The Best Way to Clean and Disinfect Your Sports Equipment by Germinator

October 06, 2021

So you're driving home with your kid and their friends, and everyone is having a good time after winning the big game! Everyone is talking about their favorite sports highlights, all the while you're driving with the windows down and suddenly you arrive at a stoplight only to be smacked in the face by a wave of smelly sports gear coming from the back. That right there is the combination of game-winning sweat and bacteria that live on your child's skin. And you're going to take that home?! Don't fret. We're going to show you the best way to clean and disinfect your kid's sports gear and even your own. We'll also show you how our services can promote fresh-smelling gear for up to three months and more. But first, we'll go into why you should clean and disinfect your sports gear.

Why Should I Clean and Disinfect My Sports Gear?

Your child might not care about the smell and, if given a choice, they'd wear it anyways, but it's stinking up the room. He or she may be immune to it, but there are several reasons why you'd want to clean and disinfect their gear, one of which may affect their immune system. The number one reason you're smelling that unwanted odor is something known as bromhidrosis. Bromhidrosis, also known as B.O. (body odor), is produced when the body's natural bacteria feed on sweat and other bodily secretions to produce offensive odors. When that sweat is left on sports gear, it will continually produce nasty odors and only strengthens each time sweat is left on it.

Another reason you should clean and disinfect sporting equipment is to help prevent infections. Clothing, gloves, sweat-filled pads, and anything that comes in contact with human skin can be exposed to bacteria, mold, fungus, and other pathogens such as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). Let's say your child has an exposed scrap from sliding into home base too hard; they'll run the risk of catching one of these invisible enemies as it enters their bloodstream. Nobody wants that. Lastly, regularly cleaning sports gear helps protect it and makes it look and smell fresh. So, what can you do to take care of your kid's gear and maybe even yours?

Germinator's Way of Ridding Unwanted Odors and Germs

We have a patent-pending process that can help remove unwanted odors from sporting equipment and even sanitize and disinfect them too. When we come in to service your home and treat your sporting equipment, we'll first test your surfaces for ATP using a luminometer to detect light that can come from microbial activity. This lets us know how clean a surface is with real-time results that we can measure.


The next phase is our Genesis application. Genesis is a one-step cleaner and broad-spectrum sanitizer and disinfectant treatment that harnesses the power of HOCl (hypochlorous acid) solution. Derived from naturally occurring minerals, Genesis not only eliminates odors at their source but kills a wide range of bacteria, viruses, including MRSA, as mentioned earlier. It's on the EPA N List of products determined to meet the criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. So, this treatment will eliminate bacteria and viruses that may reside in your home without the use of harsh chemicals or fumes.

After that, we'll then deploy our Shield. The Shield is a water-based quaternary ammonium compound that imparts a durable bacteriostatic finish to a wide range of hard surfaces—even sporting gear. It is EPA-registered as effective against mold, mildew, algae, and odor-causing bacteria. This application creates an invisible barrier that combats deterioration, discoloration and promotes freshness for up to three months. We apply both of these products using an electrostatic sprayer, which is the most efficient and effective means of delivering our products to their intended application sites. After our surface treatment and protectant services, we'll retest to ensure the surfaces have achieved the intended results of having a fewer amount of cellular activity.

Our patent-pending sanitizing and disinfecting process is a win-win for everybody and everything. Not only is your home thoroughly sanitized and disinfected, but we just helped you get rid of those nasty odors coming off your sports gear! However, there are some other things you can do to stop those odors from coming back.

Helpful Odor Prevention Tips for Sporting Equipment

We would love to service your child's sports gear after every game, but there are other ways you can alleviate the unwanted odors. We recommend removing the gear from the sports bag after each game. You're going to want to shake out any dirt, debris and let that equipment and clothing air dry after each game. Spray it down with a deodorizer with disinfecting properties to eliminate all sorts of pathogenic microorganisms.


When it's time to wash and clean the sporting bag, equipment, and clothing, use antimicrobial soap. You'll then set it to dry in the sun because it's a lot cheaper than buying and placing a dehumidifier in the bag if you don't own one. Another benefit of using the sun is that the heat and UV rays will help eliminate any odor-causing bacteria that remain.

Some sporting equipment and most clothing can be washed in the washing machine, but we recommend checking the labels and if it works out, then let it air dry versus using the dryer; some items may need to air dry longer than others. Do not use fabric softener because it can trap the smells into the fabrics, and jerseys should be turned inside out with the stains pretreated when washing them. Remember to take out the pads and wash them by hand with antimicrobial soap, then air dry them.

These are few pointers to keep in mind when it comes to treating your child's sports gear or even yours. Just know, the Germinator can not only sanitize and disinfect your entire home and sporting equipment, but our Shield technology is what promotes freshness for up to three months. So, enjoy the satisfaction of riding with the windows up with the A/C on blast, knowing that your kid's sporting gear was completely deodorized and disinfected by Germinator. If you're interested in servicing your home, business, and even sports gear, then fill out the form below or call 855-NO-GERMZ (664-3769) for service.