How to Safely Dry Ski Gloves? [3 Easy Steps]
For us ski bums, there’s nothing worse than skiing with wet gloves. Yuck!
As the first line of defense for your hands that keep you balanced on your skis and snowboard, ski gloves keep your hands and fingers warm, so you can react faster and better as you race down the slope. Aside from their insulating properties, ski gloves also provide protection from scratches and injuries, so it makes sense to care for your ski gloves. What’s the best way to dry your ski gloves?
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Most people will dry their gloves over a stove or with a hairdryer, but please don’t do this! This will only damage the waterproofing layers of your gloves. Instead, you should pat dry your gloves with a towel and let them air-dry in a warm, dry room.
Ski gloves need to be dry and fit snuggly to your hands to do their jobs: keeping your hands warm, dry, and dexterous. By keeping your gloves as dry as possible, you’re doing yourself a favor by minimizing the risks of getting injured and possibly ruining the rest of your ski session. Whether you have a pair of synthetic or leather gloves, taking care of them is as important as keeping your skis and snowboard in top shape.
How to Dry Your Ski or Snowboarding Gloves
While putting your wet gloves directly over a heat source might feel like a good idea to dry them faster, don’t do it. Using a hairdryer or simply tossing them into a dryer can damage the waterproofing layers or crack the leather due to high temperature and in the case of a dryer, a combination of heat and tumbling motions.
If you must use a dryer, opting for a specialized glove dryer or a boot dryer with a drying preset will slowly warm the gloves up to body temperature, thus minimizing the risk of damage and shrinking. Patting the gloves gently with a towel and leaving it to dry is enough for most gloves, although different materials may need different treatment or times before they’re ready to accompany you on the slope again.
Here Are The Steps to Dry your Ski Gloves Safely:
1. Pat the interior and exterior dry as much as possible with an absorbent towel.
2. Tie a length of line across a dry, warm room.
3. Hang your gloves vertically on the line by clipping the fingers with clothespins. Don’t stack them together, so the air can circulate and help dry the gloves evenly. If possible, remove the gloves’ inner lining to let them dry faster.
Check on your gloves periodically. You may need 2-3 hours before your gloves are dry enough to use, but it’s better to let the gloves dry completely before using them again.
Things to Keep in Mind
Drying ski gloves should be done as soon as you leave the slope, as moisture from sweat and other natural elements, such as rain or snow, can make the interior of the gloves damp. The longer you let your gloves wet, the more likely fungus, mold, and bacteria will call your gloves their home.
Not only will it result in a gross feeling on your hands if you wear your gloves, but it’ll also make your gloves smell absolutely rank, and nobody likes that. Wet gloves can also cause frostbite, which is best avoided.
The materials of your gloves should also be taken into consideration when you’re drying your gloves. Leather gloves, for example, need to be treated differently than a pair of synthetic gloves, as the leather can crack with improper drying. Here are some of the dos and don’ts for drying your ski gloves:
Drying Your Gloves Without Causing Damage
Dos:
- Dry your gloves after use, even if they don’t feel particularly damp. Moisture can still accumulate inside the gloves.
- For synthetic gloves, you can pinch the water from the fingertips towards the wrist but don’t wring your gloves.
- For leather gloves, you can apply leather conditioner or wax after the gloves are dried.
- Some synthetic gloves can be tumble-dried, but be sure to check the gloves’ care instructions first.
- Silk glove liners can be dried by hanging them on a clothesline or by laying them atop a dry towel.
- If you must use a dryer, pick a boot dryer with a preset for drying, as the default heat to dry boots can damage ski gloves. Keep close watch and check regularly.
- You can use a fan to help the air circulate into the gloves’ interior, so they can dry faster.
Don’ts:
- Don’t dry your gloves over direct heat, as high heat can damage the durable water-repellent (DWR) membranes. Heat vents, hair dryers, or stoves give too much heat for drying ski gloves.
- Drying under direct sunlight or on your car’s dashboard can also damage the DWR, so don’t do it.
- Don’t put wet or damp gloves in a glove compartment, trunk, or basically in an enclosed space. This will cause moisture retention in the gloves, which will make the gloves stink much less than pleasant and possibly cause mold to grow.
- Don’t turn your leather gloves inside out.
After drying, your ski gloves can feel a bit different; leather gloves can feel stiffer than usual, for example. Just like a pair of denim after washing and drying, this is normal and the flexibility will return as you use them again.
Conclusion
Ski gloves are more than a sidekick to your skis; they are an integral part of protecting your hands from the elements and injuries. Keeping them dry after use will not only prolong their service time, but also prevent mold, fungi, and other nasty stuff from growing on and inside your gloves.
Avoid the temptation of using direct, high heat to dry your gloves as it can damage them! Just let them dry slowly in a dry room while you rest, and your gloves will be ready to accompany you on your next ski adventure.
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