A properly fitted groin guard is essential protective gear that must be worn in almost all professional leagues. The guard protects your body’s most essential and delicate area: your groin. Without it, you are exposing yourself to serious injury risks.
The groin protector shields you against strikes and accidental hits, keeping you safe from developing severe pain or injury. The groin guard absorbs and disperses the force directed towards the groin. Wearing it correctly maximises comfort and protection.
Cleaning and taking proper care of your groin guard after every use ensures you don’t have to empty your bank every few months. Proper maintenance enhances the longevity of your guards, keeps your training practices hygienic and optimises your overall performance.
If you are wondering how to clean and maintain it properly, read this blog to learn the correct cleaning practices, maintenance tips and some common mistakes you can avoid to keep it in optimal condition.
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Why Proper Care for Your Groin Protector Matters
Groin guards protect a delicate area of your body while reducing the risk of pelvic floor injury or hernia. Cleaning them after every training session is recommended as it further keeps you safe from infections and bacterial growth. Imagine how much risk of infection you are carrying if you are not cleaning the cup properly.
Cleaning martial arts gear also extends its lifespan and durability while preventing unpleasant odours from developing. Regular cleaning of the guard keeps your training safe and extremely effective.
Maintaining essential athletic gear such as groin guards also increases their lifespan. After repeated use, the groin guard is exposed to bacteria and odours, affecting their material quality. However, cleaning with a mild detergent and a damp cloth removes germs, making your gear extremely durable and long-lasting.
The correct size of the groin guard and the way you wear it also affect your performance. The correct size and a clean guard allow you to train comfortably while protecting you properly. If you want to increase your training efficiency and improve your performance while being completely protected during training, invest in your groin guard regularly and clean it after every use.
Step-by-Step Guide to Cleaning Your Groin Protector
Groin protectors are important and their longevity is highly affected by how you clean it, the materials and tools, the sanitisation techniques and how you dry it after cleaning. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to clean groin protector.
Materials and Tools Needed
Groin protector maintenance requires the right materials and tools. Your normal detergent or cleaning soap, which you use in doing your laundry, is not a suitable choice for cleaning the guard. Protective gear care demands using mild, fragrance-free detergents that don’t irritate the skin.
If you have compression shorts with built-in groin cups, then you can clean the cups separately and wash the shorts in your machine with mild detergent.
Sometimes, you need to deep-clean your protective gear by brushing with soft bristles or microfiber clothes. When cleaning with a brush, don’t add pressure to the cup. Using a brush or clothes with light force can easily remove the buildup of bacteria while keeping your cups odour-free.
After every use, disinfectant spray minimises bacteria buildup and keeps your delicate area safe from infections.
Cleaning Different Types of Groin Protectors
There are various styles of groin protectors available in the market, each requiring a different level of care. It is essential to check the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions to clean your cups properly. If you have a groin guard with a removable cup, such as the T15 Noir, then wash the guard and the cup separately in your machine. Doing this ensures your cup is safe from vigorous machine cleaning and retains its shape for a longer time.
Similarly, for ventilated goin cups such as the RDX 1N Gel groin protectors, it is recommended to hand-wash them with just soap and warm water. This way, the cup will retain its shape and structure for a long time. For fabric covered options like RDX’s Aura Plus T-17, it is recommended to wash them by dipping them in warm water with detergent only so that their inner lining does not get damaged.
Sanitisation Tips
Protective cup care requires a lot of effort. To maintain their quality, you have to sanitise them after every use. Use antiseptic wipes for this purpose to avoid bacteria buildup due to sweat. Disinfecting after every use reduces the chances of developing infections to zero.
Some disinfectants, along with antibacterial soaps, can also kill germs from cups. Make sure that you don’t use any type of harsh chemical to wash any of your protective gear, as it can cause material damage, further risking your safety. Groin protector sanitization after every use is essential to maintain its integrity.
Drying Tips
After you have cleaned and sanitised your groin cup, don’t ever put it in the dryer. Hang it to air-dry, as this prevents any material or structural damage. Don’t hang your groin protector in direct sunlight or under high heat.
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Proper Storage for Longevity
Apart from proper care and cleaning of groin guards, you also have to make sure that they are stored properly so that they do not damage. The following are some tips for storing them properly.
Ideal Storage Conditions
Manufacturers recommend storing delicate clothing in a cool, dry place. In the same way, sports equipment maintenance also requires ideal storage conditions so that the shape, design, padding and material are not damaged.
After cleaning and air-drying your gear, put it in a safe place which is cool and dry. A moist place increases the risk of contamination with bacteria, which further puts you at risk of infections. The best approach would be to clean your cupboards to prevent mould buildup.
You can also use a separate bag or compartment for maximum groin guard upkeep. This way, your gear will not be mixed with your other clothes or equipment, improving your overall health and performance in the ring.
