How To Care For Your Boxing Hand Wraps An Essential Guide

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Tips on Boxing Hand Wrap Care
• Don’t Leave it In the Gym Bag
• Hand Wash Your Wraps
• Use Several Different Pairs
• Wash In A Laundry Bag
• Do Not Machine Dry
• Let Them Dry Naturally
• Storing Your Hand Wraps
• Using A Hand Wrap Roller
• Some Final Words

Introduction

Quality hand wraps are key to getting a solid and protected fist inside your boxing glove. And so it is important to maintain them so that they serve you well throughout their product lifespan. So what are the best ways to care for your hand wraps?

The easiest and best solution is to use a small amount of detergent with some warm water in a basin. Allow them to soak for one or two hours, followed by a quick hand wash and allow them to dry naturally.

While hand wraps for boxing have existed in one form or another for thousands of years. The current iteration dates back to the transition into gloved boxing brought about in 1867.

Better ways with which to better protect fighters were sought. Hand wraps in conjunction with boxing gloves became the new normal. With the help of the new hand protection, boxers looked to throw harder and harder punches without hurting themselves.

And by wrapping their hands, fighters discovered they were better able to land those shots. While at the same time offering their hands an added element of protection.

Tips on Boxing Hand Wrap Care

And so we can see that hand wraps are in fact one of the most important pieces of kit in your gym bag. As anyone who has hit a target incorrectly while not wearing wraps will tell you.

It can lead to some very bad results, especially for your wrists. As wraps for training are there more so to protect your wrist than anything else. During training, you shouldn’t be punching at full power.

That won’t stop you from missing the mark and landing an awkward punch. Which will hurt your wrist more than your fist. And so it’s key to always have a pair in good condition when you are ready to go once you hit the gym.

So here are some of the best tips for taking care of those precious wraps. Just follow these easy steps and you will be able to extend their life indefinitely. Or until someone points out they are falling to bits and you need to let them go.

Don’t Leave it In the Gym Bag

Right off the bat, what might seem like an obvious point. But don’t leave them in your gym bag! Now you know and I know that when you return from a training session just how potent that gym bag can be.

So the best thing to do is take out those bad boys and hang them somewhere to dry. And if they are relatively odour free, then great. You can simply dry them out and have them ready for another session.

But I wouldn’t recommend using them more than two times one after another. As while you may love your own smell, others may not be so keen.

Hand Wash Your Wraps

Probably the single best way to clean your hand wraps is by hand. This method ensures that you are keeping a close eye on how they are being maintained. Rather than simply throwing them into a machine and walking away.

Due to their length, they are quite unusual pieces of material or garment. And when you wash them in a machine, if you don’t take good care they can become a tangled mess from the depths of hell itself.

So give them a nice relaxing handwash, preferably using quality laundry soap which is preferable over machine liquid. But if you don’t have any don’t stress;

1. Fill a basin with warm water making sure not to exceed the temperature stated on the garment label
2. Make a lather with your soap or detergent and give the wraps a little rub using your hands
3. Allow them to then sit for 2 – 3 hours at most
4. When ready, allow drying on the line naturally

Note: If they contain any type of elastic-like Mexican wraps or a hand glove. Make sure the water is not too hot as it can damage their elasticity.

Use Several Different Pairs

It doesn’t hurt to have a second pair of socks right? So why not apply that same logic to your hand wraps? Because if anything they will get even more sweaty than any pair of socks you might wear.

So it makes sense to keep more than one pair lying around. As honestly if you are training several times per week, it gets tiring constantly having to wash and dry them after each session.

So splash out and get yourself a pair for each time you will be in the gym. Then on the weekend, simply put on one big wash for the whole lot, saving you time and potential heartache.

Wash In A Laundry Bag

A nifty little idea to make sure machine-washed wraps don’t end up looking like spaghetti junctions. Is to place them inside a small laundry bag, so they don’t end up mixing with the rest of your clothes.

Although over time washing in a machine repeatedly will degrade both the material and the velcro clasps. But needs must and while hand-washing is recommended over machine washing. Sometimes you don’t have the time to wait around.

So here is some information on how to machine wash your hand bandages for boxing safely. Just make sure to follow the garment care instructions on the label;

1. First, place them inside a small laundry bag and zip shut
2. Set the temperature to a delicate wash at 30 – 40 degrees (a short wash is better)
3. When the wash is complete, allow hanging dry out of direct sunlight.

Do Not Machine Dry

If you know anything about dryer machines is that they can dry out garments to an extreme. Often difficult to set a very low temperature, it’s best that you just dry the hand wraps as naturally as possible.

Sticking them into a dryer can have a lasting effect on the integrity of the product. Speeding up the breakdown of the materials and shortening their lifespan.

Let Them Dry Naturally

As I briefly mentioned before, when drying out the wraps, do so in the most natural way possible. And that means hanging them out to dry in the fresh air, but out of direct sunlight.

Drying in direct sun can not only shorten life expectancy but also lead to an excessive loss of colour. So those beautiful yellow wraps you bought just a few short weeks. Now, look like a faded version of their former, better selves.

So it’s best to nip it in the bud and continue to treat them well throughout the entire wash and dry cycle. Do this and I can guarantee you will have them for much longer while all the while looking better.

Storing Your Hand Wraps

Storing your hand wraps can sometimes turn into a bit of a nightmare. As if you were too lazy or had little time to wash them by hand. You could have very well ended up with a tangled mess.

So there are two ways in which you can roll your hand wraps ready for storage. One is to roll them with the velcro facing in so that you can stick them down and keep them in that shape.

Another option is to reverse-roll them, so that when you are ready to hit the gym. You don’t have to throw out the entire thing on the floor only to then roll it around your hand.

Using A Hand Wrap Roller

A hand wrap roller is a little tool that can be used to roll up the wraps in the same way you would any similar type of strap. It’s especially useful if you have several pairs which you need to do at the same time.

Now if you are lucky there may be one at your gym, although the wraps will most likely not be clean when you finish using them. So you can also get your very own and mount it on a wall somewhere in your home.

It will no doubt cut the time you spend re-wrapping those things again and again. As it can get a bit old when you have to do it so many times each and every week.

Some Final Words

All of the pointers given above will help to keep your wraps in first-class condition for as long as possible. And they are something which needs to be well kept so they can do their job effectively.

And so it is really in your best interest, both physically and even financially. To help maintain your hand wraps in good shape so they will serve you well throughout your life.

And even though they may be a relatively cheap product. Once you find a set you like, like any favourite piece of clothing, you won’t want to let them go.

So rather than treating them as though they were something you don’t care all that much about. Think of them as your best friend who you want to cherish for as many years to come and enjoy.