Help me with my hockey equipment storage dilema!

[Number 1]

Maybe air overnight in the bath tub and pack away the next day? As for the smell, it's going to be things like the body armour that stinks the worst, so maybe throw that in the washer every now and again? And Fabreze the anti bacterial stuff on the rest. I use one of those shed kinda things in a temperature just above freezing for a week at a time, but for whatever reason, in the bathroom overnight dries it better, smellwise as well.

[Spidey]

she hasn't even moved in yet and already telling you what to do, tsk tsk...

[DRE75HABS]

Originally Posted by L7spider

I didn't mean to paint her as taking over the closet just for her own evil purposes. We actually need the closet space once she moves in because I already have our other closet filled with my stuff, so it's basically a necessity that we put stuff in there, and I agree that putting stuff in with smelly hockey equipment is gross (the whole febreeze/destinkafying doesn't work, I've tried that before)

I had a thought a little while ago. I know they have those plastic storage containers that people stick under their beds and stuff, I wonder how big they make those things, like if I could find one big enough for my hockey equipment. That way I could keep the stuff indoors but lock in the stench in the containers!

I do that with my extra (see: LOTS) stuff, I have 2 rubbermaid tubs in the backyard, under our porch. They're stacked so they don't take up too much space, and no rain will get in to them. I have 2sets of pads, 3 sets of gloves, a C/A and 2 pairs of pants, my roller blades, and a whole galaxy of extra parts. Also a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of beer, a pint of raw ether and two dozen amyls.

[brettmvh]

To me it looks like there is only one solution. And that would be to buy all new gear! You can present it as either she smells the wonderful smell of hockey gear or you get all new stuff that will smell like roses for a short period of time.

[hammbone]

I don't know what your set-up is like but in my condo, I have a walk in laundry closet right by the front door.

What I've found is that the airflow that condos have in the hallways comes into your unit and tends to dry things out very quickly. I hang laundry to dry in the washroom by the front door and I hang my hockey gear in my laundry closet.

Everything dries overnight and with the help of a little maintenance for keeping gear bacteria free (lysol, febreeze, shaving cream, boiling water) the smell of my gear is not very noticable at all and whatever smell there is is contained within the laundry closet.

Maybe you can hang your gear to dry by your front door and then put it away in the morning?

[JediGoalie30]

Originally Posted by brettmvh

To me it looks like there is only one solution. And that would be to buy all new gear! You can present it as either she smells the wonderful smell of hockey gear or you get all new stuff that will smell like roses for a short period of time.

I can't believe that took 18 replies to be said!

Definately dry the gear overnight in the bathroom, with the exhaust fan on if you have one. Should make the gear much more bearable the next day. And all the more so if you start with a clean slate, so to speak!

[msats]

Originally Posted by LundqvistRoy

yeah, but girls that dont play hockey you can actually distinguish as being a girl.

Checkmate.

[msats]

Originally Posted by DRE75HABS

I have 2sets of pads, 3 sets of gloves, a C/A and 2 pairs of pants, my roller blades, and a whole galaxy of extra parts. Also a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of beer, a pint of raw ether and two dozen amyls.

Not that we needed all that for the trip, but once you get into locked a serious goalie gear collection, the tendency is to push it as far as you can.

[MTH]

1. New gear don't smell as bad for a time.

2. Air it out that night then pack it up in the morning. This is what I had to do in my apartment with my wife. Wasn't bad, just make sure that where you air it isn't next to your room.

You will not mind it, but it will bother her. I don't see the bathroom option as a good one because my wife will go in there at night or in the morning and have to see/smell the crap.

I left it out in the dining room area and as soon as I woke up packed the bag and stuck it in the closet. Regardless, warm air holds more moisture, so a warm apartment in the winter will dry your gear fast. There was enough circulation in my apartment that a few hours in the dining room would dry it out enough fast.

If you really need to get it out of the place, pack it up in the morning and put it into your car.

3. See if the rink has storage. Friends have done this.

4. Store it with a friend. My buddy was in between houses for almost a year. Me, the nice guy, took his crap after every game to my house and hung it out in my garage. Just make sure that you take all your under gear (CUP,shirts, socks, etc.) home with you. When my buddy threw his under armour and socks in the bag I took, I just left the entire bag zipped up in my garage. But if he took out the stuff he could wash and all, I gladly would air out his stuff.

5. Reverse the overnight dry out. Leave wet gear in car that night and bring it in the morning. Allow it to air out while you guys are out all day either at work or class. Pack it when you get home that night.

Take advantage of the unoccupied times...

[goalie33fan]

Originally Posted by Matt The Hammer

1. New gear don't smell as bad for a time.

2. Air it out that night then pack it up in the morning. This is what I had to do in my apartment with my wife. Wasn't bad, just make sure that where you air it isn't next to your room.

You will not mind it, but it will bother her. I don't see the bathroom option as a good one because my wife will go in there at night or in the morning and have to see/smell the crap.

I left it out in the dining room area and as soon as I woke up packed the bag and stuck it in the closet. Regardless, warm air holds more moisture, so a warm apartment in the winter will dry your gear fast. There was enough circulation in my apartment that a few hours in the dining room would dry it out enough fast.

