We are reader supported. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Also, as an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Baseball gloves are among the most essential tools in a player’s arsenal, amateur or professional ballers. Though gloves are made out of leather and are therefore incredibly tough, they will become susceptible to deterioration if they are not taken care of. Believe it or not, an essential step in glove care is cleaning it regularly and properly. Saddle soap is the best product to use in cleaning your baseball glove. The actual process itself is straightforward. Put a little of the saddle soap onto a clean rag. Rubbing the rag in circles and a bit of pressure, work the soap into every area of the glove. Then take a clean rag and remove the excess saddle soap and the dirt and grease it pulled out. Of course, the actual cleaning is a bit more nuanced than that, but the actual process is that simple. So simple, there is no reason not to do it. There is no reason to neglect essential glove maintenance, as it is straightforward and will not consume much of your time. Remember, if you show your baseball glove some care, then it will last you longer. Though often new toys are exciting, you will find that most ballplayers do not want to replace their gloves that often. It takes a while to break in a new glove and to get it to that perfect point for you.

Why Clean Your Glove?

Of course, there are people out there asking why you would clean your baseball glove at all. It is an outdoor piece of sporting equipment, isn’t it supposed to be dirty and beat up? No, it most definitely is not. See, gloves are made out of leather. Though one of the most durable materials in existence, leather still needs to be taken care of to last. So make sure when cleaning your glove, you use the proper tools.

• Do Use
  • Saddle Soap
  • Rags
  • Glove Oil (Or Other Conditioner)
  • A soft sponge or other material
• Do NOT Use
  • Vasoline
  • Shampoo
  • Shaving Cream
  • Dish Soap
  • Water
  • Dryer
  • Dirty rags or sponges

The Entire Cleaning and Conditioning Process

Of course, saddle soap and getting dirt out of your glove is not the only step in the process. Below we will outline the entire process from cleaning to conditioning. Following these steps will ensure that your favorite glove stays usable for years to come.

1. First: Gather The Right Tools – This is an obvious statement, or so you would think. However, it is not as apparent as you feel. Either way, keep in mind – the baseball glove is not just a toy or a fashion statement; it is a tool.The leather in baseball gloves is expected to perform and be put up to abuse day after day. Therefore taking care of your glove’s leather properly, often, and with the right tools is essential. You will need:
   1. Saddle Soap
   2. Rags – clean and dry ones, please.
   3. Conditioner – There are many great glove oils/conditioners available

This is it. If you have vasoline or shaving cream after a quick google search, please, rest assured YOU ARE NOT READY TO CLEAN YOUR GLOVE. Once you have gathered the right tools, you are ready to move on. 1. Apply Saddle Soap: AKA Degreasing – This is the next step in the process. Though it is referred to as degreasing, it is cleaning your glove. You need to apply a small amount of saddle soap to one of the dry, clean rags. Cleaning the glove thoroughly and correctly is vital. After putting the soap onto a clean and dry rag, you need to work the saddle soap into a baseball mitt in a circular motion. Put slight pressure onto the rag, and keep it steady. Work the soap over the entire glove, not just the palm. You need to make sure to get the pocket of the glove and the fingers, including in between them. Also, be sure to really hit the stitching and the knots. Once you have covered the entire glove with saddle soap, you will need to get a new clean, dry rag. You need to use it to wipe off the soap. The saddle soap will also have pulled the dirt and grease in the glove up to the top of the leather, and the rag will clean this off too. Remember that if you do not wipe the dirt, grease, and excess soap off of the glove, it can all soak back in. If you don’t do the wipe off a portion and then condition the glove, you will merely be rubbing everything you cleaned about in. If your glove is really bad, then you can feel free to repeat this step. However, do not repeat it too often; over cleaning and degreasing can dry the leather out too much, causing more harm than good. 2. Sitting Period – Once you are entirely done, set the glove aside. You will want to let it rest for a day or two, even up to three. This is to let the glove leather breathe. Be sure not to put it in direct sunlight or any UV light. If you want to during this period, you can begin the breaking in process very carefully. You can work the glove by bending or folding it, but be gentle as you do it. The saddle soap works as a bit of a conditioner for the leather. However, it is not as practical or useful as a real baseball glove oil, so be careful not to overwork it. 3. Conditioning Period – After a sitting period, its time for you to use conditioner on the leather of your glove now. First, pick out the conditioner – glove oil – that you prefer. Get the conditioner and either a clean rag or a clean, dry sponge. Put a small amount of onto your sponge or rag. Do not use a lot of the conditioner, nor should you apply the conditioner directly onto the glove. Do not use any real amount of pressure, and do not rub the glove. Dabbing is the best way to apply the conditioner onto the glove. 4. Second Sitting Period – Time to wait again. Once you have put the conditioner all over your glove, you will want to let it sit again. It takes time for the conditioner to soak into the glove thoroughly and work its way into every area to make it softer. Set your baseball glove where it is warmer will help the oils to work into the glove. Be sure again not to put the glove in any UV light. Gently rolling, folding, and forming the glove at this point will also help the oil work its way around the glove. 5. Re-Dab – If you think that your glove is really in rough shape, or if it has been a while since you have cleaned and conditioned the glove, you may want to have another round of dabbing and conditioning. That is it. After the last waiting period, you are all set to go. You have a clean and conditioned glove that is ready to last you for years. Remember, cleaning and conditioning your glove is essential, but it is not something you want to do too often.

