Cleaning Hockey Gear With Ozone

A commercial unit (?) at a local rink indicates (?) that this is the (?) preferred (?) method(?). The question is: Says who? And on what authority other than "someone (who sold air "purifiers") told us...and sold us?

Depending on what is meant by "local rink," I find it hard to give much credence to the advise. And I'm sure autoclave (and autoclave supply) mfrs are not worrying about losing any business because of ozone purveyors! As corrosive as ozone is on just about everything--especially rubbers and plastics--seems it would only be recommend-able if a rink, or you, is also in the busines to sell replacement pads, gloves, etc. ...all of this, not to mention the serious health affects of ozone exposure.

I have a perfectly good used bargepole i can let you have!

Ozone is extremely reactive. It will degrade plastics and all other organics (like the components of your body). It will kill the bacteria that make hockey equipment smell, but it seems like overkill. I would spray the equipment with a disinfectant and maybe something like Febreze (the cyclodextrins in it absorb all the smelly chemicals and prevent them from reaching your nose).

I beleive this is not suitable technology since you need air compressor and it will react with all plastic devise also. I suggest to use antimicrobial product. I can supply you product for evaluation... what is the volume?

Can you benchmark the local rink you refer too? What are their levels? Does it work for them? I assume that the levels would be quite low because of the damage that ozone can do to materials.

I think it has merit, though never used it. But now you're taking out a one of the important aspects of hockey - a powerful component that gets the players "combat-ready". Although I can see where too much "combat" and not enough "ready" may be deleterious.

http://noicingsports.com/hockey_equipment_cleaning_deodorizing_odor_removal.html

Thanks for the feedback. I have found a 1000 mg/hr generator for $129 to supply the ozone. A simple plywood box vented to the outdoors with a cheap bathroom fan all controlled by a timer will do the trick.

Poconopuppy's link validates my assumptions.

In order for ozone to be corrosive and/or break down material, the material needs to be exposed to ozone for long continious periods of time. The commercial ozone units at rinks only expose the equipment to ozone for a short period of time, enough concentration to kill the bacteria. You would have to have about 1000 treatments before you would see any degradation. BTW, ozone is used for so many purposes, cleaning air, water, hospital rooms, whole houses, nursing homes, and more. It is the second most powerful sterelent next to UV. And it is certainly better for sports equipment than washing.

Ozone used to clean sports equipment is not very effective. The ozone is not concentrated enough, or focused long enough on the equipment to penetrate the inner most parts of the padding. Only a wet wash is able to effectively eliminate the bacteria from all parts of the equipment. Test a wet wash (Esporta cleaning) and an Ozone (Sani Sport), and the wet wash will provide a more thorough and longer lasting cleaning every time. Feel free to check out my website at www.supercleangear.com

Allowing equipment to promptly dry and then applying an O3 treatment will give the best bang-for-the-buck for anyone that skates at least one to two times a week.

Unfortunately we as humans are not disinfected when we put on hockey gear and thusly any piece of equipment we skate in will not have a cleaning that will "last longer". Materials that are hydrophobic may help, but bacteria will always be present. Wet washed gear doesn't have a washing/drying cycle time that's acceptable to the regular player...let alone a hockey goalie.

Based on 2 years of R&D on this subject here is what we found:

1) Esporta wash machine: seems effective in cleaning the gear however, uses ~500 gallons of water and 4+ detergents in the washing process and leaves the gear moist.

Typical turnaround for service 48 hours. Cost ~$60-80.

2) Sani Sport ozone cabinet: generates ozone in box hoping to permeate the gear then sprays tea tree oil into the box. Leaves a kind of "medicine" smell on the gear. We were not impressed with the results on gloves, skates and heavy padding.

Sooo...we built our own. Have a look @ www.freshgear.ca (Model C40 (stainless steel) to be unveilled at onegoalhockeyshow.net Jan.14-16 in Toronto)

What makes ours unique? You place the gear on perforated piping and force the ozone straight INTO the gear with sufficient volume and velocity. We found that ozone does a great job on disinfecting and deodorizing the gear as long as you deliver it to the areas that are affected, deep into the padding of the gear. We also destroy the ozone automatically before the door can be opened to remove the gear.

I apologize if this is too much of a plug but we're really excited with the results and customers are too. BTW, patent is pending ;-)

Washing is bad for hockey equipment. The water gets trapped in the foam and between layers of plastic. This not only results in abrasive breakdown of the equipment, but in the end you will have more mold and bacteria inside the equipment. They love wet environments. When you wash equipment it does not dry completely, no matter how many fans you put on it or how long you leave it out in the sun. I recall seeing a goalie blocker that had been washed a couple of times at the commercial place, that was taken apart. You would not believe what was inside.

Neither Washing Machines or Ozone Generators do a good job for eliminating MRSA and other infectous viruses and bacteria from Hockey Equipment or any other sports equipment.

I concnur that both Ozone and Washing Machines cause more damage then good. Manufactureres will tell you what they want you to hear so you buy their products.

If Ozone was effective to do what all the suppliers of these machines say they will do-the ozone levels would need to be so high that the equipment would come out bleached-for the concentration to be this high it would be toatlly toxic to anyone with 50 feet of the machine.