If you really need to get it out of the place, pack it up in the morning and put it into your car.

3. See if the rink has storage. Friends have done this.

4. Store it with a friend. My buddy was in between houses for almost a year. Me, the nice guy, took his crap after every game to my house and hung it out in my garage. Just make sure that you take all your under gear (CUP,shirts, socks, etc.) home with you. When my buddy threw his under armour and socks in the bag I took, I just left the entire bag zipped up in my garage. But if he took out the stuff he could wash and all, I gladly would air out his stuff.

5. Reverse the overnight dry out. Leave wet gear in car that night and bring it in the morning. Allow it to air out while you guys are out all day either at work or class. Pack it when you get home that night.

Take advantage of the unoccupied times...

This is the first time I have really noticed how wise you really are.

[goalies-r-us]

I know that with Dom being a kid, he doesn't stink as much as grown men, but he DOES get soaking-wet with sweat, and we have yet to have any problem with his gear stinking, whereas some of his teammates' gear just reeks!

Number one thing is to DRY IT OUT ASAP!

If your stuff is already stinking, find one of those SaniSport machines to disinfect it so you're starting from scratch with good-smelling gear.

After that, find a way to hang it up (not just spread it out) and get some air moving on it ASAP after each ice session. Santa brought Dom a "man" rack to hang his gear up on about 3-4 years ago, and that's what I credit with keeping his gear smelling decent. After every ice session, he "dresses the man", which has spaces to hang up everything from helmet to skates and all the parts in between. (Makes it simpler to pack the bag, too, because if you've packed correctly, the "man" should be nekkie when you're done.)

Now that he's skating out AND playing in net, he has two full sets of gear, so I compromised by putting up Command Hooks all over one wall of his room to hold his skater gear, and his goalie gear goes on the "man". The different hooks will hold different weights (up to 7.5lbs/3.4kg for the jumbo size), so we just used one appropriate-sized hook for each piece of gear. (I actually prefer the hook system, because it takes up absolutely no floor space.)

To get your gear to dry out quickly, just set up a small oscillating fan on the floor in front of your gear and let it run overnight -- by morning, your gear should be dry and odor-free. About once a month, we spray down his gear with a special anti-microbial Febreeze spray (might have to shop around, I've noticed that not all stores carry the trigger-spray bottles of the anti-microbial version).

You may have to get your gear SaniSport-treated once a season (at about $30/treatment, at least around these parts) just to keep the stink at bay as time goes on, but that's a small price to pay for keeping the wife happy! (plus, you will also benefit from gear that doesn't reek when you put it on!)

[Mully]

I had the same problem as you up until 6 months ago. I was living in an appartment with two other people who were not hockey players. For whatever reason, they couldn't appreciate the rich aroma of a properly seasoned set of goalie equipment.

In the summer time, I would leave my gear out on the deck (we were up on the 3rd floor and the deck was huge).
In the winter I had to leave it at my folks place, which was only a 5 minute drive away. This was a major pain in the butt, believe me.

My wife and I got a house in July, so I've had to come up with a way to store my gear without leaving an offending stench in our place. Our place is small, so there isnt a whole lot of storage space to air out my gear.
So what I do is, when I get home from a game, I spray it down with a mixture of water and rubbing alcohol to kill the bacteria. Then I lay it out over night next to the dehumidifier. By the morning, its as dry as a bone, so I put it back in the bag and jam it into the storage room. So far this has worked out pretty good.

So you might want to try getting a dehumidifier to help dry it over night. Then you could put it anywhere really. The last thing you want to do is leave it outside in a shed, especially in florida. It will smell like a crime-scene in no time, and will never be dry. eewwww.

[MTH]

Originally Posted by goalie33fan

This is the first time I have really noticed how wise you really are.

I went to college.

[c0nquistad0rian]

Originally Posted by Matt The Hammer

I went to college.

Your mom went to college!

[PSULion22]

There is one of the SaniSport machines down here too. They guy works out of his garage off Southern Blvd. If you call him, he might be willing to meet you somewhere, he is sometimes at Incredible Ice. That is absolutely the first step. PM me if you want his number.

WHen I lived in my 2 bedroom condo, I had your same problem. I eliminated it by getting the Shock Doctor PowerDry bag with the fan in it. Warrior makes one now too. The fan has a heater and even gives off a little ozone to help with bacteria. I found it really helped get my gear dry quickly without having to spread it out all over the closet or bathroom (and kept the smell in). It fits my player gear fine, but you might have to do your goalie gear in two stages.

I have also started using a 2:1 mix of water and rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle that I spray on my goalie gear after I play. It really seems to help. Publix sells a citrus scented alcohol that I use.

The large Rubbermaid boxes were on sale at Target this week. You gear should fit in one or two of those. Just be sure to dry it completely before you close the lid. What I would do is get the dryer bag and one large rubbermaid. Put the first dry batch in the container and just leave the second batch in the bag until you play. Definitely go with the SaniSport though, you would be surprised with the difference it makes.