Guide to Glove Longevity

GOALKEEPER GLOVE CARE

Goalkeeper gloves require and demand exceptional care because latex is a sophisticated and fragile (like United fans). Glove wear? Totally normal, and can even start from the very first save. But don’t worry. We got you. By following these simple tips, you’ll keep your gloves in top form and extend their life.

Watch the video below to master the art of glove care, or scroll down for the scoop on washing, drying, and storing like a pro.

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Essential Maintenance Tips for Your Goalkeeper Gloves

Before Play

Pre-wash your new gloves before using them for the first time and allow them to dry naturally (consult the washing instructions below).

This is to ensure that any preservatives from the manufacturing process are removed from the latex, it will activate the latex and make sure that you are getting the maximum grip out of your gloves when you use them. If you want absolute confidence that they are ready, a second pre-wash is always a good idea.

During Play

When your goalkeeper gloves are in use, occasionally dampen the palms of the gloves with water to get the best possible grip and durability from the latex palm.

Latex is not designed to be dry. This is why you will often see pros on TV squirt water on them or even spit, to make the latex come alive.

After Play

After using your goalkeeper gloves, make sure that you wash them immediately and leave them to dry naturally.

However, if you leave your latex to dry out too much, it will become brittle which will have an impact on durability and grip which is not what you want (our guide on drying further down the page has you covered!).

How to Wash Goalkeeper Gloves

Rinse off surface dirt

Before filling your sink or basin, rinse and lightly rub off any loose surface dirt under a tap with warm water. Do this immediately after use, do not let bacteria or sweat eat at your latex!

Prepare & soak

Fill your sink or basin with warm water (maximum 30c). Submerge, squeeze and soak the glove.

Pump it up

Remove the gloves from the water and apply 3-4 pumps of OG Elixir wash into each palm (although our wash is absolutely elite, water will still do a decent job, don't worry if you don't have this).

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Massage the glove

With your thumbs, gently rub in the Glove Wash until it is absorbed into the latex pores (skip if not using the OG Elixir).

Submerge & rub

Submerge the glove and continue to massage and rub the latex under water, you should visibly see the water change colour as the Glove Wash lifts out the dirt.

Let gloves dry natually

Remove the gloves from the basin and squeeze (don't twist!) all excess water from the glove, don't forget the fingertips. Leave to dry naturally, away from direct heat or light sources (heat and UV will dry out and kill your latex).

How to Dry Your Goalkeeper Gloves

Once you have washed your goalkeeper gloves and are ready to dry them, we recommend wrapping them in a towel and applying pressure to soak up excess water, before leaving them to dry naturally for around 24 hours. Do not wipe or scrub them with the towel as this may tear pieces of the latex.

You can also hang them on a washing line or in the bathroom, but be careful not to leave them in direct sunlight or a humid environment (allowing mould to grow will kill the latex).

Do not dry your gloves by using the following methods:

On a radiator
Infront of a fire
In a tumble dryer
Using an iron
Using an airing cupboard
in direct sunlight
By twisting them (squeeze instead)

All of the above methods may cause a loss of natural moisture in the latex and in turn, make them dry and brittle. Be sure to follow our steps on how to clean your goalkeeper gloves to minimise your chances of error.

Where to Store Your Goalkeeper Gloves

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If possible, store your gloves in a reasonably cool environment out of direct sunlight. Keeping your gloves somewhere humid, sealed and stuffy can cause mould and bacteria to grow and ultimately damage your gloves.

We recommend that you leave your gloves for around 24 hours, before placing them in one of our glove wallets. Leaving your gloves out to dry for too long can cause your gloves to become brittle and dry.

Make sure that the palms of your gloves are NOT touching when left to dry or in storage. If you do this, you may find your palms stuck together when you return and peeling them apart can tear the latex.

Avoid storing your goalkeeping gloves away without having washed and dried them first.

How to Extend the Life of Your Goalkeeper Gloves

We just dumped a hell of a lot of information on you. So let's simplify and recap - these are the core actions you need to take. Love your gloves people and you'll extend the life of them. Saving you money.

Pre-wash the gloves 24h before use to activate and moisten the latex
Occasionally dampen palms with water during use to help with the grip.
Wash immediately after use in water under 30ºC.
Leave the gloves to dry naturally
Keep in a cool environment out of direct sunlight.

Here's a pretty handy (fisty?) tip...

When wearing your goalkeeping gloves in training or non-competitive environments, try and avoid using the palms to pick yourself up off the ground.

Try to use your fists to push yourself back up to avoid the palms of your gloves seeing contact with the ground. Using your palm will help you spring back up quicker, but you can minimise wear during non-game situations using the fist method above.

Latex Degradation

We only use the highest-quality latex sourced from Germany to offer the best possible grip in all conditions. However, latex is a very soft natural product that is subject to wear and abrasion over time, which cannot be avoided. At any point, latex can and will begin to show forms of wear and tear, it really can be as simple as an unlucky nick off the playing surface. And it can happen in your first game just as much as it can in your fifteenth.

Latex degradation will be affected by multiple factors including:

Age of keeper
Technique
Playing surface
How they were prepared
Were the care instructions followed
Volume of saves and how busy your defence is making you!
Luck

With all gloves, the better they are cared for the more life you are likely to get out of them. If your latex begins to show signs of wear then don’t panic! Wear and tear on your gloves is normal and expected - all of our gloves come with 4mm of material so will perform until there is no latex left on the palm.

How playing surface impacts lifespan:

Goalkeeper gloves are predominantly designed for use on natural surfaces like grass unless specified (e.g. a specialist 3G/astro turf latex which sacrifices grip for durability). If you are using a goalkeeper glove on an artificial surface such as 3G or astro turf you will be placing a higher level of stress on the latex, therefore it will wear much quicker.

How glove cuts affect durability

Its normal that Negative Cut gloves will show wear quicker

Due to the type of fit and stitching method used, please note that gloves featuring a "Negative Cut" (like in the image above) will show wear on the fingers and thumbs quicker than other styles.

Reduced Durability. Increased feel.

This type of cut provides a much tighter and more natural feel on your fingers but, as a result, comes under more stress. It is a trade-off for this style of fit.

What about other cuts?

Similarly, our "SL" cut is an even tighter fit than "Negative" and will experience similar. On the flip side, cuts like our "Hyla" and "Roll Finger" will fair a bit better as offer a more classic fit.