Defunkify your Hockey Equipment!
It’s no secret that the smell of hockey gear and equipment is just a stinky situation! The funky odor has plagued players since the beginning of time. This smell has driven hockey moms bonkers all these years. The odor that has been described as a combination of cat pee, wet dog, rotten eggs, dirty socks and low tide…The good news is the odor can be stopped!
So, as you hesitate to reach in that stanky hockey bag, terrified that the odor will haunt you all day at school or work and through out the rest of your adult life, rest assured that this fear is not necessary! You can kill the funk and defunkify your equipment and gear now! The funk stops here!
I am sure most of you can pin point exactly which piece of equipment is the number one culprit! The truth is basically all of your equipment has the potential to smell! That funky odor is caused by bacteria and germs that can live and breed in any or all your hockey equipment. In an average set of Hockey equipment there is over a million living organisms! When you kill and prevent the breeding of these organisms, the odor disappears and so does that chance that you will contract a health issue.
The idea of regular cleaning of equipment and gear is the best most proactive choice. Unfortunately, spraying down with any household cleaner will only mask the smell short-term but will not kill serious bacteria! Also, they are harmful to your skin! Clorox and Lysol works on surfaces and not for equipment that will eventually come in close contact with your skin for hours on end!
Here are some tips to help get rid of that funky smell and dangerous bacteriawithout harming your skin or ruining your Hockey Equipment:
- Spray your equipment and gear regularly after use (before putting it in your bag) with a Non caustic, safe on skin, FDA regulated disinfectant. Why is it important to use the best product for your Hockey Equipment? Over 1,000 Professional, College and Youth Programs use Helmet & Pad Disinfectants by Matguard. The reason is obvious, See the comparison below
- Just as it is important to spray your equipment down it is just as important to let it air dry! Take your equipment out of the bag once you are home. Have a designated spot at home and properly dry the equipment and gear over night. REMINDER: Bacteria loves a warm and wet environment! This is were the black mold is formed on your gear or equipment. Keep your wet gear and equipment out of the truck of a car or closed up in the bag with no air flow. These are the ideal breeding ground of harmful germs and bacteria!
- Do not forget to also spray the bag to kill any bacteria lingering from gear/ equipment you forgot to spray!
REMINDER TO HOCKEY PARENTS AND COACHES:
Your hockey players, young or old, are desensitized by the smell. Thanks to the locker rooms and lingering smell that can even penetrate the glass off the ice. Also, they are but mere mortals in their mind. 99% of the time they do not know what smell you are talking about. Encourage your young athletes to take responsibility and carry the bag and hang their own equipment up. Educate them about the living harmful germs and bacteria in their equipment that can prevent them from going all the way to the pros!
Matguard USA’s campaign for a germ free sport is not to create fear about putting your kid into a harmful situation. Bacteria is everywhere and it is our duty to proactively educate parents, school officials, coaches, athletic directors, and equipment managers on skin disease prevention! Our social responsibility starts when we all take precautions and recognize that making sure our athletes’ equipment and gear are germ free before every game!
Below are more articles that we’ve compiled for you to better educate yourself and your athlete on the importance of germ free sports. Also visit our Matguard Health News Blog and www.killthefunk.com for up-to-date skin disease prevention news and programs.
“The reality is that the smell is caused by upwards of a million living organisms on the average set of hockey or football equipment."
“Health officials generally agree that sports teams seem most at risk for staph infections such as community-acquired MRSA.”
“Doctors told me that my hockey equipment was irritating my skin,” says Brouse. “I’ve been playing for 16 years, but last year was the worst that it’s ever been. Just non-stop scratching – it was the itchiest thing that I’ve ever been through. By November I was done playing. I just couldn’t take it anymore.”
”My worst enemy, I don’t want him to have it,” Gilbert said. ”Maybe broken legs, but not the rash. You need boxing gloves when you go to sleep. It’s worse than a sunburn. It really, really itches. It drives you crazy. When you start sweating, it’s worse.”
