Knowing how to care for swim gloves and other swim accessories helps ensure they retain their fit and continue to provide the benefits you bought them for in the first place. Once you select the right pair of swim gloves, protect them against undue wear and tear so they last as long as possible.
These are a key accessory for people who participate in aquatic exercises, adding resistance to arm movements for more effective stamina and strength building. They aren’t too hard to care for; it really only takes a few minutes after use and some general attention to how you handle them.
Below are some simple ways to take good care of your swim gloves.
Swim Glove Care Tips
- Choose swim gloves that fit snugly, but not too tight, or they’ll quickly become stretched out; once that happens, they won’t stay on your hands properly as you move through the water
- Don’t tug on the gloves hard when putting them on or taking them off, as this too will stretch out the material and ruin the fit
- Only wear your swim gloves while using them in the water; wearing them outside the water just presents unnecessary opportunities to damage them
- Don’t wear any rings when you wear your swim gloves, as they can cause stretching, distortion, wear, and snags
- Protect your swim gloves against corrosion, fading, and other damage caused by chlorine, salt, and other compounds found in the pool or open water by cleaning them properly; it’s really quick, easy, and effective to swish them around a few times in Suit Solutions along with your swimsuit
- An alternative—particularly for rubber and silicone swim gloves—is to give them a quick wipe-down with Swim Wipes
- Don’t run your swim gloves through the washing machine
- Make sure the gloves are completely dry inside and out before storing them; putting them away somewhere with poor air circulation when they’re even slightly damp will probably lead to bad odors and mold or mildew growth
- Other than wiping them down, just let your gloves air-dry; never toss them in the dryer, as the heat will damage their fibers, shape, and elasticity
- Don’t keep the gloves in direct sunlight, as it fades their color, weakens the fibers of certain
materials, and can even overheat and distort some materials
- Never store swim gloves close to a heat source, as this too can negatively affect the material
- Be careful about keeping your gloves near sharp objects that can tear or puncture them
- Don’t leave your swim gloves under heavy items, as this is likely to distort their shape and weaken fibers
