How to care for your boxing handwraps

Handwraps are an essential part of most combat sports. They are multi purposed, providing an extra layer of cushioning while striking, preforms your hands in the correct striking posture all while giving you wrist support, and they help to absorb sweat thus helping to reduce foul odors in your gloves.

Taking care of your hand wraps will increase their longevity and help you save money. We will give you some tips on increasing the life of your handwraps.

Tip #1 Let air dry after every use

Do not leave your wraps inside your gym bag after use. Let them air dry. Bacteria and fungus love dark wet environments they will grow and cause your wraps to stink up overtime. Letting them air dry helps to slow or stop the growth of bacteria and funguses helping to keep them smelling fresh.

Tip #2 Cycle through handwraps

Use a different wrap for each day of training if you train 3-4 times a week consider buying more than 1, ideally 3-4 wraps.

Cycling through handwraps will help to avoid excess sweat build up in the fibers. It will help maintain the integrity of the velcro.

Tip #3 Wash them inside of a mesh bag or hand wrap wash bag.

There have been several occasions where my wraps have gotten caught inside the washing machine, this causes them to tear making them unusable. The trick is to place them inside a wash bag to keep them from getting caught on anything inside the washing machine.

*Be sure to unwrap them before placing them in the bag.

Tip #4 Best not dry them in a drying machine.

Drying your wraps in the dryer will cause them to shrivel up and remove some of the elasticity in the fibers. Hang air dry them in the sun to preserve the cotton (or cotton blend).  But if you don't have the time to wait just make sure to keep them in the wash bag while in the dryer. 

Tip #5 Keep wraps smelling fresh

If your boxing wraps are extra smelly consider leaving them overnight in fabric softener or detergent. As mentioned before unwrap your handwraps completely to give them a better wash.

Tip #6 Use a handwrap roller for mutilple pairs of wraps

There is a device that you can purchase called a hand wrap roller that helps you roll them faster. Definitely very convenient when you have many pairs of wraps. 

Purchase Handwrap Roller

We hope these tips help you in the care of your handwraps. If you follow them it will definitely help you save money!

-MSM Fight Shop