Glove Care Instructions
Special care must be taken to insure maximum performance, durability and life of your glove. The Glove Doctor recommends Lexol to condition and clean your gloves. The following instructions are designed to help you attain maximum life from your ball glove.
WARNING! EXCESSIVE GLOVE OIL WILL DAMAGE AND SHORTEN THE LIFE OF YOUR NEW GLOVE. Neatsfoot oil and Mink oil are not recommended as they tend to make the glove heavy and cause dirt to stick to surface of the glove.
- Apply a small amount of Lexol 2 All Leather Conditioner to a cloth or applicator pad and apply the conditioner to the areas of the glove that are currently stiff and firm that need to be more flexible, such as the pocket, the break, and the base of the web. Work the conditioner into the leather evenly. Do not apply it directly to the glove as it will be too concentrated at the point of application. Allow the conditioner to absorb into the leather for 24 hours before using.
- Play catch daily until the glove is ready for game play (75 – 100 throws per day for 1 to 2 weeks) if after 2 weeks the glove is still too firm, re-apply the conditioner to those area to soften the leather and continue to play catch.
- Apply conditioner to your glove very lightly at the end of each season prior to storage. Apply conditioner to the finger tips and the inside lining to keep the leather from becoming brittle be sure to clean the excess dirt from your glove before any application or conditioner.
- Store your glove in a dry place with a ball in the pocket to maintain shape. Do not store it in a plastic bag, as it will draw moisture and mildew.
- Keep the leather lacing in your glove pulled tight, as the laces will stretch with use. Note the degree of lace tension when the glove is new and try to maintain this tension. Always keep knots tied. If a lace comes unstrung or breaks, be sure to restring it through the proper holes to avoid damage to the glove.
- The above instructions have been developed to maximize the life of your ball glove. There are always a number of off-the-wall techniques that are suggested to help break in ball gloves. They are generally short cuts that reduce the life of the glove. You have to be aware of the frame of reference of the individual(s) making these suggestions. Their objective may not be to maximize the life of the glove.
Below are some techniques that you want to AVOID.
NEVER soak your glove in water. The water causes the laces to become brittle and it detans the glove leather and soaks the padding causing dry rot.
NEVER put your glove in an oven or microwave. The heat can damage the fibers of the leather. A microwave can concentrate heat to such a degree that the leather will actually burn. Heat and water causes the leather fibers to re-crosslink creating shrinkage making the leather stiffer and can cause the leather to crack.
We do not recommend steaming. Even though it will soften the leather initially, after a period of time it may stiffen up again, or some gloves may become too soft, depending how they were tanned. The laces being tanned differently tend to become brittle and break.
In my opinion there is nothing like breaking a glove in the old fashion way of playing catch every day. It may take a little longer, but the end result is worth it.
