After a grueling practice, you plop down in the locker room. You emptied the tank and left it all on the field. But as you remove your shoulder pads, you realize you didn’t leave everything on the field. A week’s worth of sweat has made itself at home inside your football gear, and its ripe stench makes an explosive play.

As a dedicated athlete, you can’t avoid sweating. But you can (and should) keep your shoulder pads fresh, both for odor control and to ward off nasty bacteria and mold.

Take charge of the situation and learn how to get the smell out of football shoulder pads. It’s a simple process, and your pads (and nose) will thank you.

Why Do Shoulder Pads Smell?

Mold and bacteria adore two things: darkness and damp conditions.^1,2 Shoulder pad interiors rarely see the light of day, and players regularly douse them with sweat. If you don’t properly wash and air out pads post-game, bacteria will come running.

As these nasty critters multiply, they emit smelly gasses and unpleasant odors.¹ Careless storage habits (like immediately shoving pads into lockers or football bags):

• Trap nasty odors and make them tougher to eliminate
• Put you at risk for some unpleasant skin infections³

But don’t worry—even if your pads have been marinating in a funky stew of sweat and dirt, you can still restore them to freshness with the right cleaning solution.

Proven Steps to Remove Odor from Football Shoulder Pads

As a football player, you’re used to tackling—let’s figure out how to tackle this infamous odor problem once and for all. Gather your football equipment, and let’s cover how to get the smell out of football shoulder pads.

Step 1: Disassemble and Prepare

If you’re diving into cleaning immediately after use, take a moment to shake loose any mud chunks or grass clumps clinging to the exterior.

Before you start cleaning, make sure you’ve completely dismantled your gear:

• Disconnect any interlocking parts
• Spread them out on a flat, level surface

This simplifies the cleaning process and ensures bacteria can’t remain concealed in dark crevices. Plus, it’ll give your gear the best chance of airing out.

Step 2: Surface Clean and Disinfect the Hard Shell

Before attacking the bacteria colonies nestled in the padding, it’s important to give the hard shell a thorough wipe-down; odor-causing substances can easily hitch a ride here, too.

Using either a light solution of mild soap, white vinegar, and water or antibacterial wipes, carefully wipe down the hard shell. Make sure to work the soap or cleaning solution inside every nook and cranny—microbes can carve out a niche for themselves in even the smallest spaces. We highly recommend avoiding harsh chemicals and bleach, which can damage pad materials and potentially irritate the skin. Stick to mild detergents or specialized sports gear cleaning sprays.

Step 3: Neutralize Odor in the Padding

Now it’s time to clean the football pads. A homemade solution of two parts water and one part vinegar will do the trick. Mix it up and pour it into a spray bottle for easy application.

Once you’ve got your vinegar mix blended:

• Spray down the pads, taking care to coat every inch
• Let the solution soak

As an alternative to vinegar, you can also use its partner in crime: baking soda. Simply sprinkle a dusting over your pads and let them sit overnight. The soda will suck up odor, and you can wipe it off (or suck it up with a handheld vacuum) in the morning.

Step 4: Use Deodorizing Sprays Specifically for Sports Gear

While homemade cleansers (like dish soap, vinegar, and baking soda) can certainly get the job done, commercial deodorizers come equipped specifically to handle the task of de-stinking football pads. While this engineering makes them a bit more expensive, the results speak for themselves.

When making your selection:

• Keep an eye out for mixtures that feature natural ingredients
• Look for formulas that reach deep inside the pads
• Go with brands that boast an enthusiastic response from users

To keep pads perpetually fresh, give them a light spraydown after every practice or game. If you stay on top of it, there’s no need to go heavy with the chemicals. Don’t oversaturate your pads, though. Otherwise, they may not dry in time for your next use.

Step 5: Proper Drying to Prevent Odor Recurrence

We’ve now arrived at the most important step: drying. Bacteria can’t stand parched environments and they’ll quickly perish as fresh air flows over the fabric. Once you’re done deodorizing, hang your pads in a well-ventilated space and let the air do its work. Bonus points if you can find a spot near some fans.

You may have heard that sunlight slaughters microbes. You heard right.⁴ But a UV bath isn’t ideal for your pads, as the sun can cause the fabric to fade and wither. This shortens their lifespan. So, when drying your pads, avoid direct sunlight.

Another method to avoid? Traditional clothes dryers. Their high heat may melt the padding, and honestly, your washing machine can’t handle bulky, hard items like shoulder pads.¹ At the end of the day, it’s fresh air for the win.

If you’re in a hurry, though, you can speed up the drying process by:

• Setting your gear in front of a fan or A/C vent
• Using a hair dryer on the cool setting (not the hot setting)

Tips to Keep Shoulder Pads Smelling Fresh Longer

When you’re rushing between school, practice, and social hour, scouring your football pads probably doesn’t rank high on your free-time list. But just like it does with cars, a little routine maintenance goes a long way. To maximize your time between cleanings, follow these tips:

• Wipe down pads after each use – Microbes quickly make themselves at home. Put up the “no trespassing” sign by hitting your gear with a quick cleansing every day. Bacterial build-up is what really gets pads pungent.

