Essential Care Tips for Your Tactical Gloves

Your tactical gloves are taking a beating throughout your mission and regular use. Since these gloves are important in keeping your hands safe and fully functional while adding a layer of protection, there is no denying you also need to keep them in their best shape possible.

We’ve listed some essential tips on how to take proper care of your tactical gloves so you can make sure they will last longer and serve you for years to come.

Know the Glove’s Material

The first and best tip on how to clean your tactical gloves is to know what type of material you are dealing with and then proceed accordingly. For example, the care needs of fabrics such as Gore-Tex and leather are different from one another so this is a big factor to consider. Once you know the type of material, you will have a better idea of what cleaning material to use and how to wash the gloves properly.

Check with the manufacturer for care instructions

The best way to wash the gloves without losing any of the integrity or function is to know the material type of your gloves. You can check with the manufacturer for some suggestions. This will help give you a better idea of care instructions to ensure the best outcome. For instance, some gloves are washer safe while others are hand wash only and this is the kind of information the manufacturer can tell you.

Check out the specific links below:

- Damascus Glove Care Instructions
- Hatch Glove Care Instructions
- HexArmor Glove Care Instructions
- Mechanix Wear Glove Care Instructions
- Viktos Glove Care Instructions

Watch the video on how to wash your Gore-Tex Gloves

If you are unable to find the care instructions specific to your glove, this is where knowing the material comes in handy. Remember, when in doubt, always opt for hand wash over machine wash.

Most gloves are safe to wash in cold water

While you may think hot water is the way to get out those tough stains, it is better to wash most gloves in cold water. Cold water is less likely to shrink the material or change the fit of the glove compared to hot water. Cold water washing is proven to help clothing last longer so it's just a smart idea to wash gloves in cold water over hot water.

Avoid bleach or heavy-duty detergents

Avoid using bleach at all costs when it comes to washing your gloves. Not only is bleach known to zap gloves of colour, it can even eat away at materials and leave holes. You should also stay away from heavy-duty detergents when cleaning your gloves. It is better to run them through the wash twice with a gentler detergent to safeguard their longevity than it is to run them through once with a heavy detergent and potentially damage them.

Allow them to air dry

While there are some gloves with care instructions of tumble dry on low, most gloves are better suited to a good old fashioned air-drying method. You can simply hang them on a line outside or leave them in a sunny spot to dry. Remember to use care in particular with leather gloves as you wouldn't want to leave them in a hot, sunlit place for too long or you will end up with shrinkage affecting the way the glove fits.

*Another thing that will help extend the life of your gloves is make sure you have a correct fit. Gloves that are either too tight or too loose will wear out more quickly. Gloves should fit snugly but not tightly. If they slip on easily when first bought they will probably be too large when broken in. Conversely, even though a main feature of our gloves is a snug close fit, don’t try to overdo it. If you’re a size Large, wear size Large gloves even if you can force your way into a size Medium – what you will end up with is a very odd looking restrictive pair of gloves that will split apart so on after first putting them on. ( *From Damascus Gloves General Product Care )