Drew Westervelt, pro lacrosse player and cofounder of OdorBalance, was interviewed by WBAL’s Bryan Nehman.
Check out the interview here: Local Lacrosse Player Develops Solution To Funky Sports Gear
Category Archives: The Science Behind Odor
Cleaning sports equipment
Cleaning sports equipment is easy if you have the right products to do it with. Most odor products or services do one of 2 things:
- treat only the surface
- neutralize or mask the odor
The real solution to control the pollution is to “clean” gear by completely removing the causes of odor. Clean is defined as free of unwanted matter. It is not only the right thing to do it is healthier for your gear and those who use it.
Odor is caused by:
- oil
- soil
- sweat
- bacteria
So whether you are at a ball game sweating in the sun or playing on the field, the right cleaner can make all of the difference. OdorBalance® has developed a line of products designed for cleaning sports equipment. The LaundryPro is a premium detergent sport wash for high performance apparel that helps to restore the breath-ability of high tech fabric. Offense /Defense 2 part gear cleaner can be easily used in your HE washing machine, on tour , in the field or in your kitchen sink. Overtime spray can odor proof your footwear, tactical gear or uniform. All of these products provide long lasting barrier of protection from odor’s causes.
The increasing need to be clean and free from odor causing pollutants is sweeping the nation. Sweat all you want but keep it clean, healthy and odor free. Restore, Protect and Maintain your gear, apparel and footwear!
What Is A Premium Gear Wash?
For years we’ve been trying to figure out how to control odors on the equipment and gear we use in our daily lives. No matter what profession or activity you’re engaged in, sweat, soil, and other unwanted pollutants will eventually find a way to bond to your gear, apparel, and footwear. This creates odors that can become offensive. Today there are premium gear wash cleaners that are available to neutralize odors.
What is a gear wash?
A gear wash is a product that rinses away the causes of odor. So what are the causes of these unpleasant smells? Here are some of them listed below:
• Soil, Oils and Mildew
• Food spills and Body Dander
• Sweat and Bacteria
• Detergent, Fabric Softeners, or Antistatic Treatment Residues
Active people, no matter what activity or profession they participate in, need more than a 100 oz bottle of inexpensive sweet-smelling detergent from a super store. While these detergents may remove some pollutants from the articles you wear daily, they aren’t often designed for specialty cleaning of multidimensional or high performance products such as a hockey glove, body armor, or running shoe.
These types of equipment and apparel need high-performance cleaners that remove unwanted pollutants and provide lasting protection from the sources of odor (i.e., bacteria, mold, and mildew). OdorBalance has come up with a Sport Wash and Equipment Cleaner that does just this. The 2-step Offense/Defense Gear Wash was designed originally to restore used, smelly lacrosse gloves for Drew Westervelt, a professional lacrosse player. Today the product has been adopted by the military, law enforcement, and moms all over the USA. It can be easily used to wash gear, apparel, and footwear by hand or in the detergent and fabric softer dispensers of your washing machine.
A topical spray won’t do the trick.
Most people spray and smell. Think about it. You’re inhaling a product designed to mask the smell, and you’re only treating the surface of the article. OdorBalance’s odorless products do not mask, change the molecular structure, or just treat the surface topically. The innovative, eco-friendly Offense/Defense Gear Wash will remove the sources of odor and then provide long-term protection. Free yourself from odor today!
Smelly Sneakers
If you are researching how to get rid of odor in your smelly sneakers, do yourself a favor.
First: the technology available today is 100% better that it was even 2 years ago, so look at the date that your searched article was written.
Second: in order to remove smelly sneakers’ odor you have to clean unwanted pollutants out, not top odor off with something else.
Third: follow the manufactures guidelines, but understand that if posted recommended cleaning method does not work, they have you right where they want you – back at the store buying another $100+ pair of shoes.
Fourth: protect your footwear by using a long-lasting odor protector when new or immediately after cleaning.
Some manufacturers of sneakers, cleats, tennis shoes, cross training sneakers and casual wear give out cleaning instructions that look something like what’s posted below.
TYPICAL MANUFACTURER CLEANING GUIDELINES
Nylon and Canvas:
Using a soft cloth, gently scrub the surface using mild soap and cold water. Air dry. Do not bleach or use aggressive cleaning agents.
Leather and Suede shoes:
Do not submerge or soak in water. Use a soft cloth dampened with mild soap and cold water. Saddle soap may also be used for leather products. Air dry.
Synthetic Leather:
Using a soft cloth or tooth brush gently agitate the uppers using mild soap and cold water. To get the soles of shoes clean, a old toothbrush is a great tool. Air dry.
Thermoplastic polyurethane or Other Synthetic Materials:
Use a soft cloth dampened with mild detergent and cold water. Air Dry
“The problem is… if you can not get your running sneakers wet then please don’t ever run in the rain, play a game in foul weather, walk in a puddle, or wear your shoes with no socks.”
If you collect sneakers, that’s great! But if you wear them, you need to be able to clean them! Manufacturers need to make durable, cleanable products. Those manufacturers that figure this out will be the winners in the future. **Remember: Effective cleaning of smelly sneakers requires the removal of unwanted matter from the inside and out. Surface cleaning doesn’t cut it!
Sprays, soaps, odor balls, freezing your sneakers (dirty shoes in the freezer?), adding dry powders, or disinfectants won’t remove the causes of your funky smelling sneakers. In fact, they may add to the problem. You need to remove causes of odor by properly cleaning or rinsing out pollutants. OdorBalance has a product line that will help you to achieve your goals.
So follow the manufacturer’s directions but don’t expect to be able to effectively clean by only using their methods. When you really need to clean & deodorize, visit www.OdorBalance.com.
Foul Odor in Footwear
Foul odor in footwear isn’t something that you want people to comment on. Sometimes odors are created by factories, like the one in France recently, to alert people of potential gas leaks. In this case it is an odor aid for identification of something dangerous. This applied fragrance or Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) may be appropriate for a gas leak identification but never should be applied as a masking odor fogging spray to your sports equipment or professional uniforms.
The foul odor in footwear that I’m talking about comes from sweat, dirt, bacteria, moisture, and more. Sweaty clothes and shoes have all of the ingredients to stink up a room or just your own personal space. A smelly personal space isn’t inviting. You don’t want to smell like a roman gladiator. In fact you shouldn’t even want to step into clothes or footwear that possess odor-causing ingredients like sweat, soil, oil, and bacteria. Your objective should be to have no more odor at all. You don’t want to live strong with strong odor. Thanks to OdorBalance, it’s easy to rid odor from your sports equipment using products that clean out, eliminate, or ban unwanted pollutants and provide an odor barrier to stop them from coming back.
Products that reduce odor or disinfect in ten or more seconds are for sale all over the place. The problem is that the ingredients that cause odor are still there. Those ‘quick fixes’ didn’t really get to the root of the problem, deep inside the footwear. What you need to do is remove or clean out what causes the odor, then protect or odor-proof your footwear from future stinky attacks of foul odor. Restore, Protect, and Maintain. Balance the odor and be stink free with OdorBalance!