Spring is here, which means peak gardening season has finally arrived. Are you counting down until your first gardening session of 2024?
Before rolling up your sleeves, consider giving your gardening gloves some TLC. They’re in for a busy few months, and the better you clean them, the longer they’ll last!
Here’s how to clean gardening gloves by material and tips for keeping them feeling as good as new.
How to Clean Gardening Gloves: Fabric, Rubber and Leather Washing Tips
How to Clean Fabric Gardening Gloves
Cotton gloves and gloves with synthetic fiber knit palms are relatively easy to wash. Simply:
Rinse away loose soil. You can hose them down, soak them in a bucket of water, or wear the gloves while running them under a tap.
Pre-treat any stains. Rub a dab of laundry detergent onto the stain and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Machine wash them. A regular cycle with cold water is best, and you can wash them with items of similar color. For extra smelly gloves, add a dash of vinegar to the wash.
Pro Tip: Place your gardening gloves in a mesh laundry bag before tossing them in the wash. This is one of the best laundry hacks for smaller items!
After the wash, gently squeeze excess water out of the gloves (don’t wring them out) and hang them up to air dry.
How to Clean Rubber Gardening Gloves
Rubber gardening gloves are even easier to clean! Just follow these steps:
Rinse your gloves in cold water while wearing them.
While still wearing the gloves, continue washing with a dash of liquid dishwashing detergent or a bar of soap. Scrub any stains with a soft-bristled nylon brush.
Take off the gloves and rinse both the inside and outside with more cold water.
As with fabric gloves, air dry instead of machine dry. For help with air drying, here’s our guide to line drying.
How to Clean Leather Gardening Gloves
Cleaning leather gardening gloves is a bit trickier, but you can still tackle them at home. After allowing them to dry completely (damp or muddy gloves won’t clean well), here’s what to do:
Remove any excess soil with a soft-bristled brush.
Using a washcloth, rub saddle soap or castile soap into the gloves with gentle circular motions. Try to rotate the washcloth to wipe each part of the leather with a clean surface.
After rubbing the whole surface with soap, wipe the gloves clean using a fresh, dampened washcloth.
Air-dry the gloves, but don’t place them in direct sun or heat. An indoor drying rack will be better than line drying for this!
Once completely dry, rub a commercial leather conditioner or linseed oil into the gloves with a soft (and dry) washcloth.
Allow the conditioner to air dry, and voila! Your favorite leather gloves are ready for spring.
Ready for a productive gardening season? If you need any help with spring cleaning or tackling tricky soil stains, the team at the WaveMAX laundromat in Thornton is here to help. Visit our website to schedule a service.
