If you really want to take care of your favorite glove, you can’t just clean the outside and call it a day. I clean mine and oil it every season to keep it in game shape, but most players skip the inside entirely. That’s the part that quietly turns your hand black and starts smelling pretty rough by midseason.
The dirt inside a glove isn’t as visible as the grime on the outside, so it’s easy to ignore. But that buildup of sweat and grime is exactly what causes glove odor, and it’s not something you want pressed against your skin for a full game. In this article, I’ll walk you through how to clean the inside of a baseball glove in five easy steps.
How To Clean The Inside Of A Baseball Glove
Cleaning the inside of a glove isn’t as simple as wiping down the outside. The interior lining is thinner and more sensitive, so you have to be more careful with how much moisture you use. If you haven’t tackled the outside yet, check out my full guide on how to clean a baseball glove first, then come back here for the inside.
What You’ll Need
You don’t need anything fancy for this. Most of it you probably already have at home, and the rest is cheap and easy to find at any sporting goods store. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Lexol leather cleaner
- Mild soap
- A bowl
- Warm water
- A couple of soft, clean cloths
- Glove conditioner
- Baking soda (optional, for odor)
Once you’ve got everything together, grab your favorite baseball glove and let’s get started.
Step 1: Wipe Down The Outside First
Before touching the inside, take a cloth and put a small amount of Lexol leather cleaner on it to clean the outside of the glove. This article is mainly about the inside, but I always clean the outside first so dirt doesn’t transfer back onto your hand while you’re working.
Put a little leather cleaner on a soft, slightly damp cloth and rub it over the glove.
Cover the entire glove, then wipe off the Lexol with a clean, dry cloth so none of it is left sitting on the leather.
Once you’re done, leave the glove in a clean, dry spot for 10 to 20 minutes and let the cleaner finish doing its work.
Step 2: Clean The Inside With A Soft, Damp Cloth
Fill a bowl with warm water, not hot, and add a small amount of mild soap. Dampen a clean cloth with the soapy water and wring it out well. You want it damp, not wet.
Gently wipe down the inner lining, including the finger stalls and the palm area where most of the sweat collects. Don’t flood the inside with water. The interior leather is more sensitive than the outer shell, and too much moisture can leave it stiff or discolored once it dries.
Use a second, dry cloth to wipe away any leftover moisture. Getting as much water out as you can now saves you a lot of drying time later.
If what you’re actually dealing with is mold or a musty smell rather than everyday dirt, don’t use this same method. Scrubbing mold the normal way just spreads the spores around the glove instead of getting rid of them. My guide on cleaning a moldy leather baseball glove covers the safer way to handle that.
For lingering odor after a light clean, sprinkle a small amount of baking soda inside the glove, close it up, and let it sit overnight before tapping it back out. It’s a simple trick that pulls a lot of the smell out without adding any more moisture.
Step 3: Let It Air Dry
Once the inside is clean, it’s time to dry the glove out properly. Set it in a cool, dry spot with decent airflow. Depending on how humid it is where you live, plan on 24 to 48 hours before the inside is fully dry. Leave it longer if the lining still feels damp when you check it.
The inner leather takes longer to dry than the outside because the air has to work through several layers of material to get to it. Don’t rush this part.
No matter how long it takes, don’t dry your glove directly under the sun, and don’t put it anywhere near a microwave or a dryer. (I tried the microwave once, and it wasn’t pretty.) A fan pointed at the glove speeds things up without any of that risk.
Step 4: Check The Inner Lining
After a day or two, check the inside of the glove for moisture. Does it still feel damp anywhere? If so, give it more time. If it feels dry to the touch, you’re good to move on. Congratulations, your glove is ready to roar.
Step 5: Condition The Glove To Make It Game Ready
You’ve cleaned the inside, so now it’s time to get the glove ready for the next game. This is where a good conditioner comes in.
I’ve had good results with the Wilson Pro Stock Glove Conditioner. It’s leather-friendly, widely trusted by players, and I’ve used it on my own gloves without issue. If you want a full rundown of conditioner options, my baseball glove oil and conditioner buyer’s guide covers what I’d actually recommend, and my guide on how to use baseball glove conditioner walks through applying it step by step.
Work the conditioner into the outside of the glove in small, circular motions. It helps protect the leather from any residual effects of the soapy water you used during cleaning.
How Often Should You Clean The Inside Of A Baseball Glove?
I used to tell players once a year was enough, but that’s not quite right. If you’re playing regularly, a light wipe-down of the interior every few weeks during the season keeps sweat and grime from building up in the first place. Save the full clean I walked through above for whenever the lining starts to smell or feel grimy, usually every month or two if you’re playing often.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a seasoned player or just getting into baseball, cleaning the inside of your glove regularly keeps it from breaking down and keeps your hand a lot happier.
Baseball is a summer sport, and you’ll wear that glove for hours with sweaty hands under the sun. It doesn’t take much imagination to picture how much bacteria builds up in there over a season.
That’s exactly why the inside deserves the same attention as the outside. For the bigger picture on keeping your whole glove in shape, check out my full baseball glove care guide. I hope this walkthrough saves you some guesswork next time your glove needs it.
Tyler Wells
With 4 years of Division II experience, a .272 career batting average, .410 on-base percentage, and 7 home runs, I’m now in my fifth season. I’ve played baseball since age 3, alongside future MLB Draft picks, and I aim to pursue a career in baseball professionally, be it playing, coaching, or scouting.