Is Your Glove Worth Cleaning?

A nice worn-in glove is irreplaceable. Honestly, most real players hate having to get a brand new glove because breaking it in is a lot of work. Understandably, you delay getting a new one as long as possible, but at some point, your glove may be beyond repair. Look at your glove. You should be able to tell if cleaning and conditioning your glove is going to be worth it or not. If your mitt is in terrible condition, there will be only one solution – buy a new one. If your glove’s leather is extremely beaten up, cracked and torn, it is likely the glove is beyond repair with the lacing coming undone. If the padding in your glove is almost completely gone and your glove is flaking on the inside, then there is no sense in trying to save it. On the other hand, there are plenty of ways to restore leather. If the glove is badly cracked and torn, you may want to send the glove out to professionals. When a glove is too far gone, it is best to entrust it to people who fix them for a living. If the padding is gone on your glove, do not give in to the temptation to use leather filler. The filler is not enough to restore a glove to proper working use. It will not stand up to the abuse a glove is put under regularly.

Related Question

Can you wash a leather baseball batting glove?

Yes. You can use lukewarm water, brushes, detergent or soap, clean and dry cloths, and maybe even a washing machine. It will depend on the kind of glove and other material. Please follow the directions on your batting gloves. See Also:
Softball Gloves Vs Baseball Gloves: Here’s the Difference
When Do You Have to Tag a Runner in Baseball?
Do You Have To Drop The Bat In Baseball? This article originally appeared on BaseballMonkey.com Baseball and softball gloves are an important part of being a great player. It isn’t enough to just buy a glove, wear it on the field and hope it does its job. You need to break your glove in, take care of it, condition it and maintain it so it extends beyond just a single season. It isn’t just about the cosmetics of a new glove—properly caring for your fielding glove will ensure you realize if it’s in danger of breaking down when you need it the most.

Why You Need to Clean Your Glove

Proper baseball glove care is essential to ensuring your glove lasts longer than just one season. Keep in mind that gloves are made of tough and durable organic leather, but they’re vulnerable to deterioration if not properly maintained. Going through an entire season not caring for your glove will turn your investment into one that’s guaranteed not to last long. And let’s face it, once you spend the time it takes to break in your glove, the last thing you want to do is have to start the whole process over again.

How to Clean Your Baseball Glove

If you don’t know any better, you may think cleaning a baseball glove is as simple as wiping off the excess dirt that builds up, but if you want to learn how to clean a baseball glove the right way, there are some tools that you can use to help. Those tools include:

• Brush
• Cotton rag or terry cloth
• Leather-safe cleaner (it’s important to avoid using cleaner that’s made for saddles or shoes, as these leave a slick surface that may gunk up on the exterior or interior of your glove)
• Glove conditioner (only those approved for use on baseball and softball gloves)
• Rubbing alcohol
• Water

The process to clean a glove is simple and can be completed as follows:

1. Remove excess dirt and debris from your fielding glove using a brush or piece of cloth.
2. Using leather safe cleaner and a soft cloth, wipe off any dirt that still remains.
3. Use the conditioner to moisturize the glove. You want to apply the conditioner lightly and work it into the glove. Make sure not to use too much, as it could build up over time. This will weigh the glove down and will actually become a home for dirt and debris to gather as well. While conditioning, be sure to get between the fingers as much as possible. This will help prevent the leather from deteriorating.

