East Chatham Chargers Football and Cheerleading

East Chatham Chargers Football/Cheerleading

East Chatham Chargers Football and Cheerleading

News Detail

29

Jul, 2019

Uniform and Equipment Care

Here is important information about how to take proper care of the uniforms and equipment provided to you. Proper care allows the equipment to be safe and snazzy looking for your player and future players, and also saves money for this all volunteer, non-profit organization. We thank you in advance for your care and respect!

Helmet:

Always store in a well ventilated area (not a trunk or closet). Drying the helmet is important to reduce the growth of bacteria and mold.

The foam pads inside your helmet and the plastic covering the exterior don't hold up well under abrasive cleaning pads. Instead of grabbing the steel wool or a rough-sided sponge, stick to softer fabric cloths that won't ruin the finish or remove the protective coating of the pads. Microfiber pads work well, but a plain cotton cleaning cloth or dish towel won't harm the inside of the helmet either.

The outside of your helmet might get filthy as you tackle into the grass, but the inside's main problem is sweat. Gentle cleansers work best, such as a mild dish-washing liquid or oxygen bleach solution. Use a damp rag and rub the cleanser over all the pads, getting in between them as best you can. Wipe the area with a rag dipped in plain water to remove the soap. This will prevent it from irritating your skin the next time you wear the helmet.

Shoulder Pads:

Always store in a well ventilated area (not a trunk or closet). Drying football pads is important to reduce the growth of bacteria and mold.

Wipe dirt off shoulder pads with a rag dampened with water. Dry the shoulder pads with a dry rag after you have finished cleaning them. Remove stubborn streaks and disinfect football shoulder pads, by cleaning them with an athletic disinfectant gear cleaning solution or a household disinfectant cleaning solution labeled safe to use on plastics, following the cleaning solution manufacturer's directions.

A spritz of Febreeze on occasion can certainly do some good things for your nose!

Uniforms:

Some really long instructions are below, you should read them, but here's a few highlights!

Wash them in cold water as quickly as possible!
Do NOT use fabric softener (it traps body odors in the fabric)
These are new jerseys, wash separately the first few times, and remove from washer immediately to avoid color transfer.
Do NOT dry in the dryer! Hang to dry.

In depth Instructions from Russell Athletics...

NEW UNIFORMS

Russell recommends the following procedures be used on newly received uniforms to prepare them for use.
Wash a medium sized load of uniforms in warm water (<100°F) with 1-2 ounces of mild detergent on an extra large laundry
setting for 3 minutes and then drain. Do not overload the machine.
Re-wash using the same settings without detergent for 3 minutes and drain.
Re-wash again in warm water (<100°F) with 1-2 ounces of mild detergent on an extra large laundry setting for 3 minutes
and drain.
Wash a final time using the same settings without detergent for 5 minutes and drain.
Use the Spin cycle on the washer to extract as much water as possible and tumble dry the garments using very low heat.

LAUNDERING PREP

For best results and maximum wear, launder uniforms immediately after each use.
Uniforms need to be inspected for normal wear and tear so repairs can be made prior to washing to prevent further damage
Close any Velcro openings to prevent hook and loop from snagging material during wash.
Remove belts and pads, if possible, from uniform before laundering.
Do not allow uniforms to lay on itself or in a pile when wet because perspiration can cause fading or color bleeding.

PRE-TREATING

Retreat stains with pre-wash, stain remover or protein release agent while uniform is still damp before perspiration dries and
sets the stain.
Presoak in Cold water (80 ± 5°F) for no more that 30 minutes.
Wash uniform immediately following presoak.
Do not soak uniforms containing nylon or nylon spandex blend.

WASHING

Wash uniforms in Warm water (105 ± 5°F) as soon as possible after each use, before stains are allowed to set.
A mild detergent (pH under 10.0) should be used.
Do not overload the machine.
Use recommended amount of detergent as per detergent manufacturer.
Rinse uniforms in Cold water (80 ± 5°F).
Remove uniform from machine immediately after washing to avoid color migration.
Do not use chlorine bleach.
Do not use fabric softener.
Wash white uniforms separately from colored uniforms.

DRYING

Remove promptly from washer.
Turn uniform reverse side out before machine drying.
Tumble dry on low setting (< 140°F).
Note excessive heat can cause garment shrinkage, discoloration, degradation and cracking of lettering.
Do not use fabric softener or dryer sheet.

STORAGE
Uniform should be completely dry before storing.
Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and fluorescent lighting to prevent mildew or yellowing.

DRY CLEANING
Do not dry clean uniforms.

IRONING
Do not iron uniforms