Pro Guard Hockey Odor Eliminator, have you learned to live with your own stench?
Written: Jun 15 '04 (Updated Jun 15 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Helps keep gear fresh longer
Cons: Won't eliminate smells once they are there
The Bottom Line: Once it stinks, it's too late for Odor Eliminator. Get them cleaned first, then use this
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| puckmugger's Full Review: Pro Guard Hockey Odor Eliminator |
Eliminating the odor from hockey would be a pretty impressive feat indeed. Most hockey players have learned to live with their own wretched, malodorous stink. A few I’ve met even seem to be somewhat proud of it. Once in a while there is a guy who comes into a locker room with a pungent attack on the senses that makes everyone groan and complain like a room full of nine-year-old girls.
If you read my article I guess goalies aren’t normal from my entry to Tigerlily137’s write off I’m Normal, but You’re Not you might remember the two stinky non-goalies I mentioned. One leaves his gear in the locker room to dry which allows his personal stench to permeate the entire room. He’s a good guy and I like him a lot, but there’s no way I’m using that locker room.
The other guy has a more interesting approach to eliminating odor in hockey gear. I suspect that he is simply trying to cajole some poor fool into trying his method rather than stating any true endorsement of the process. Nonetheless, he claims that nothing short of a soaking gear in a tub of urine will kill the bacteria and make it smell better. That sounds to me a little like erasing mistakes on your master’s thesis using a black permanent marker.
▪ Odor Eliminator
Let’s start with the only two things that I know of which actually do eliminate odor in hockey gear. The first one is the most obvious. Replace your gear. The new stuff usually doesn’t smell too bad. The other is Esporta cleaning systems. This is a high tech system that actually uses enzymatic detergents to clean and kill all the bacteria in gear. I highly recommend using this service a couple times a year to keep gear fresh and clean. Their website is located at www.esporta.ca and has a list of locations. They aren’t cheap, but I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the results. This is an outstanding service.
That said, you are likely thinking that this stuff doesn’t work. Well in fact it does work . . . a little. In fact, the guy I mentioned who advocates urine as the only way to keep gear smelling fresh used to buy Pro Guard Hockey Odor Eliminator from me at the shop. Shh, don’t tell him I let his secret out of the bag.
So here is the scoop on this stuff. It works to help keep the odors at a minimum. Once your gear reeks, Odor Eliminator won’t help. However, if you start using it when you get new gear, it will maximize the amount of time until it does stink.
In the dry Colorado climate, I hang my gear up to dry after each game and it takes a good six months before the garage starts to stink like a locker room. Without the use of Odor Eliminator, it was three or four months.
There is no real smell to Odor Eliminator when playing. I’ve used Fabreeze and found it offensive as it actually became a combination of flowers and nasty hockey scent.
Playing about 4 hours a week, I use approximately four cans of this a year. Some might complain that the aerosol can it comes in is bad for the environment. I don’t know that I would argue that, but I would think that the horrible smell created by all of the world’s hockey players might be as big an environmental threat.
Use is simple enough that even a Center could figure this stuff out. When you’re done playing, you take the can and spray your gear. That’s about it.
▪ Final Thoughts
This stuff won’t work if you are hoping to get the smell out of already stinkified gear. So unfortunately, even if you’ve learned to live with your own stench, Odor Eliminator won’t make it possible to secretly douse your stinky friend’s gear with the fresh scent of daisies while they are in the shower. You will have to find other means to neutralize their affront to decency.
However, it does seem to help keep hockey gear smelling fresh for a longer time if used before it starts to stink. I in no way endorse urinating on your own equipment or anyone else’s.
A few of my other reviews that you might find helpful:
Fitting Goalie Gear
Fitting and Selecting Hockey Protective Gear
Hockey Skate buying demystified
How to Care for Skates
Recommended:
Yes
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puckmugger
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