Drying out your gear and washing your under garments are the most important things to do to eliminate that "Smell" also using a hypo-alleregenic spray as a topical treatment is a benefit too-do not use febreeze-read product labels- most febreez products are not approved to be used on leathers and other fabrics buy an approved product for this application-one that is not alcohol based as this damages all your gear and one that is hypo-allergenic so there are no adverse effects to the players skin after treatment.

Have there been any scientific studies on the use of ozone with hockey/sporting equipement? I agree it may not be 100% effective but there must be some positive results of killing MRSA with ozone at least on the surface layers of equipment. As a player/coach MRSA is a serious issue that needs some clarification from the medical community as to what works to kill it. Thanks.

yes. you can surf the net yourself. ozone is being used to protect food from rotting, mold remediation, hospital operating rooms, and sterilizing all kinds of equipment. it is more than just an air purifier, but just like anything including chlorine and other more harmful disinfectants you have to be cautious...there are "safe" limits, a low parts per million. Higher ppm should only be used by a professional and/or system that prevents human inhalation. That said, I use it frequently. and as for corroding equipment...rubber over long exposure maybe (like leaving rubber in the sun for a long time), the other plastics not likely. also, ozone turns into oxygen (has a half life) no negative enviromental impacts like most chemicals and more effective by 1000 per cent. try hydrogen peroxide too 3%...just spray it on and let dry...it won't irritate your skin like the other chemicals. in fact ozone and humidity make h2o2...a great disinfectant. good luck but be safe.

Check out what the US EPA has to say about the potential hazzardous effects of ozone. NOT good for you!

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html

The EPA warning is generic and has nothing to do with commercially designed ozone sanitizers that the hockey rinks have. Those are perfectly safe. On the other hand if someone is going to make a homemade unit, they should understand the potential dangers for sure.

We just purchased a portable Ozone machine to eliminate the odor from our sons hockey gear. Very easy to use and portable which will make the next road trip a little more tolerable. All we do is place the gear in a garbage bag, turn on the machine and run the tube from the machine into the bag and tie it shut. After about 30 mins, turn off machine remove the tube and place the bag outside to air out. Thats it. www.medallionhealthyhomes.ca/products5.html

Finally after two years a useful response.

Thanks

Does the personal ozone gererator really work? What have been your results?

www.medallionhealthyhomes.ca/products5.html

Thanks

Found some better ones for cheaper: search ebay for ozone generator and look for one with 300 - 600 mg per hour for an equivalent one to the one mentioned in previous posting.

Saw one with 600 mg/hr (2x the one mentioned here for about $26) and it has a timer built in.

Yes this machine from www.medallionhealthyhomes.ca works very well. The key we found was to make sure the equipment is nice and dry.

Venting to atmosphere will not allow a high enough ozone level to be attained within the enclosure to kill the microbes. Also a simple box does not have the proper devices to be safe. I suggest a professional engineered system such as the one provided by www.ozocleantechnology.com which uses ozone and humidity management to kill germs and dry the equipment.

The home remedy works just fine. just have to invest in a portable Ozone generator. Plastic garbage bag, sealed storage bin, even an empty box will do as long as it is air tight. You figure the commercial machines these guys are pushing are about $12,000. If you can find a rink that has a machine they will charge you $30 beans minimum. The smell of a high schooler is unbearable.....not to mention the fungus growing in the skates and on his skin. make your own..... hit the equipment a few times a season, he'll be better off then if he did'nt do it all. Plus you can the ozone generator for many more things. charge everyone on the 5 beans and everyone will be happy.

I read your question and have seen the responses than several people have left. It is amazing to me how so many people who know absolutely nothing about ozone are such experts. Most of what people have written you above is totally worthless information.

I manufacture ozone generators and have sold over 3000 units on the internet over the past four years. If you want to get the real story about ozone and sports equipment send me a personal email and I will reply.

I'll give you expert advice and direction.

Tom

I am interested in more information on your machine that you have been selling. and would love to hear the real story abou tozone and sports equipment.

Yes the personal machine from Medallionhealthyhomes.ca really works. Our team looked for a fundraiser that no one else was doing and found the portable machines. We purchased 20 units for the team at a great price and sold them back to players in the league and made a good profit. Not one has come back to us.

Facts About Ozone

WHAT IS OZONE? Ozone is NOT a spray! Ozone is a gas. Gases can penetrate any porous object, making them perfect for reaching deep inside skate and hockey equipment. Because gaseous ozone is highly reactive, it readily oxidizes (breaks down) organic matter. When the ozone encounters another compound, one oxygen atom will break away, attach itself to the compound, and oxidize it. Ozone actually breaks down odour-causing compounds, thereby eliminating the odour and changing the ozone back to oxygen (O2). Ozone is the second most powerful sterlilant in the world and its function is to destroy bacteria, viral and odours. Ozone occurs quite readily in nature most often as a result of lightning that occurs during thunderstorms. In fact that "fresh, clean, spring rain" smell that we notice after a storm results from nature's creation of ozone.

