Baseball or Softball Glove Got Wet? Here Is What To Do

There’s nothing worse than a waterlogged or rain-soaked glove. Players and parents can agree on that one. We’ve all been there. Did you accidentally leave your glove outside in the rain? Did the sprinklers come on while your glove was on the field? Maybe your water bottle broke inside of your glove bag. Or, you played in a game that should have been rain-delayed or canceled altogether. 

Regardless of what happened, water and leather don’t mix well. Water, when combined with leather, will remove protective oils that help with the overall durability of your glove. It also causes your laces to weaken and may eventually lead to cracking. With that said, have no fear, the JustGlove team is here to answer the following questions:

• “What do I do when my glove gets wet?”
• “How should I dry my wet baseball or softball glove?”

These tips will help you know what to do when leather gets wet in general, and how to dry out your drenched glove. Let’s get started.

Step #1: Use A Towel To Soak Up Moisture

First things first,  when the leather gets wet use a clean towel (or multiple towels) to pat your glove dry and massage it while putting pressure on it to try and absorb any of the excess moisture out. If you have multiple towels, we recommend using them in three primary places:

1. Pocket: Take the first towel and stuff it into the pocket with a ball so that you don’t ruin your pocket
2. Finger stalls: Take a second towel and stuff it into the wrist opening and up the finger stalls, if possible.
3. Whole glove: Take the third towel and wrap it around the entire glove. 

Keep an eye on the towels and make sure you’re not using damp or completely wet towels. It’s best to replace them frequently. Better safe than sorry. Note that you may also use paper towels or even a newspaper for this step. But, we recommend using an actual towel if you have access to them.

Step #2: Use A Fan For A Deeper Dry

If you have a fan, great. If not, you could skip this step. But, it is highly recommended. Most box fans are relatively inexpensive and may be found and purchased at your local supermarket for ~$20 bucks. 

Once you’ve got a fan set up, turn it on and point it directly at the wet leather on your glove. Or better yet, lean your wet baseball glove against the face of your fan. Do this for several hours on and off while ensuring that you’re not letting your glove get too hot or too cold. Make sure that if your fan has an air conditioning or heat feature to turn that feature off.

Step #3: Apply Glove Oil to Rehydrate

You’ve patted your glove dry and let it air out in front of a fan. Now you’re done, right? Wrong. Applying leather glove oil is the next step to ensure your wet baseball glove gets back to playing condition. And remember, less is more when it comes to glove oil. This step is to ensure that your glove does not dry out after step 1 and step 2 and to also bring the original color back into your glove. It will also help to give back any oil that may have been washed away by the water.

If you don’t have glove oil, we’ve got you covered! The JustGloves Glove Care Kit not only comes with a pro soft glove conditioner but also includes applicator sponges, a wooden glove mallet, and more! It’s truly designed to help you maintain your glove season after season.

Pick Up Your Glove Care Kit Today

Step #4: Leave It Overnight

Let your glove sit in an indoor, dry location overnight. Avoid direct sunlight and all other elements of weather. This step is important to let leather restore back to its normal shape and color after getting wet.

Step #5: Repeat, If Necessary

Once you’ve completed steps 1-4, you may need to repeat them until you feel comfortable with the look and feel of the leather on your glove.

Now that we’ve walked through the five-step process of how to dry out a baseball glove, here are a few extra tips to help.

Tip #1: Weigh Your Glove

Weigh your glove on a scale before you start step number one and after you finish step number 4. This will give you a better idea of how much water you were able to get out of your leather glove after going through the drying steps.

Tip #2: Do Not Use Heat

Whatever you decide to do, make sure that you are NOT using a heat source. We’ve heard it all at JustGloves. The most common being hair and clothes dryers, ovens, and even microwaves. We highly recommend against this, as heat of this kind will destroy all leather, and especially it will dry your glove out and make it unusable.

Tip #3: Do Not Wring Out Your Glove

It’ll be tempting to try and wring out your glove, similar to what you would do with a wet towel. Avoid doing this as it will cause further damage and may ruin your glove altogether. 

Tip #4: Reshape Your Glove

When it’s all said and done, it’s best to reshape your glove. There’s a good chance your pocket may have changed.

Watch Glove Expert Logan Walk Through How To Break In Your Glove

There you have it. Our five-step process with top tips on how to fix your wet baseball or softball glove. We realize this is a lengthy process and that it’s not the quickest solution, but it truly is the best solution. If for some reason you go through these steps and your glove is still unusable, don’t hesitate to contact our glove experts. They’d be more than happy to help you shop for a new glove. They’re available 24/7 via email at experts@justgloves.com, phone at 866-321-4568, or via live chat on our website. Don’t forget, we’re here for you from Click to Catch!

P.S. it’s never a bad idea to have multiple gloves. One for practice and one considered your “gamer.” The JustGloves Bundle & Save Program was made just for this! We now offer the ability for each player to create their own deals by purchasing multiple baseball gloves or softball gloves, at the same time.

Looking for a practice glove, or a new glove in general? View our gloves below or browse our baseball gloves for more options.