dirty laces

[treesprite]

I hate dirty laces. I almost always wash my hands before I put my skates on, yet my laces still get dirty. I sometimes replace them just because of being dirty, but that is such a waste. Does anyone wash their laces, who might have some lace-washing tips?

 

[Theoreticalgirl]

Soak them for an hour minimum in a combo of hot water and Borax. Hang to dry.

I usually leave my laces in the solution for 2-3 hours or longer to get the grime out.

 

[Clarice]

I'm lazy and cover them by using leggings that pull down over my boots. I replace them once a year for adult nationals.

 

[Theoreticalgirl]

BTW, every cleaning issue I've encountered has been resolved by googling "[cleaning problem] jolie kerr". (Jolie's "Ask A Clean Person" podcast and articles/book are outstanding.)

 

[Clarice]

Thanks for the tip, Theoreticalgirl! I should add that while I don't care about dirty laces, I do care about twisted laces. I straighten mine out every single time I lace up, and everybody teases me about how long it takes. We all have our quirks, I guess.

 

[Shyjosie]

You will become my role models when it comes to taking care of my skates.
Although I hate dirty laces and boots, I manage to ignore them because I'm so lazy. Most recently I took part in a competition. But instead of replacing the laces (such time consuming work), untwisting them (such time consuming work) and whitening the boots (such time con...) I chose to wear black boot covers along with my black tights.
Normally, I would replace the laces rather than washing them.

 

[Theoreticalgirl]

No problem @Clarice. For me, dirty laces > twisted laces, as dirty laces don't tie well/tightly due to the buildup of grime and whatnot.

And just a general comment: Replacing laces is still an important part of skate maintenance. No matter how clean they are, a frayed or otherwise damaged lace can break, which can be dangerous. Always good to swap 'em out after a year or so.

 

[TheGirlCanSkate]

I put them in a skating tights sock, tie the top with an elastic so they don't come out and put them in the wash.

 

[Aceon6]

I use OxiClean for any athletic shoe laces. I throw the laces in a lingerie bag, then just let them soak in the OxiClean solution for a couple of hours, then rinse thoroughly. Good as new. I replace if they're any fraying or any areas that seem iffy.

 

[Deleted member 53443]

I come from hockey where you stink up the whole rink, reading about dirty laces is just a phenomenal cultural clash

 

[treesprite]

I have been replacing my laces maybe every 3 months, even when the only problem was how dirty they were. I usually by two or three pairs at a time, so I usually always will have fresh ones right when I want to use them. I just don't like the way they look when they are dirty; I think my head equates seeing dirty laces all the time with the failure of people to wash their hair on a regular basis.