Common Storage Mistakes
Training is tough and exhausts your mental energy. We understand that all you want to do after the gym is to put your gym bag away and sleep for long hours. But with your gear inside the bag, uncleaned and contaminated, you are decreasing the longevity of your guard. Doing this develops a strong odour in your gear, which is sometimes extremely difficult to eliminate.
Storing your groin guard in your cupboard under heavy objects can deform the shape of your protector and padding. When the shape of your cup is destroyed, you have no option but to change it.
Regular Maintenance Tips for Durability
Protective equipment maintenance helps you in the long run. You don’t have to change your gear often because you have kept it in good shape. You can train comfortably without worrying about your equipment and keep yourself free from the risk of infections. Here we have some additional tips that will enhance the durability of your gear:
Regular Inspection
Groin protector durability can be affected even by the slightest wear and tear. Since these guards have the huge responsibility of protecting your delicate areas from life-long injuries, it is important that you inspect them regularly. If any of your equipment shows any signs of damage, change it instantly. Using worn-out or damaged equipment
threatens your health and can also affect your training, as you always have to worry about it.
If your groin protector has cracks, warping or loose straps, get it changed. Invest in a durable guard with sufficient padding that provides optimal protection yet does not limit your movement.
Important Preventative Measures
One of the most important steps to maintaining the durability of your cup is to clean it immediately after use. Sweat buildup can cause some odours that will be very hard to get rid of. Grab one disinfectant wipe, clean the surface thoroughly, and then put it in a clean place for air drying. Or you can dip your groin guard in warm water with mild detergent and then hang it.
These simple care tips for athletic cups keep them clean and free from germs. They are also very quick to follow on busy days.
Care for Multi-Purpose Use
Groin guards are used in many sports, such as MMA, combat sports, dance, cricket, hockey and baseball. Depending on the intensity and frequency of usage in each sport, the best approach would be to set up a schedule to deep clean it.
Store your cups in breathable bags, and again clean them after every use, no matter what type of sports you engage in.
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Common Mistakes to Avoid
Cleaning athletic protection gear is undoubtedly essential for hygiene and safety reasons. But here are some of the common mistakes that need to be avoided at any cost to increase the life of your gear:
Not Cleaning After Every Use
As stated earlier, washing or cleaning your gear after every use is a critical hygiene practice. Failing to do so impacts the integrity of your cup. No matter how busy you are, give one or two minutes to clean your cup after use, and set a time in your week to wash all your protective gear properly.
Using Harsh Chemicals
Athletic gear needs to be handled with great care. Similarly, washing it with mild detergents keeps it safe for longer and does not impact the delicate materials. Using a harsh chemical to clean your gear can irritate your skin, so avoid doing that.
Not Drying It Properly
Air-drying your athletic gear after every wash is extremely important. Never put your delicate gear in the dryer; you will destroy its structure. Hang to air-dry; only put it away if it is completely dry.
Using A Damaged Protector
Using a damaged protector is a harmful practice that can have harmful consequences. If you get a strong kick in your delicate area, you can be out of practice for several months. So, continue your training with safe and undamaged gear.
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Choosing the Right Products for Maintenance
Sports gear cleaning tips for maintenance only work if you choose the right cleaning and care products. Everything is super essential to extend the life of your gear, from using the right tool to clean to the correct detergent.
Recommended Cleaning Products
Select mild detergents or soaps that can effectively clean your material without affecting its quality. When choosing a detergent to clean your groin guard, go for pH-balanced
options specifically designed for sports equipment. For sanitising your gear, get antibacterial sprays and non-abrasive disinfectants that can easily eliminate germs without causing damage.
Protective Sprays and Tools
Choose sprays that repel moisture and odours from your groin protectors. Such sprays can keep your gear fresh. Soft-bristle brushes or microfiber cloths clean your gear without scratching it.
Invest In High-quality Gear
Invest in durable, high-quality gear to simplify your maintenance. RDX X1 groin guards come with a removable cup option, making cleaning extremely convenient. The removable cup is easy to detach, making the cleaning process simple and quick.
Conclusion and Final Tips
Hygiene is an essential factor in training, which keeps you safe and free from developing bacterial infections. Using an unclean groin guard exposes you to the risk of serious infections and also affects your overall performance. Besides that, an unmaintained groin protector has almost zero durability, which means that during high strikes or kicks, the cup won’t be able to protect you from developing life-long injuries.
Busy athletes should clean their protective gear after every use. It is essential to inspect the gear properly to see any wear and tear. If you see any signs of damage, replace it instantly; otherwise, it can be a very big threat to your overall health.
Investing in high-quality, durable protective gear ensures you are trained under safe and controlled conditions. In addition to investing in quality, follow essential care tips to maintain the integrity of your protective gear, especially groin guards.