• Try odor-absorbing packets – When you pick up fresh fits, you’ve probably noticed moisture-absorbing packets in the pockets. Similar packets exist to soak up sports stink. Grab a few, toss them in your gym bag, and say “So long!” to stench.

• Use antimicrobial and odor-control sprays – Another way to remove the welcome mat for bacteria and mold? A quick spritz with some anti-odor spray after every practice will help render your pads a hostile environment for nose-blasting odors.

Don’t kill those post-victory vibes by leaving the locker room in need of fumigation. Stay on top of deodorizing and focus on leading your team to victory.

Home Remedies to Try for Persistent Odors

Good news: you don’t need to dive into the world of commercial cleaners to handle rank football pads. When it comes to how to clean football pads, plenty of home methods slay stink just as well.

Vinegar and Baking Soda Soak

While a vinegar wipe down or baking soda sprinkle can help maintain a fresh scent, a deep soak in either of them can liberate soiled gear from the depths of sour stench.

If your pads stand in need of serious intervention, a deep soak may be the move. To do so⁵:

1. Air them out – If your pads have taken up residence in a shadowy corner of your sports bag, give them a few hours in the open air to let the worst of the stink wear off.
2. Mix the ingredients – Fill a large container with warm water and dump in a healthy portion of either baking soda (roughly 1/2 cup) or a 1:4 ratio of vinegar to water.
3. Let it dissolve – Give the mixture a chance to settle, then add your pads.
4. Wait 30 minutes – Let your gear marinate in the mixture for about half an hour. Hit a quick workout or catch up on some texts.
5. Air dry – Once it’s thoroughly soaked, hang your equipment in a well-ventilated space and let the air work its magic.

Take a whiff. Better? Yup. Works like a charm.

Essential Oils

You may have come across essential oils in those fancy air-freshening misters. But did you know you can actually use them in concentrated amounts to kill funky smells? Two in particular stand out:

• Tea tree oil – Studies indicate that tea tree oil annihilates plenty of disease-causing bacteria and skin fungi.⁶ Its antibacterial traits provide a firm defense against sports stank.
• Eucalyptus oil – Also packing antibacterial powers, it vanquishes odors and leaves its own pleasant scent behind.⁷ Pro tip: If you ever forget your clothes in the washer and return to find them reeking of mildew, eucalyptus oil can revitalize funky laundry.

If you’d like to get into the essential oils game, simply add a few drops to a spray bottle filled with water and spritz over your pads.

Freezing the Shoulder Pads to Kill Bacteria

If bacteria thrive in warm and wet environments, inserting them into a dry and frigid setting should wipe them out, right?

As it turns out, yes. Packing your pads into plastic bags and tossing them in the freezer can definitely help combat noxious odors.⁸ Just be sure to give them time to warm up before you use them! Blocking opposing linemen with frostbitten shoulders? Not fun.

Keep You and Your Gear Fresh with Battle Sports

If you live to compete, you never want to bring less than your best. Rank, rumpled gear? Well, let’s just say that’s not gonna win you friends or games. Keep your pads, gloves, and football drip fresh by keeping them aired out and deodorized. And, be sure to find the right football shoulder pad sizing for optimal performance and safety on the field.

But staying fresh goes beyond smell. When your look is on point, your confidence (and performance) skyrockets.

At Battle Sports, we serve the games we love by providing top-notch football gear alongside eye-catching swag that just hits different. So if you’re ready to fight for the trophy, choose Battle Sports.

Sources:

1. ABC News. Letting sunlight in really can kill dark-loving bacteria, study shows. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/letting-sunlight-kill-dark-loving-bacteria-study-shows/story?id=58586693
2. Florida Department of Agriculture and Human Services. What conditions encourage bacteria to grow. https://www.fdacs.gov/Consumer-Resources/Health-and-Safety/Food-Safety-FAQ/What-conditions-encourage-bacteria-to-grow
3. Business Insider. 8 gross things that can happen if you stay in sweaty clothes for too long. https://www.businessinsider.com/gross-things-when-you-wear-sweaty-clothes-2018-6
4. Healthline. Want to Kill Dangerous Bacteria? Open Your Blinds. https://www.healthline.com/health-news/want-to-kill-dangerous-germs-open-your-blinds
5. Healthline. A Guide to Getting Strong Smells Out of Your Clothes. https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-get-smell-out-of-clothes
6. Healthline. 14 Everyday Uses for Tea Tree Oil. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/tea-tree-oil#Hand-sanitizer
7. Smart Sheep Dryer Balls. Do essential oils fight laundry bacteria? https://www.smartsheepdryerballs.com/blogs/laundry/antibacterial-properties-of-essential-oils
8. Foot and Ankle Specialists of New Jersey. Three Easy Ways to Deodorize Shoes. https://www.footandanklespecialistsofnj.com/blog/three-easy-ways-to-deodorize-shoes
9. CubeSmart. Cleaning & Storing Sports Gear: A Guide for Busy Parents. https://www.cubesmart.com/blog/your-space/organization/washing-storing-sports-gear-guide-parents-athletes/