Have you recently noticed that your gloves don’t perform as well as they used to? It may be time to refurbish your gear to improve your game.
We will show a complete guide to restoring old baseball gloves. Let’s scroll down until the final line to discover!
Restoring Old Baseball Glove
You can restore old baseball gloves by softening and oiling them. The idea is to retain their flexibility to recover their grip. The following ideas will help you achieve this goal.
Soak the glove in warm water
You may soften your old baseball glove that stiffens by soaking the leather in warm water. With this approach, the glove will be easier to grasp and return to its original form.
An old baseball glove should be more malleable and less rigid by immersing it in warm water for several hours. You should soak it until it gets wet and then leave it in a cool, well-ventilated environment for more hours.
While softening your glove, you may apply some pressure and accidentally impact its shape and size.
So no matter which method you choose- by foot, hand, or machine – do it gently. A little pressure is necessary for the leather to keep its form.
Then, keep softening the fabric by immersing it in warm water until you achieve your desired softness. Try to keep it wet to prevent it from hardening again after drying.
Soften the glove with soap
The sulfur concentration, a naturally occurring substance, gives the soap its suppleness. It weakens the glove’s oil and rubber, making it more malleable and comfortable to use.
Just lather up your hands and rub some soap into your glove. The fabric will become easier to grasp after you clean all of the oils, dirt, and other residues.
In addition, soap comes in a liquid form that sticks to balls better when they contact it than water does. The friction between your glove and the ball will decrease, eventually causing less wear and tear on the two objects.
In addition, soap may eliminate accumulated grease and oils from the exterior of the leather, preventing it from degrading over time.
Last but not least, soap makes rubber materials more elastic while making them less stiff. Your glove can be more flexible and responsive in chilly temperatures or during demanding practices.
Use rubbing alcohol
You can restore your old baseball gloves with rubbing alcohol but perform the softening job safely.
If applied improperly, this strong solvent can harm the fabric. Blindness and skin discomfort are other side effects.
One tip for this method is to boil your glove in water first to break down the fabric and make it more pliable.
If you skip this step, the result will be ineffective. Your glove’s stiffness remains despite how hard you try.
Avoid spraying any liquids on you or the gloves at all costs. When heated up, substances on the glove may catch on fire and cause burns.
After everything is done, you should allow your glove to dry overnight. If you can’t perform this step, at least let it air out in a warm environment for a few hours.
Apply some fresh leather conditioner the next day to restore moisture lost during cleansing activities. These products are available online or at sports shops.
Apply oil
Your gloves can last longer and be more robust if you apply glove oil. Oils soften leather, facilitating glove break-in.
Moreover, it lubricates the fabric and prevents the cracking of your glove.
Lanolin oil, olive oil, and leather conditioner are excellent choices for this task. You can also use shaving cream to yield the same effect.
Start by applying a little oil on the surface. You can contact the oil with bare hands. However, it may trigger stains and allergies. Dishcloth or soft cotton will help avoid this problem.
Rub the surface gently and thoroughly for the oil to penetrate the fabric. Try to use circular motions for the best effect.
Pay close attention to the cracks and focus your efforts there. Ensure to rub continuously to prevent some areas from drying more quickly than others. This tip guarantees a stain-free, uniform finish.
Allow your glove to finish drying after one or two layers. Keep it away from any source of heat in a cool place.
You need to wait overnight for the oil to soak into the fabric. And after 24 hours, wipe the excess oil with a dishcloth or soft cotton.
Oiling is a terrific way to soften and restore your baseball gloves. Hence, you should perform it regularly. You can learn some oiling tips from this video:
What Can I Do With An Old Baseball Glove?
You can do two things with old baseball gloves: refurbish them to reuse them or donate them to those who can’t afford them.
Refurbishing
We have shared with you some tips to restore baseball gloves. Use them to recover your gear if the damage is not too severe.
The cost for refurbishing varies depending on your glove’s age and condition. Consider the second solution if you expect it to be higher than buying a new pair of gloves.
Donation
Some organizations collect used gloves. So, you can give yours to those organizations instead of throwing them away.
You can also give the gloves to kids who love baseball but can’t buy the gear.
Donating old stuff can protect the environment as you won’t dispose of the waste. You can also give unlucky people more chances to follow their passions.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much is it to restore a baseball glove?
It depends on the product you use to restore and soften your glove. Some may be already available in your home, like soap and rubbing alcohol.
Many players want to relace their old gloves. A partial relace is often $10, while a full relace starts at $50.
If you want to relace the glove yourself, this video will show you how to do it:
2. Can you use WD-40 on a baseball glove?
The leather will become softer and more flexible with WD-40.
You can spray it on your glove, place a baseball in its palm, and fold it. Then, tie the folded glove with a rubber band.
3. How do you refurbish an old baseball glove?
You can apply mink oil, leather conditioning, neatsfoot, and soap to refurbish your glove. Avoid petroleum-based products because they may affect the fabric.
Conclusion
There are several ways to restore your baseball gloves. You can use soap, warm water, rubbing alcohol, or oil to soften the fabric, making your glove flexible and maintaining its grip.
Hopefully, you will find this article helpful. If you know any ideas to refurbish baseball gloves, don’t hesitate to share them with us. We are looking forward to hearing from you. Thank you for reading!