How to Properly Store Your Glove

One of the greatest mistakes a player can make is not knowing how to store a baseball glove properly. Sometimes players just toss their glove in a closet or in the garage, or maybe they leave it in their bat bag for long periods of time. Taking care to store your glove the proper way, both during the season and during the off season, will ensure it’s ready to go when the next spring rolls around. Follow these ultimate baseball glove storage tips to keep your glove in the best condition:

• During the off-season: In the winter months, store your glove in a cool, dry place, or even at room temperature. You should never leave it in your equipment bag, near a heater, or outside for extended periods of time.
• Keep your glove dry: If your glove gets wet during game play or due to any other circumstances, use a clean absorbent rag to dry it off and then let it dry naturally. The leather will become a little stiff, but this can be remedied with conditioner after it has dried.
• Clean and condition: Use approved conditioners—don’t spit in the glove. This will only contribute to it drying out.
• Store with a ball: You should keep a ball rolled in the glove during the off months to keep the pocket shaped.

It’s worth noting that keeping a glove in the bed of a truck or trunk of a car and exposing it to extreme sun and heat can contribute to the breaking down of the leather and laces quickly. If you notice a lace has begun to rip or crack, you will want to re-lace the glove before using it in a game again or else risk it breaking, possibly leading to injury. If you do need to re-lace your glove, check out our guide on how to repair your glove. Find baseball camps and clinics near you.

Baseball Monkey

Baseball Monkey is a leading retailer of baseball and softball equipment for all ages and experience levels. Our expert team worked together to build a resource hub of information designed to help players navigate through the many questions that come with gearing up for the baseball season. MonkeySports, Inc. has been serving athletes around the world since 1999. We offer expert customer service and product knowledge that comes from employing players who are passionate about the game, the gear and the customer. MonkeySports, Inc. has six established brick-and-mortar stores and six websites. Our online stores operate under the banners hockeymonkey.com, goaliemonkey.com, lacrossemonkey.com, baseballmonkey.com, monkeyteamsports.com and monkeyapparel.com. Baseball Monkey is a leading retailer of baseball and softball equipment for all ages and experience levels. Our expert team worked together to build a resource hub of information designed to help players navigate through the many questions that come with gearing up for the baseball season. MonkeySports, Inc. has been serving athletes around the world since 1999. We offer expert customer service and product knowledge that comes from employing players who are passionate about the game, the gear and the customer. MonkeySports, Inc. has six established brick-and-mortar stores and six websites. Our online stores operate under the banners hockeymonkey.com, goaliemonkey.com, lacrossemonkey.com, baseballmonkey.com, monkeyteamsports.com and monkeyapparel.com.

5. Protect the Inside

2. Break Her In Naturally

First things first, break in your glove! A broken in glove makes life on the diamond run much smoother. Shaving cream is lighter and fluffier and won’t weigh down on the leather like a Lexol or leather cleaner will over time. It’s also easier to see where you’ve applied the cream and naturally won’t use too much of it, saving the glove from oily ruin. Storage is an important part of keeping a ready baseball glove. Be wary of how and where you store your leather. It’s pivotal to not try and force the issue with so-called quick fixes such as soaking, baking, beating etc. The list goes on. These will not break in your glove, they will ruin it.

7. Clean and Condition

Your glove is likely made of leather, so be wary when using any cleaners or conditioners. Some people polish their gloves with leather cleaner, but you could also go with the less conventional method of using shaving cream!

1. Manufacturer Care

Breaking in your glove is crucial to honing its playability. It will also lend a hand in forming your hand to your baseball gloves specific attributes and behaviors. If your glove gets wet, dry it off as well as you can with an absorbent towel or cloth and let it air dry naturally. Wet and dried baseball gloves often tend to stiffen up. If that happens, apply a leather conditioner to soften the glove once it has dried. When it comes to playing baseball it’s no secret, our hands get filthy. Most players don’t think twice about the inside of their baseball glove, but it is a haven for sweat, bacteria and dirt.

• Use a damp sponge or cloth to apply a quarter-size amount of shaving cream (or leather cleaner). Be conservative with your cream or cleaner. A little goes a long way and can be stretched to buff out dirt across the glove.

Never blow dry or use a heater to dry your glove because this can dry out the surface and crack the leather. The simple solution to keeping the inside of your baseball glove clean is to wear a lighter glove inside of it. It’s best to keep a separate and specific piece to wear in your glove, but even your batting glove will do.

