Sports Equipment:
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Luckily, most sports equipment is made of tough materials and can stand getting dirty and scuffed. In fact, overcleaning can be as much of a problem as undercleaning, since rackets, balls, skis, and other sproting foods often contain finely calibrated, high-tech materials. The trick is in knowing how and how often to clean sports gear.
To keep your archery gear clean, wipe off your bow and the shafts of arrows after each use with a clean, moist cloth. To remove stubborn dirt, wipe them with a mild solution of dish-washing liquid and warm water. Rinse with a water-soaked cloth. Dry with a clean towel. Don't use solvents on your bow or bowstring.
To keep your string from drying out and breaking, wax it monthly using string max. Most compound bow pulley systems are self-lubricating, so there is no need to lubircate wheels and cams. Wipe off the metal limb bolts (which hold the compound parts together) with a silicone-soaked rag, available at stores that sell hunting and fishing gear. Periodically spray arrow feathers with an arrow waterproofing spray.
To clean a baseball glove, first brush away dirt with a stiff-bristled leather-care brush, available at shoe stores. If the mitt gets muddy, let the mud dry and then brush it off. Don't use water on your leather mitt. If your glove gets rained on, let it dry naturally in a warm, well-ventilated place. Don't put it on or near a radiator or fireplace. After all, you've probably spent a lot of time getting the leather soft and supple, and heat does just the opposite: causes leather to stiffen and crack. After the mitt has dried, use lanolin or a lanolin-based shaving cream to soften the leather.
To clean an outdoor basketball, which is typically made of rubber, use a cloth and a solution of water and dishwashing liquid. Rinse with clean water and air-dry. Indoor basketballs are either made of leather (the really high-end balls) or synthetic leather. When cared for properly. and kept indoors, neither should need much cleaning.
To keep darts clean, there's not much you have to do as long as you keep your darts out of your beer. Keep the points free of burs by turning them gently in the concave part of a round sharpening stone ( available where darts are sold) Every so often, remove the number ring from your dart board and rotate it, so that the wear is distributed evenly.
To care for a football, which is usually made of synthetic leather, keep it dry. If your football 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 radiator to dry a football.
To keep golf clubs clean, wipe the dirt and mud off them after each day of golfing. Use a cloth and plain water or a very mild solution of dishwashing liquid and water. Rinse by wiping with a wet cloth. Dry well with a dry cloth. Try not to get the leather grips wet. Large deposits of dirt can hurt your game, so keep a moist cloth handy while playing to spot-clean afer digging up divors.
To clean a synthetic golf bag, wipe it with plain water or the same mild, soapy solution recommended for clubs. Vacuum out the bottom and the pockets occasionally. To clean a leather gold bag, follow the instructions for coated leather in the Leather entry.
To keep hockey gear in good working order, the most important thing is to allow it dry properly--which means gear dry naturally, not with the help of an additional heat source. Proper care also means taking gear out of the car trunk and stick bag ASAP. After each game, dry and store pads(hanging them, if possible) in an upright position. The same goes for the stick. Dry skates and blades with a cloth after each use to avoid rusting. wipe visors clean with a moist cloth after each use.
Hush-Hush Laundry
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There's a nondescript little cleaning business in a small town outside Boston. It's the kind of place you'd pass by without a second look, which is exactly how the managers want it. We were sworn to secrecy, so we can't even reveal the business's name. You see, this media-shy company cleans equipment--helmets, pads, uniforms-- for the New England Patriots, the Boston Bruins, the Boston Red Sox, and other professional sports teams. with a high prices paid these days for sports memorabilia, not to mention the extremes some pro sports fans go to for sweat-soaked souvenirs, keeping a low profile is as important to the laundry's business as is making football jerseys sparkle for the cameras on Sunday afternoons.
"We don't advertise what we do," said a longtime sales representative who wished to remain nameless. In fact, the company does just the opposite: It keeps its core business strictly confidential.
"That's why these teams feel safe having us clean their uniforms," the sales rep explained. The gear goes in, gets shuttled through the cleaning process by a company overseer, and goes back out within 24 hours. "unless someone knew the inner workings of our shop, they'd have a hard time taking anything."
Employees are screened before they are hired and are bound by an honor code for bidding them to tuck so much as a smelly sock into their lunch boxes. "If something did so missing," said the sales rep, "We'd lose that account."
