In Bushidō culture, regular maintenance of the sword was a ritual of self-discipline and honor. A rusty katana reflected a lazy, careless samurai who didn’t respect the art or himself. From an early age, Japanese warriors learned to:
"Polish your sword as you polish your soul."
The same tradition is still alive for the modern tools of combat. A serious fighter knows that buying quality gloves is just the beginning. It’s the care you give them that keeps them in top shape and shows respect for the investment you made.
The good news? Glove care is simple. With just a few smart habits, you can keep your gear clean, fresh, and built to last. Let’s break it down:
4 Core rules of glove maintenance to be done every week
These 4 steps are all you need to take care of your gloves, whether they’re for boxing, Muay Thai or MMA.
1. Treat it as a ritual
This step may seem odd. It isn't.
Most people don't take care of their gear out of laziness. If you treat it as a ritual, embody the Bushidō teachings of sword care and give it a meaning, chances are that what was supposed to be boring even starts to be pleasant.
I always recommend customers to treat the glove care as part of their training. After giving your all on the mats or in the ring, take a quiet moment at home to care for your gear while you reflect, and absorb the lessons from your session.
2. Air Them Out After Every Session
The most important of all tips and the easiest to follow:
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Step 1: When you arrive home, take your gloves out of the bag and open them. Don't wait until the next day.
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Step 2: Place them in a cool, shaded and ventilated area (CSV). It can be near direct wind or under a fan. Do not expose them to direct sunlight or leave them in a hot place.
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Step 3: If it starts to rain, move your gloves to a covered or indoor area (if they aren't already).
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Step 4: Only put your gloves back in your training bag once the interior is completely dry.
Why should you never leave your gloves in your gym bag after training? Because it traps moisture inside the glove, the perfect environment for bacteria and odor to grow. Even just 24 hours sealed in your gym bag is enough to make your gloves start to smell bad.
Why should you never leave it in direct sunlight or hot places (like your car)? Because heat dries out the leather, causes it to crack, and warps the inner padding. This shortens the lifespan of your gloves and affects their performance over time. Always dry them in a cool, shaded area.
3. Use hand wraps every training session
Hand wraps not only prevent injuries and hand pain, they also help your gloves last longer.
Wraps absorb sweat before it hits your gloves. Think of them as a first line of defense, trapping some of the moisture and dead skin cells that would otherwise end up inside the glove. They protect the padding and help reduce odor.
Now, to get this added benefit, you must always wear clean wraps. A smelly, soaked wrap from previous sessions will actually have the opposite effect and make your gloves worse.
4. Clean the inside weekly
Use a soft cloth and a gentle disinfectant (like diluted vinegar, alcohol wipes, or a glove spray) to wipe the glove interior at least once a week, preferably on a day you won't use them.
Here you must be a little careful. Do not soak the glove, just a light, even cleaning. This helps kill bacteria and keeps odors from becoming permanent.
Additional glove care tips to be done occasionally
Apart from your daily or weekly maintenance routine, a few other care tips can be used from time to time. Treat them as boosters, and use them when you feel your gloves need a little extra attention:
1. Use glove inserts or deodorizers
Moisture-absorbing pouches like cedar chips, activated charcoal, or glove dogs are a great way to stop odor buildup when it starts to become noticeable.
We don’t recommend using them after every training session, only when you feel the smell is beginning to form.
To use them, simply place the inserts inside your gloves right after training and leave them overnight to pull out moisture.
2. Rotate Gloves if you train often
If you train 4 or more times per week and have very sweaty hands, consider owning two pairs of gloves. This gives each pair time to fully dry and significantly extends the lifespan of both.
3. Leather balm
Using leather balm is a smart way to nourish and protect your gloves, keeping the leather supple, crack-free, and resistant to wear over time. However, it’s important not to overdo it, or you may cause more harm than good.
Applying too much balm, or too frequently, can make the leather too soft or greasy, weaken its structure, and affect your grip. It can also clog the pores, prevent the leather from breathing, and leave sticky residue or buildup.
To avoid these issues, follow these guidelines:
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Make sure the balm is designed for sports leather gear. Do not use balms intended for shoes or other leather items.
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Always follow the product instructions and test it on a small area first.
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Apply a thin layer only when the leather feels dry or shows signs of cracking. For most people, once a month is enough.
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Be aware that leather balm may accelerate logo peeling. If you prefer to keep your glove’s logo intact as long as possible, you may want to skip this step.
Products and routines we DO NOT recommend
Trust me, you should skip these:
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Deodorizers and inserts with fruity artificial scents: They usually make odors worse. A sweet combination of strawberry scent and sweat.
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Glove warmers/Glove dyers: I’ve seen plenty of cases where they dry out the leather, warp the padding, and break down materials over time. It’s safer and easier to just let mother nature do the job a cool, shaded, ventilated space.
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Bleach or harsh chemical cleaners: Damage both inner and outer materials. They can cause cracking, discoloration, stiffness and may leave harmful residue that irritates your skin.
