Many of you wear volleyball knee pads during practices or games. But what do you do with them after your practice? Here is my list of 7 crucial care instructions to keep them in the best possible condition.

I spent years on volleyball courts around the world. Volleyball knee pads were part of my life everywhere. They saved my knees many times 🙂 I used them almost always during trainings. After that they were wet and smelled bad. During my career I applied several tips to take care of them. The following care instructions worked best for me. Try them out and you will see that your knee pads will be in a better condition. Also, their durability will be greater.

Do you want to know everything about them? Read my super long guide to volleyball knee pads.

7 Care instructions for volleyball knee pads

  1. Drying knee pads takes time. Don’t leave this task to the last minute. It can take 12 hours or so to dry your knee pads at home.
  2. After the training is over, separate the wettest items in your bag from each other. Using just a plastic bag for the purpose is OK. This will really help to prevent bacteria from spreading and creating more stink.
  3. Don’t store your knee pads in a bag after the training! LET YOUR KNEE PADS BREATHE! Turn them inside out and allow them to air dry.
  4. If possible, hang them outside in the sun to dry (not only will they dry faster, the sun will kill some odor-causing bacteria).
  5. Inside, hang them by a window or in a warm and dry room (not in a steamy bathroom).
  6. Don’t leave them on a hot radiator! The concentrated heat can warp or damage the knee pads material.
  7. Depending on how frequently you use them, wash your knee pads with a normal load of laundry as needed and air dry them completely before putting them back in your gym bag.