Volleyball knee pads are a very important equipment to help maximize your safety. However, not taking care of them could decrease their efficiency over time and thus not serving your knees safety as well as it should be …
In this article, I breakdown several care and cleaning methods for your volley knee pads that will also help increase their durability.
Volleyball Knee Pads – Natural Cleaning Options …
To wash your knee pads without putting them in a washing a machine …
Start by filling a sink or a pail with cold water.
Put the knee pads in the water, allow them to soak and begin cleaning with a natural anti-biotic soap.
Do not use bleach or other anti-solvents. It is recommended to wear gloves to protect the hands anyway.
One recommended option is to use some white vinegar – mix it with the water to dilute its concentration – as this is a good way to help lift the odours and bacteria which will have accumulated in the pads themselves.
It is important also to wash both sides of the pads, paying attention to any gaps or crevices where dirt may lurk.
Drying is an important part of the process, as they should be given the chance to air out properly.
Helpful Tip: Put the pads after they are dry in lightweight bag fastened with a zip, together with a piece of charcoal. This has similar properties to using an anti-microbe spray in terms of odour absorption, and is a lot less harmful to the environment,
How often should you clean them?
Knee pads should have a proper wash at least every 2 to 4 weeks, depending in how often you play and whether your pads can support those many washes!
However, even between those cycles, some more regular maintenance helps keep them smelling a bit less …
One method that could be considered is to:
- Take the knee pads in to the shower after a game and drop them on the floor …
- As the water runs, step on the knee pads, which should make coloured water run off them. This should be continued until the coloured water fades away.
- Then add some soap and rinse the pads until the bubbles have dispersed. The pads should then be left to dry.
This routine can be followed several times a week.
A variation on this routine is to use a sink instead. Fill the sink with water add some soap – and, if available, white vinegar – and press and squeeze the pads under the water until the discolouration clears.
Helpful Tip: Not all Knee Pads could be cleaned/washed as frequently. If they are of a lower quality then they might get deteriorated. For example, these high quality knee pads could be washed as frequently as you want without actually impacting its quality.
How do you hand wash a volleyball knee pad? (Tips)
Fill a sink with cold water (never user hot water as this can damage the fabrics used in the knee pads themselves.
Wear gloves to protect the hands.
Having soaked the pads thoroughly in the water, then begin to gently scrub the pads with an anti-septic soak, paying attention to any nooks and crannies where dirt or dried-up sweat may have pooled.
The pads should be turned inside and out to ensure that all parts of the pads receive the same treatment.
Consider using white vinegar as well to help with the odour and dirt removal process, but keep well away from the eyes.
Pour away the solution after use, and clean the bucket or the sink after use to make sure that no bacteria has been transferred from the pads to the surrounding surfaces.
For the same reason, hands should be thoroughly scrubbed after the cleaning process.
Can you put your volleyball knee pads in a dryer?
The general advice is not to put knee pads in a dryer. While it is not certain that this will ruin them, it certainly increases the chances that they may get damaged in some way. So, there is no need to take such a risk!
Knee pads and high temperatures are not a good combination because of the materials from which they are made …
Putting them in a dryer may make them shrink and, if they have not been cleaned properly first, they may not only be uncomfortable to wear afterwards, and may also stink of sweat.
The best advice is to put them in a place where they can dry out naturally in the air.
Helpful Tip: If, however, there is a rush, and you need dry pads in a hurry just before a game, a way round the problem is to put them in the dryer on a low setting and put some other clothes, towels, or other items in with them to offer a layer of protection.
To learn more, I highly recommend learning the best practices on drying your volleyball knee pads!
Are knee pads machine washable?
Most volleyball knee pads are machine washable, although it is also advisable to check the instructions that came with them before putting them in a machine for the first time.
However, there are some recommended steps to take; These include …
Keeping the water temperature really low – the type of materials typically used in them means that they do not fare well at high temperatures, and they could shrink over time.
The spin cycle should also be kept low to prevent then getting stuck in the machine or even damaged along the seams.
And the third piece of advice is to add some laundry detergent or anti-bacterial soap. There are several reasons for this. Not only does it aid with the cleaning process, but it helps remove odours.
These can linger in the pads from all the perspiration produced during hectic games.
And bad smells are not just unpleasant but they are also an indication that bacteria could be lurking in the fibres of the pads themselves, which means that, continuing to wear them without washing them on a regular basis runs the risk of catching an infection or contracting a skin rash.
Those steps are important to not impact your volleyball knee pads durability!
How can you stop your knee pads from smelling?
Those who play volleyball regularly know that it is next to impossible for knee pads to smell good all the time, However, there are steps that can be taken to minimise bad odours.
Washing them often helps, as does the use of bleach. It also helps to air them out, so it is a good idea not to stuff them into a kit bag with the rest of the gear but to put them outside to dry, along with the shoes worn for the game.
One solution that is not recommended is to spray them with deodorant, because not only will the remedy only work short-term, but the residue smell could be even worse. Equally, using laundry detergent is not effective.
What has been proved to work, however, is to soak the knee pads in a mixture of white vinegar and water and to leave for 60 seconds, This helps not only with the removal of odours and bacteria, but with the overall cleaning of the pads as well.
It is also suggested that they can put in a zip-lock bag with a piece of charcoal for several hours, This is an effective and natural way to remove any unpleasant odors from them.
Other types of maintenance to consider …
Although it may be tempting after a hectic game to just throw all the dirty clothes and equipment into a kit bag, that is almost guaranteed to encourage bacteria to thrive and for bad odours to arise. To avoid this, take some plastic bags along, and, after a game, put the knee pads into these by themselves.
And do not leave the pads in the bag long-term. Even if there are no plans to wash them straight away, it is still best to take them out of the bag so they have a chance to air and dry out properly. Turning them inside out also helps them dry, even in the areas where sweat accumulates the most.
Where possible, and the weather permitting, hanging them outside isa good option. The sun’s heat not only helps with the drying process, but it helps kill odour-inducing bacteria.
However, it is never a good idea to put knee pads directly on a heat source like a radiator, because of the materials from which they are made. The wrong treatment can make them vulnerable to becoming warped or to lose shape.
Even if is cold outside, hanging by a window is always a good option, because they can still gain some benefit from the sun’s rays, even through the glass. However, bathrooms should be avoided as these tend to be too damp.
When should you change your volleyball knee pads with a new one?
There is no recommended period for changing knee pads – it depends on how frequently somebody plays and also, to a certain extent, the intensity of play.
Following some of the maintenance tips outlined above can extend their useful life certainly.
However, signs that it may be time to replace them included the following:
- The pads are showing signs of fraying and damage around the seams;
- They have begun to warp and lose their shape;
- They no longer fit securely around the knees and no longer offer the protection that they once did;
- They have become uncomfortable to wear; and
- They continue to smell, no matter how well and how frequently they are washed.
An exception to these rules are knee pads specially designed for younger players. These should be changed as the person themselves physically matures. And regular checks should be undertaken to make sure they have not out-grown their existing pads.
Otherwise, there is a risk of injury from using pads which are too small. Size charts can be used to determine the right sized pads for a young player.
Knee pads are generally modestly priced, so, even if they do have to be replaced on a regular basis, it is unlikely to break the budget for most people.
Final Thoughts …
Most important thing is to establish a cleaning period for your knee pads, even if this period is longue, even once a quarter!
The one thing I don’t want you to do is to not wash them at all. This will certainly cause a quick deterioration over time which could come at the price of your knees safety.
One last suggestion I have for you, is to read this short article about equipement you will need for volleyball as well as some important clothing that volleyball players wear!