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Household detergents or dish soap: Too strong for glove interiors and often leave behind a soapy film. They can break down the foam padding and compromise stitching over time.
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Water soaking or submerging Gloves: Moisture is the enemy of your glove. It will ruin the inner padding, encourages mold, and leads to glove deformation.
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Alcohol based sprays (for leather gloves): While alcohol kills bacteria, it also dries and degrades leather over time. It is safer to use alcohol-free disinfectants.
Why glove care matters?
Fighting gloves endure daily impact, sweat, and stress. Without care, they quickly become bacteria-infested, foul-smelling, and worn out. This leads to premature glove breakdown, possible skin infections and a bad reputation of "smelly" on your gym.
If you keep your gloves well taken care of, you will:
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Save you money: A glove that isn't properly cared for can lose 2–3 years of its potential lifespan.
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Save you possible diseases: skin infections, staph and blistering to name a few.
- Protect your reputation: Most serious gyms have a good policy to keep hygiene standards. A deformed or foul-smelling glove will likely get you sidelined.
Glove care myths (and what to do instead)
Ready to bust some myths? Let’s break down a few common glove care beliefs that keep getting passed around in the fighting community and explain why they’re wrong:
Myth 1: “Real leather gloves don’t need much care.”
Truth: Leather may be durable, but it still needs maintenance. Without cleaning and conditioning, leather will crack, harden, and lose its shape.
Myth 2: “Spraying perfume or deodorant inside works fine.”
Truth: These only mask the smell, they don’t eliminate bacteria. Worse, they can leave a sticky residue and even damage materials due to their alcohol content. Use a glove-safe disinfectant spray instead.
Myth 3: “Sunlight is the best way to dry gloves.”
Truth: Direct sunlight or heat can warp padding and dry out the leather. Always dry gloves in a CSV - cool, shaded, ventilated area.
Myth 5: You can wash MMA gloves in the washing machine.
Truth: Submerging or spinning gloves will destroy the padding and structure. Gloves should never go in the machine, even if they are smaller MMA gloves. Spot-cleaning only.
What to do when your fighting gloves start to crack?
When your leather fighting gloves start to crack, it means the material has dried out. It usually happens due to wear and tear, but it can also be a result of lack of conditioning or overexposure to heat.
You won’t be able to remove the cracks that have already formed, but you can prevent them from spreading further with:
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Proper cleaning: Clean the gloves gently with a damp cloth (not soaked) to remove dirt or salt buildup, then let them dry naturally in a cool, shaded, ventilated space (remember: CSV).
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No further heat exposure: Heat worsens the damage by drying out the leather even more.
- A little bit of leather balm: Apply a thin layer to the cracked areas. This helps restore moisture, reduce stiffness, and slow further cracking.
What to do when the logo starts peeling?
Two "bad" news:
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It will eventually happen. Fighting gloves withstand a lot of scratches, punches and tear. Normally they will lose its graphics with use, especially leather gloves.
- When the logo starts peeling, there’s unfortunately no way to fully restore it.
The only way to keep your logo 100% intact is to never use your gloves—which defeats the whole purpose of owning them. The best approach is to accept the wear and tear with pride; it’s a sign that you’ve put in the work, and your gloves reflect that effort.
The good news is that logo peeling has zero impact on performance, so you can keep using your gloves without any problem.
How long will a fighting glove last with proper care?
The lifespan of your gloves depends on the sport, training frequency, local weather and humidity and glove quality. Assuming high-quality genuine leather gloves as Gladius, you can expect:
Boxing Gloves
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Lifespan: 4 to 5 years.
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Why: Gloves used for boxing gloves are the most durable. With consistent care, high-quality gloves can last years even with heavy use.
Muay Thai Gloves
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Lifespan: 3 to 4 years.
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Why: Muay Thai gloves endure more grabbing, clinching, and wrist flexing, which can wear down the glove shape faster. They usually don't pass the 4 year mark.
MMA Gloves
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Lifespan: 2 to 3 years.
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Why: MMA gloves are smaller and less padded, making them more exposed to sweat and surface friction. They also face more wear from grappling. Care becomes even more critical for them.
Final thoughts: The warrior’s mindset and respecting your tools
We hope this guide showed you that a great pair of gloves can last for years if you take care of them with a few easy habits.
To close, here’s a short story that reminds us: glove care isn’t just routine, it’s a reflection of your mindset.
In 16th-century Japan, a young samurai named Tadaoki served under a powerful warlord. Though skilled, he neglected the upkeep of his katana. During a formal inspection, he tried to draw his sword, only to find it stuck in the scabbard, rusted from poor maintenance. When he finally freed it, the blade was dull and stained. The warlord’s silent disapproval became a turning point.
From that day onwards, Tadaoki embodied a new philosophy: a warrior’s sword is not just a weapon, but a mirror of his discipline.
The same is true for your gloves. Keep them sharp.