How to Care for and Clean Your Ski Gloves | Keep Them Dry & Warm

One wrong wash can turn a $150 pair of gloves into a damp, stiff mess. The good news is that cleaning ski gloves correctly takes about ten minutes of active work and twenty-four hours of patience. The bad news is that the most common instinct — throwing them in the washing machine — is exactly what destroys them. Here is the method that keeps the liners dry, the leather soft, and the seams sealed for seasons to come.

The Only Safe Way To Wash Ski Gloves

Every major ski glove brand — from SCOTT and Gordini to Outdoor Research — agrees on the core rule: hand wash only. Machine washing breaks down the internal waterproof membrane, loosens stitching, and clumps insulation. Here is the exact hand-wash procedure.

Fill a sink or basin with lukewarm water. Add a small amount of a mild technical detergent such as Nikwax Tech Wash ($10 for 10 ounces) or Woolite. Submerge the gloves and gently scrub the palms, fingertips, and any stained areas with a soft brush or cloth. For very light surface dirt, rubbing the glove with clean snow before washing works surprisingly well.

Rinse thoroughly with clean, cool water until no soap residue remains — leftover detergent reduces the glove’s waterproofing. Gently squeeze water from the fingertips toward the wrist. Never wring or twist the gloves, which destroys stitching and internal components.

How To Dry Ski Gloves Without Ruining Them

The drying step kills more gloves than the washing step. Heat — from a dryer, radiator, oven, or direct sunlight — melts waterproof membranes, cracks leather, and clumps synthetic insulation. The safe method is simple but slow.

Lay the gloves flat on a towel or hang them with the fingers pointing upward. Air dry them in a well-ventilated room at normal room temperature. Reshape the gloves as they dry so they don’t lose their form. Complete drying takes several hours or overnight.

Leather Ski Gloves Need Different Care

Leather gloves or gloves with leather palm patches require a separate routine. Machine washing is strictly forbidden on any leather component. Clean them with a high-fat soap like Chamberlain’s Leather Milk ($17), Filson Original Leather Conditioner ($18), or Nikwax Conditioner for Leather ($8.50), applied with a damp cloth.

Dry leather gloves upright with the cuffs pointing downward, away from any heat source. Apply leather conditioner once a month to keep the material supple. Reapply a waterproof sealant — such as Nikwax Waterproofing Wax for Leather ($9) or Sno-Seal Wax ($8) — twice per season, always after conditioning.

Quick-Reference Wash Guide For Every Glove Type

The second table below covers the specific situations that require different rules. If you are shopping for a fresh pair so you can skip the maintenance headache for a while, our roundup of reliable cheap ski gloves covers tested options that hold up well.

Table #1: Cleaning Rules By Glove Material

What To Do With Removable Liners

If your ski gloves have a removable liner, you have more flexibility. Wash the liner in the machine on a gentle cycle with cold water, placed inside a delicates bag or pillowcase, using the mild detergent listed above. Alternatively, hand wash the liner in a sink with a splash of vinegar for odor control. Never turn the shell or liner inside out — reversing them stresses the waterproof seam taping, per Gordini’s care instructions.

How To Handle Wet Gloves On A Multi-Day Trip

Twenty-four hours of air drying is ideal, but nobody has that luxury at a ski lodge. Boot dryers such as the DryGuy Portable Dryer ($30) are the next-best option. They circulate low-level warmth without the high heat that damages membranes. Most boot dryers dry ski gloves overnight without harming the materials.

Avoid stuffing wet gloves inside your jacket or leaving them zipped in a gear bag overnight. That environment guarantees mildew and mold growth by morning.

Stubborn Odors: The Freezer Trick

Ski gloves get smelly fast, especially leather palm patches. Seal the gloves in a plastic bag and freeze them for 48 to 72 hours. The cold kills the bacteria that cause odor. Afterward, stuff the gloves with crumbled newspaper or silica gel beads to finish drying and absorb any lingering smell. This method works without damaging the glove structure or waterproofing.

Table #2: Step-By-Step Checklist For Each Cleaning Session

Five Mistakes That Destroy Ski Gloves

Most glove damage comes from a handful of repeated errors. Skip these entirely:

• Machine washing technical or leather gloves — it destroys the waterproof membrane and clumps insulation.
• Wringing wet gloves — the twisting force rips internal seam taping and shifts the liner permanently.
• Drying on a radiator or in the dryer — direct heat cracks leather and melts waterproofing.
• Using regular laundry detergent — it leaves residues that block the glove’s breathability and waterproofing.
• Storing wet gear overnight in a closed bag — mildew sets in within hours.

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