Baseball is a sunshine sport, but sooner or later your glove is going to get wet. A light rain won't harm the leather, but a thorough soaking can remove protective oils, ruin the leather, and weaken the lacing. Improperly drying the glove will make the damage worse. Slow, careful drying at room temperature is the key.
Instructions
Dry the Glove
1. Gently blot the glove with the large towel. Do not wring the glove out or rub the glove excessively. You only want to remove the surface water.
2. Loosely roll newspaper into finger-shaped rolls and insert into the fingers of the glove. Wad newspaper into the palm portion of the glove.
3. Dry the glove slowly at room temperature. Place the glove near a window or in the sun for gentle heat to speed the process. Avoid high heat. Do not use a drying rack in a clothes dryer, even on the "No Heat" cycle. Do not use a microwave oven.
4. Check the glove every hour or two. When the newspaper inside the glove is wet, replace it with fresh, dry material. Plan on at least 24 hours before the glove is usable again and allow at least two to three days for the glove to be completely dry.
Re-condition the Leather
5. When the glove is dry, apply a thin coat of glove conditioning creme according to the manufacturer's instructions.
6. Use the glove lightly to begin loosening up the leather.
7. Put a ball in the pocket of the glove and wrap the fingers around the ball. Gently tie the glove shut with string.
8. Store the glove indoors, out of direct sunlight. Reapply glove oil as necessary to maintain the leather.
Tags: glove glove, newspaper into, room temperature