How to Clean Your Baseball Glove

You must love your glove! When you are a vetted shortstop, champion catcher, or even just an every day patron to the classic game of catch, your baseball glove is your heart and soul. It is pivotal we make sure we are taking care of our gloves so they continue to take care of us. No Errors carries a variety of WebGem’s gloves for catchers, pitchers, and outfielders. We especially love the catcher’s gloves, The Deuce and The Square. Where some manufacturers give you the details on how to take care of your glove, others leave it to us. Hopefully this guide will help you create the perfect routine for you and your baseball glove! Let’s play catch! After cleaning, it is important to condition your glove with a lanolin-based product. We recommend Kelley Glovolution, or Lexol leather conditioner. Be sure to do a quick wipe down of the inside of your glove after use as well. This will reassure the opening is kept dry and void of lingering dirt. Laces and ties are a huge part of what makes your glove usable. If one lace snaps the entire glove can be rendered useless. That’s why it’s important to check and adjust your laces daily.

6. Store your Glove Properly

Ripped ties and laces can result in loose gloves and more often than not injury. Checking your laces, and keeping up on repairs can prevent such mishaps. No Errors is a proud supplier of WebGem gloves and accessories. Check out our site for only the top quality baseball and softball products, including catchers bags like the NoE2 catchers bag. You’ll also find coaches bags, softball backpacks, True diamond science bats, and much more.

7 Tips for Proper Baseball Glove Care

• DO NOT blow dry or electric heat your glove when it is wet.

Follow these tips when caring for your baseball or softball glove!

• Wipe the cream or cleaner over the entire glove with a cloth. Be sure to get the cleaner or cream into hard to reach crevices and seams where dirt is most likely to collect.

Below is a short step by step on how you should go about cleaning your baseball glove. Again, this is where the WebGem glove care system and their uniquely designed gloves come in handy! Their product is specifically made to help you break your glove in FAST without causing damage, so you can speed through those first few months of using a new glove.

• Remove the cleaner from the glove with cloth and allow it to air dry.

It’s as easy as 1-2-3! Glaze your glove, choose and wrap your block (roll form or flare form), squeeze glove and block into the WebGem protective velcro bag, store at room temperature for 48 hours and voíla! Breaking in a baseball glove can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to half a season of play. Be patient. Once your glove is comfortable and performs well, you’ll know it’s been properly broken in. If that is the case, go ahead and follow what they direct you to do alongside this guide.

• DO NOT use too much cleaner or shaving cream!

You’ve probably heard it before, but that’s because it’s true: the best way to break in your glove is to play with it! New glove? Get to catching and throwing! What better way to break in a glove then to actually use it. There are many ways to take care of your baseball glove and extend its life. We are fortunate to live in a time where baseball glove care has been taken to the next level. From shaping tools to proven conditioning formulas, there are products available to us that breathe new life into our catching mitts and fielding gloves.

3. Shaping and Reshaping

There are, of course, things you should never do when taking care of your baseball glove. Below is a list of some simple DO NOTs:

• DO NOT force the issue when breaking in your glove! Take your time and have fun actually playing with your glove instead of resorting to quick tricks like ovens and soaking methods.

5 minute read

4. Check the Ties and Laces

First things first, always check the manufacturer’s instructions. Oftentimes specific glove brands will include what they believe is the best way to care for the glove they have provided. You can also easily shape your glove by placing a baseball inside of it and wrap it tightly with a rubber band or something of that nature. Be sure to clean and condition your baseball glove! Shaping should really be done with the proper tools. WebGem Glove Care offers the perfect kit to shape and reshape your baseball gloves. They provide a glove glaze and specific shaping pieces that fit into your glove to form the perfect glove shape. Here we will be providing you with general information and practical pointers for keeping your baseball glove in prime condition. Shaping, or reshaping, is something that you will definitely want to include in your routine.

• DO NOT over oil. Make sure you are conditioning with a lanolin-based product. Seed oils, silicon, petroleum jelly and products like these are huge NO-NOs. When it comes to conditioning, stick to baseball related products that are intentionally made for gloves.

We recommend storing your glove on a shelf in a cool, dry place. Room temperature will do. Avoid shelves that are by heaters or located outside and keep your glove from getting hot and wet. Moisture and heat will work to eat away at the hide your glove is made from. Some manufacturers make their gloves from specific materials and therefore include their recommended method for conditioning and cleaning.

• Brush off any dirt and dust with a light brush. A clean toothbrush is perfect for brushing away residue and dirt that builds up in between the fingers and laces of your glove. If you can’t brush away a piece of dirt it is likely ingrained and will need to be dampened with leather cleaner.

Check for open seams, broken laces, and gaps between the fingers. The web and knots of the glove are easy to inspect. Be sure to run your fingers along the knots to confirm they are strong and tight enough for game play. If you find any issues be sure to have your glove repaired as soon as possible.

