Baseball gloves, like all good things in life, require some loving from time to time. If you want your precious glove to last two or more seasons, you need to make sure you store it properly and give it the maintenance it requires every few months.
Now, baseball gloves, at least the decent ones, are made to last a while, even without maintenance. But if you are extremely reckless in its use, you might notice that the leather has started to stiffen up, and it starts to feel uncomfortable in your hands. That’s a clear indication that you need to use some glove conditioner.
But leather conditioners for gloves can get quite expensive. And on a teenager’s pocket money, I understand if you are looking for an alternative to buying new glove conditioners.
Well, as it turns out, people often use canola oil to replicate the effect of conditioners on their baseball gloves, and it works – until it doesn’t. You see, using canola oil is fine as long as you know where to draw the line.
And that’s what I want to discuss here in this article. So, let’s hop in.
Is it Safe to Use Canola Oil on Baseball Gloves?
Unless you spend some time in the kitchen from time to time, there’s a good chance you are wondering – just what the heck is canola oil? I mean, you may see a bottle in your kitchen, but you probably don’t have any idea what it’s made of or what it’s for. Well, let’s fix that first.
Canola oil is a type of vegetable oil, which falls under the category of cooking oils. As the name suggests, canola oil is extracted from the seed pods of the canola plant. It is widely used in different cooking methods like sauteing, stir-frying, or even baking. But it’s most commonly used in salad dressings.
So, as you can see, moisturizing baseball gloves are not really the main purpose of this type of oil. But since it is non-toxic and does lubricate to some extent, it’s natural to wonder if this could be a valid option as a glove conditioner.
And as it turns out, it does work to some extent. If applied in small amounts and rubbed around the entire surface of a baseball glove, it will soften up the leather in the glove. However, if you use it regularly on the leather, it will deteriorate the quality of the leather and eventually ruin it.
Leather is a material that soaks up almost anything you put on it. And while the immediate effects are not apparent, the use of canola oil will affect the quality of the leather over time. It also makes your gloves heavier, which is not exactly ideal, as most players would prefer their gloves to be light.
But if you want to moisturize your gloves and your bottle of conditioner just ran out, canola oil can help you out in a pinch. Just make sure you don’t go overboard in its application.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for an alternative to glove conditioners, there are honestly better options out there than canola oil. Boot oil, for one, should serve as a better choice instead of going with any type of cooking oil, even though it’s not perfect either.
Canola oil is still not the worst option out there, though. I mean, it works to some degree and helps soften up your gloves if it gets too stiff. But prolonged exposure to this type of oil can cause the leather in your gloves to wear out or start cracking. And once the leather cracks, you know that your baseball glove won’t last any longer.
I hope my article on using canola oil on baseball gloves could help you understand the issues that come from this idea. Even if you do decide to go with it, you now know about the potential risks. Good luck!
