How To Clean Fishing Gloves
Do I need to need to clean my fishing Gloves?
Yes, you do need to clean your fishing gloves! Unless you you enjoy the smell of stinky fish and fish guts that only gets worse over time. There are two main reasons to clean your fishing gloves. Firstly, they will last longer. Secondly, when you use them the next time, there will not stink. There is nothing worse than trying to put on a stinky pair of fishing gloves!
When Should I Clean My Fishing Gloves?
The best option is to clean your fishing gloves immediately after use. As soon as you get home or back to your base camp. The reason is simple. It is much easier to clean any form of clothing before the stains and smells dry and set it.
How do I clean my fishing gloves?
How you clean your fishing gloves depends on the material they are made with and how dirty your gloves actually are. Let’s consider 2 scenarios.
Scenario 1 – You are a catch and release type person and fish fresh water. Your gloves get wet and a little slimy due to handling of the fish you catch.
- Place your fishing gloves in a bucket and hose them thoroughly
- You may need to rinse and repeat if they are quite smelly or dirty
- Hang out to dry in the sun if possible. The sun will also help remove the smell
- Make sure that they are dry. Give them a test smell. If all good, place them away for next time
Scenario 2 – You have been salt water fishing, handling stinky bait, bagged out on your catch And cleaned and filleted a bunch of fish. While you are feeling pretty proud of yourself, your gloves are looking worse for wear and begging to be cleaned.
Follow these steps to clean your fishing gloves:
- Place your fishing gloves in a bucket and hose them thoroughly
- Use a scrubbing brush to clean away any fish remains
- Rinse and repeat the first 2 steps as necessary
- Now get some washing detergent and place in the bucket and fill with warm to hot water
- Leave your fishing gloves to soak for 24 hours
- Remove the water and rinse your gloves thoroughly
- Hang out to dry in the sun as this will also help remove the smell
- As above, make sure that your gloves are dry before placing away
Can I put my fishing gloves in the washing machine?
This really depends on the material that the fishing gloves are made with. Some fishing gloves are washing machinable. Best to read your fishing gloves washing instructions before placing them in the wash. We personally leave our fishing gloves outside and don’t want to pollute our washing machine with smelly fishing gloves! Whatever you do, don’t wash your gloves with other clothes!
It is worth noting, many of the newer fishing gloves are actually machine washable. However I still prefer the bucket method mentioned above. My washing machine is for washing clothes!
How to store fishing gloves after use and cleaning
We find it best to leave your fishing gloved exposed to further air out and avoid mold or other build-ups. For example, leave your gloves sitting on your tackle box or somewhere in your boat where they can be hung out. This will allow your fishing gloves to air out even more and also remind you not to forget them next time you are going fishing.
How to remove mold from fishing gloves
If you don’t clean and dry your fishing gloves, it is possible that the next time you go to use them, they could be covered in mold. You can actually get specific mold liquid treatments.
However first put on some rubber gloves and inspect where the were the mold is growing. Mold usually develops on the outside of gloves that have been in contact with fish parts and water. If this is the case, get a bucket of hot soapy water and a brush and start scrubbing away. You may find this is enough to clean off the mold. Make sure that you to then hang them out to dry thoroughly.
If the mold is on the inside of the glove, you can try and clean using the above method, or with a specific mold cleaning product. However more than likely at this point it is time to throw them out and buy a new pair of fishing gloves. This time, make sure you clean your fishing gloves thoroughly after every use.
Conclusion
Like any of your fishing gear, if you want it to last, you need to clean it regularly. Cleaning your smelly fishing gloves after every use is the best option as fishing gloves generally get wet and are exposed to bait and fish slime.
Now off you go! Go and clean your fishing gloves…
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