• Rub glove conditioner into leather. Use circular motions to massage the glove with a recommended leather conditioner.

This guide will offer tips on how to properly care for your baseball glove in order to keep her catching fly balls and fielding grounders for years to come.

4 Things to Avoid When Cleaning Your Glove

How To Care For your Baseball Glove | Blog

Doing this will help your glove maintain the proper shape needed to catch baseballs. We recommend you reshape your baseball glove at least once a season. Some players even insist on doing so every night. It’s up to you and your feel for the glove. Baseball mitts and gloves are tough and durable because they are made mostly from leather or other organic animal hides. Naturally, these organic materials are vulnerable to deterioration. That’s why if you want your glove to last as long as possible, it is important to give it the proper love and care to keep it in fighting shape! If you really want to take care of your favorite game buddy, you need to pay attention to it at least once a year. Always clean your glove, oil it to improve its performance, and make sure it’s in the right position. In the case of cleaning a baseball glove, most people don’t remove the inside dirt of it and the baseball glove turns hand black. The reason is these types of dirt are not visible like the outside. But you need to clean inside dirt because it can feel uncomfortable and it’s not something that you can ignore if you care about your hand skin. So here is this article, we are going to guide you on how to clean the inside of a baseball glove. The problem is it’s not easy as cleaning outside of a glove. Because you have to follow a lot of restrictions to do the same process while cleaning inside. So, how to clean a baseball glove in the easiest and safest way? Keep reading to know the answer.

What You’ll Need?

These things you’ll need to do that easy cleaning process. These pieces of equipment aren’t rare that you need to buy them from a local shop instantly. Most of the time you can find these things in your home. So what you’ll need:

1. Lexol leather cleaner
2. Mild soap
3. A bowl
4. Warm water
5. Soft and clean cloth
6. Glove conditioner

Now take a sit and start cleaning your favorite baseball gloves.

Use Leather Cleaner To Remove The Dirt From Outside

At first, take a cloth and put some Lexol leather cleaner in it to clean the outside of the glove. Though this article is just about cleaning the inside, we think you also need to clean the outside too. Put some leather cleaner in a soft damped cloth and rub it on the glove. Make sure you are covering the entire glove while cleaning. Then clean the Lexol with a soft clean cloth and make sure no leather cleaner is left on it. After cleaning, leave it in a clean dry space for 10/20 minutes and let the cleaner do its own work.

Clean The Inside By A Soft Cloth

Take a bowl with some warm water and put some mild soap on it. The water should not too hot. Now take a clean cloth and dampen it with the soap water. Clean the inner leather of the glove gently. Make sure you are not using the flood of water inside your glove. Because the inside leather shell is more sensitive than the outside. Now with another soft dry cloth wipe away all the water inside from the glove. Absorb all the moisture from the glove otherwise, it will be hard to dry.

Let It Dry For A Week

If you are at this moment that means you cleaned the inside of your glove successfully. Now it’s time to make it dry. Choose a dry cool place and leave your glove for at least one week. When we are talking about drying the inside leather shell, keep in mind that it’s harder than soaking outside. The temperature that helps you to dry the glove has to pass three or four levels of leather to do its work. No matter how much time it takes, I don’t recommend drying your glove directly under the sun. Also, I am demotivating you to do dry the glove by microwave. (I tried once, and the result was horrible!) But you can use a fan.

Check The Inner Glove

After a week, check the inner gloves moisturize. How does it feel? Do you think there is some water left inside of the glove? If yes, then dry it for more couple of days. If not, then congratulations, your glove is ready to roar.

Use Glove Conditioner To Make It Game Ready

You have successfully cleaned the inside leather of your glove. Now you need to make it game ready to play the next match. You’ll need some good conditioner for that task. I recommend using the Wilson Pro Stock Leather Conditioner. The reason is it’s leather-friendly, trusted by millions and I personally got benefited by using it on my glove. Condition your glove by rubbing it on the outside of the glove. It will prevent your glove from being damaged by the soapy water that you used for cleaning.

Final Thoughts

No matter you are a professional or a beginner who started playing baseball recently, you should always clean your glove once a year or. It prevents your glove from being damaged. Baseball is a summertime sport. You need to wear a baseball glove for a long time with your sweaty hands under the sun. I don’t think that I need to tell you how much germs can be created by the sweat that the glove absorbed from your hand. That’s why you need to clean your glove regularly. I tried to teach you about the baseball glove cleaning process. I don’t know how much I succeed, but I hope you enjoyed it.

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