Can You Spray Paint Cricket Pads? (& How-To Guide)

Are you wondering what to do with your old set of County Modulus cricket pads? Worry not. With a can of spray paint, you can change and maybe use your old cricket gear. However, this tends to be a temporary solution, and you may be required to repaint it more than once whenever the color begins to come out. Notably, expect this to happen in the area around the knee roll.

You can spray paint cricket pads. However, ensure that you use an even spread of spray paint to achieve a uniform color all over. Moreover, avoid holding the spray can in close proximity to the pads. As such, it will be easier to create several coats. Failure to do so will result in the paint running. 

Spray painting an old or spare set of cricket pads can do the trick as a low-risk option. Ensure that you use a high-quality can of spray paint. While I have seen fabric paint mooted as an option, I’ve never used it, so it’s not at my place to recommend it.

How To Spray Paint Cricket Pads?

Before anything else, I should first let you guys know that spray painting your cricket pads is fine. However, for this minor project, you will require some tools to help you succeed. Here they are:

• Plastic/rubber hand gloves
• Can of spray paint (choose any color that you want, I prefer black). 
• Can of clear coat spray
• Plastic bags
• Treated painter tapes (They are treated to prevent paint from passing through.)
• Old newspapers/rags

Steps

Wear gloves before attaching plastic bags to the pads’ edges to ensure that all the insides are unaffected. Although the step is lengthy and quite tiresome, it is worth the effort and will eventually pay off.

Next, lay down the pads on some newspapers or rags to prevent the paint from reaching and affecting the surface underneath. Spray the color while holding the spray can six to eight inches away from the pad at all times. You must ensure that the edges are entirely covered with the paint but not in excess such that it starts running down or dripping from the sides. However, you needn’t have to hassle absorbing every inch of the pad with the first coat. 

Next, spare a few minutes to allow the paint to dry before removing the plastic bags and tape. Once the paint dries fully, you can give the pad a second and third coat to ensure that you don’t miss any spot. However, steer away from the edges to prevent the paint from reaching the sides.

Finally, allow the pods to dry completely before sparring with the clear coat. This will protect the paint from chipping off after it dries.

NB: Ensure that you use gloves since washing the paints off your hands is more of a pain. I hope the instructions above help you to accomplish your little project.

Read also: Which Way Do Cricket Pads Go On? (Mistakes Warned)

How To Clean Cricket Pads?

A newbie in my cricket team recently asked me if it is possible to clean cricket batting pads by putting them in a washing machine. While other teammates who overheard the conversation thought it was funny and even had a giggle, I realized the question’s significance and decided to give back a research-backed report to help the batter. 

It’s worth mentioning that the salt and chemicals found in our sweat are the biggest factors that damage cricket pads and gloves. Such chemicals encourage the growth of fungi and eventually dries out the leather. Eventually, extensive damages such as weakening of the stitching and start may start to occur. 

Unfortunately, the better you are at cricket, the quicker the wearing-out process for these items. Eventually, you will be left with no other option but to replace them. Thus, a pair of pads and gloves can last up to a year with average use but several years if they achieve consistent care.

Here is what you need to clean your batting pads:

• Water
• Baking soda
• Soft cloth 
• Mild soap
• Water

Steps

To prolong the life of your cricket pads, allow them to dry naturally after using them. Avoid tossing the pads with other damp items into, say, a gym bag since it promotes the growth of fungi and other bacteria. Similarly, ensure that you completely dry them before storing the pads away for winter.

If yours features a detachable pad on the inside, remove it and hand wash it using ordinary detergent or mild soap. However, if you can’t detach the inside pad, sprinkle baking soda and let it sit for some hours before brushing it off. This will help deodorize the pad and remove the dirt as required.

Next, rinse the inside pads thoroughly and let them dry before replacing them on the pad. If the front side of the pad is dirty, use a moist cloth to wipe it clean. If the pad has a momentous amount of dirt, add a small amount of soap into a bucket of water and wipe the dirty areas using a soft cloth. Finally, wipe the pad with a dry cloth and allow them to air-dry completely.

How To Clean Batting Gloves?

Tools you will need:

• Leather conditioner
• Soft-bristled brush 

Steps

Since the grip on batting gloves is essential, take caution not to tamper with them in any way. I strongly discourage the use of any liquid cleansers as well as oil-based cleansers. 

First, remove the dirt on the glove’s surface by brushing with the soft-bristled brush. You can then follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the leather conditioner when cleaning the leather parts of the gloves and keep them pliable. Our sweat has dissolved salts that can harden the leather parts, thus making it difficult to attain a good grip on the bat. Similar to the batting pads, allow the gloves to air-dry after every use. More especially, dry them completely if you wish to store them at the end of the season. 

As with the pads, allow your gloves to dry naturally after each use. This is especially important when you are preparing to store them for the off-season.