HOW DOES OZONE WORK? Ozone kills bacteria by rupturing the cell wall of the offending organism. This action kills the bacteria leaving only harmless waste. After an ozone treatment, the bacteria is destroyed, not left dormant to resurrect the odours.

Ozone is used to clean your drinking water, to clean your pools, to clean the air, and to kill harmful bacteria and pathogens in a variety of processes, including emergency rooms, hotels, theatres, day cares, nursing homes, office buildings, restoration companies and more!

Bacteria, viruses and other pathogens thrive around us and in our skate and hockey equipment. Because the membranes which protect these microbes are constructed with carbon-chain molecules, they are a prime target for the free-radicals produced from ozone. Ozone attacks the microorganisms like a shotgun, bursting their membranes and spilling their contents. The destruction is virtually instant. Ozone annihilates bacteria and viruses 3,000 times faster than chlorine, to many considered a strong disinfectant. Since we know that it is the bacteria that is causing the odours in your equipment, ozone is perfect for this deodorizing process.

Please air dry the equipment overnight before treatment!

"The plain truth is, ozone completely destroys the bacteria. There is nothing to wash away"!

www.rainbowair.com.au

Ok, so ozone kills the bacteria. But what about actually CLEANING the equipment? I anti-microbial spray and hang my equipment to dry after every use. Lately, I have noticed a whiteness on the outside of my breezers. I finally figured out what it is - salt. I sweat profusely and basically soak my equipment. Hanging it dries the sweat but the salt in the sweat remains. Will ozone CLEAN the equipment or, will it be necessary to have it Esporta washed?

moakvik

You don't need to use the Esporta machine. I am a professional laundry operator, and I wash hockey equipment all the time in my large Miele machine. I wash one set at a time, so there is no cross-contamination from other people's equipment like there could be in the Esporta.

We use a gentle cycle, so nothing gets banged up. ( I don't wash the skates in there, and I'd rather wash helmets by hand). I just finished a set yesterday and they are clean, clean-smelling, and not left moist at all like some people have claimed earlier in the thread. They still need to be air-dried a bit, like with a fan, or just hung to completely dry. We have a warming cabinet, with warm dry air moving around to completely dry these type of garments.

I wash helmets with a mixture of soap and water, and then use an anti-microbial spray, then rinse again.

Skates get a similar treatment to the helmets.

All I've read on this thread is guys talking about ozone, which is completely harmless to use on your equipment a few times a season, and other guys are jsut trying to sell their machines, or their business.

Use common sense - Air dry your sweaty equipment after each use, until it is dry. Then deep clean it when it's put away for the season, and about halfway thorugh the season.

I've never seen a skin problem caused by dirty equipment on me or on my kids. Or on any of my customers.

By far the best stuff I have ever found to work is Shutout. They make all sorts of cleaning stuff for sports guys. I play NCAA in the states, all my buddies swear by this stuff. look it up online, google shutout. I get it online, real easy and they ship to the states.

Thank you for your post. I went to the shutout website and ordered the spray and detergent, looks like a good solution to the problem. Thanks again

Hi,

I have tried ozone, bleach, sprays and plain washing my hockey gear for over 20 years. My personal experiences with all of these ways are as follows. Ozone can't be used on wet gear nor does it last long. Bleach left a bleach smell and broke down the equipment. Sprays don't get into the gear where the real problem is. Would you spray or ozone your socks and shirts and where those again time after time? Washing only works if you have the right stuff. To kill viruses you need hot water and that is no good for gear. I ran into a product last year called laundry clean and washed my gear and gave the rest to all of my teammates. We are all smell free and they would all tell you that it works. You will use cold water, gentle cycle in your wahing machine and a little gear wash. You will restore your old or new gear with one quick wash guaranteed 100%. You will have killed mold, mildew, viruses and yes odor causing bacteria! Go to www.TeamCleanGear.com for the best way to maintain your gear.

I have tried ozone, doesnt really work very great, and the smell gives alot of people a headache. My suggestion is trying something that washes away sweat residues, and something that maintains like a spray of some sort. I have used a product called Shutout before and it is the best I have seen.

I am really pleased to see how informed you folks are about the destructive effects of using ozone on your equipment. I have seen a 2 hour ozone treatment on the interior of a car cause the structural foam dash board to crack after only 2 weeks, plastic parts become brittle and crack, door gaskets become gummy and seat stitching break in 6 months. Ozone is great for the ionosphere but not so much for sports equipment.

The reason I am commenting here is that there is a gas that has been used for at least 100 years called chlorine dioxide that kills all the molds, spores, bacteria and viruses you guys are dealing with on a regular basis and does not cause all the damage the ozone causes and you don't need a machine to use the stuff.

It has recently gone through some engineering development and there is now available a really neat reactor packet that allows you to produce this gas in quantities small enough to use you equipment bag as the treatment chamber and they last about a month. Do you research on both chlorine dioxide (CLO2) and the reactor packets and choose for our self. You are the ones who will benefit.

I have come up with an all natural fix for your problems. Our company has been around for just over a year and have great feedback from everyone that used our service. We are in the process of expanding further across North America, keep an eye for us. Check out our company and contact me if you have any questions.

www.gearzone.ca