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Luckily, most sports equipment is made of tough materials and can stand getting dirty and scuffed. In fact, overcleaning can be as much of a problem as undercleaning, since rackets, balls, skis, and other sproting foods often contain finely calibrated, high-tech materials. The trick is in knowing how and how often to clean sports gear.
To keep your archery gear clean, wipe off your bow and the shafts of arrows after each use with a clean, moist cloth. To remove stubborn dirt, wipe them with a mild solution of dish-washing liquid and warm water. Rinse with a water-soaked cloth. Dry with a clean towel. Don't use solvents on your bow or bowstring.
To keep your string from drying out and breaking, wax it monthly using string max. Most compound bow pulley systems are self-lubricating, so there is no need to lubircate wheels and cams. Wipe off the metal limb bolts (which hold the compound parts together) with a silicone-soaked rag, available at stores that sell hunting and fishing gear. Periodically spray arrow feathers with an arrow waterproofing spray.
To clean a baseball glove, first brush away dirt with a stiff-bristled leather-care brush, available at shoe stores. If the mitt gets muddy, let the mud dry and then brush it off. Don't use water on your leather mitt. If your glove gets rained on, let it dry naturally in a warm, well-ventilated place. Don't put it on or near a radiator or fireplace. After all, you've probably spent a lot of time getting the leather soft and supple, and heat does just the opposite: causes leather to stiffen and crack. After the mitt has dried, use lanolin or a lanolin-based shaving cream to soften the leather.
To clean an outdoor basketball, which is typically made of rubber, use a cloth and a solution of water and dishwashing liquid. Rinse with clean water and air-dry. Indoor basketballs are either made of leather (the really high-end balls) or synthetic leather. When cared for properly. and kept indoors, neither should need much cleaning.
To keep darts clean, there's not much you have to do as long as you keep your darts out of your beer. Keep the points free of burs by turning them gently in the concave part of a round sharpening stone ( available where darts are sold) Every so often, remove the number ring from your dart board and rotate it, so that the wear is distributed evenly.
To care for a football, which is usually made of synthetic leather, keep it dry. If your football 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 radiator to dry a football.
To keep golf clubs clean, wipe the dirt and mud off them after each day of golfing. Use a cloth and plain water or a very mild solution of dishwashing liquid and water. Rinse by wiping with a wet cloth. Dry well with a dry cloth. Try not to get the leather grips wet. Large deposits of dirt can hurt your game, so keep a moist cloth handy while playing to spot-clean afer digging up divors.
To clean a synthetic golf bag, wipe it with plain water or the same mild, soapy solution recommended for clubs. Vacuum out the bottom and the pockets occasionally. To clean a leather gold bag, follow the instructions for coated leather in the Leather entry.
To keep hockey gear in good working order, the most important thing is to allow it dry properly--which means gear dry naturally, not with the help of an additional heat source. Proper care also means taking gear out of the car trunk and stick bag ASAP. After each game, dry and store pads(hanging them, if possible) in an upright position. The same goes for the stick. Dry skates and blades with a cloth after each use to avoid rusting. wipe visors clean with a moist cloth after each use.
Hush-Hush Laundry
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There's a nondescript little cleaning business in a small town outside Boston. It's the kind of place you'd pass by without a second look, which is exactly how the managers want it. We were sworn to secrecy, so we can't even reveal the business's name. You see, this media-shy company cleans equipment--helmets, pads, uniforms-- for the New England Patriots, the Boston Bruins, the Boston Red Sox, and other professional sports teams. with a high prices paid these days for sports memorabilia, not to mention the extremes some pro sports fans go to for sweat-soaked souvenirs, keeping a low profile is as important to the laundry's business as is making football jerseys sparkle for the cameras on Sunday afternoons.
"We don't advertise what we do," said a longtime sales representative who wished to remain nameless. In fact, the company does just the opposite: It keeps its core business strictly confidential.
"That's why these teams feel safe having us clean their uniforms," the sales rep explained. The gear goes in, gets shuttled through the cleaning process by a company overseer, and goes back out within 24 hours. "unless someone knew the inner workings of our shop, they'd have a hard time taking anything."
Employees are screened before they are hired and are bound by an honor code for bidding them to tuck so much as a smelly sock into their lunch boxes. "If something did so missing," said the sales rep, "We'd lose that account."
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