STORING HOCKEY EQUIPMENT IN THE GARAGE

The most helpful thing we’ve done to organize hockey equipment is to create a hockey storage section in our garage. This keeps the smelly gear out of the main part of the house and gives it a “home” to return to when it is not in use.

We used the ALGOT system from IKEA to create a wall of shelves to hold hockey bags and some bins of extra gear that we’re waiting for the boys to grow into.

We also installed a few extra hooks on the wall where we can hang sweaty gear to air out in between practices.

Finally, we added a few mesh baskets to the shelving unit to hold hockey pucks, so the boys always have a big supply when they’re playing outside.

Right beside the shelves, we used wall hooks like these ones to create a spot to hang the hockey net and blocker that Connor uses in the driveway.

We used additional wall hooks to neatly store hockey sticks so they’re up off the floor and easy to grab when the boys need them.

Related: A Tour of Our Organized Garage

A DRAWER FOR EXTRA HOCKEY SUPPLIES

Along with our hockey station in the garage, I also use a drawer in the dresser of our guest room to hold additional hockey socks, jerseys, and tape.

When I bring Connor’s hockey bag up to the laundry room (about once per week) to wash all of his gear, I also check and see if I need to replenish any of the supplies that he keeps in there. If I do, I can grab them from this drawer where they’re neatly organized.

I use SKUBB boxes from IKEA to hold the different types of tape Connor uses for his stick and equipment, as well as the spandex base layer (top, bottom) he wears under his gear.

I use the filing method (aka the KonMari Method) to fold extra jerseys and hockey socks so we can easily see all of our options and grab the color we need for various leagues and practices.

ORGANIZING THE HOCKEY BAG

Connor’s hockey bag is another organizing obstacle in and of itself! We are currently using a tower bag (rather than the duffel style) to carry around his gear, and I like that it has different sections for various pieces of equipment.

There are holes for Connor’s skates and his helmet at the top. I keep the practice jerseys he wears on a weekly basis under his helmet.

There is a mesh “shelf” where we keep smaller items like gloves, elbow pads, and shin guards, and bigger equipment like his pants and chest protector go in the larger section at the bottom.

The flap of the bag has two pockets. We use the top zipper pocket for extra small accessories like the neck guard, wrist guards, and mouth guard. The larger pocket holds hockey socks and a toiletry bag.

Inside the toiletry bag we keep extra tape, scissors, laces, a helmet repair kit, spray to keep the face mask from fogging up, and wipes that we use to clean off Connor’s helmet and other gear if needed.

WASHING HOCKEY EQUIPMENT (AND ELIMINATING THE SMELL!)

Since I was totally blindsided by the smell of hockey gear when we first got into the sport, I wanted to make sure I touched on how we go about minimizing the stinky-ness as much as possible!

Each week I try to find the biggest gap between practices and games and bring Connor’s hockey gear up to the laundry room. I put everything except the helmet, skates, and mouthguard into the washing machine and use this special sports detergent to wash it.

When the washing cycle is complete, I hang anything that is padded to dry, only throwing the jerseys, socks, neck guard, and wrist guards in the dryer.

If items go through the washing cycle and are still smelling (this sometimes happens with the gloves especially), I will put them in ziplock bags and stick them in the freezer for about 24 hours.

I learned this tip from Becky at CleanMama (who is SO brilliant!), and she says that freezing the gear kills the bacteria and eliminates the smell. I will also put the helmet in the freezer (inside a bag) a few times per month.

After the equipment is all dried (or finished being frozen!), I pack everything neatly back into the bag so it is ready for another week of use!

Any other hockey/sports moms out there? I would love to hear any tips or tricks you use to keep your kids’ gear organized, clean, and smell-free, so let me know in the comments below!