip either, as moisture can take away the grip's tackiness and make it slippery.
• Instead, wipe perspiration off with a dry cloth.