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Sports equipment can be some of the hottest sellers at a consignment sale, especially if they look great, even with a little wear and tear. Here are some tips to clean up at a sale with cleaned up sports gear.
1. Clean as you go
Use antibacterial spray on gear, then hang it up to air out. The best thing you can do to preserve any re-sellable quality with sports equipment is to let it air dry after use. Letting it pile up on the floor invites stinky germs to grow, which can cause it to smell. The more air that can circulate as it dries, the better.
2. Cleats, shoes, shin guards
A spray and wipe down with Scrubbing Bubbles is great for cleaning up the grime that can collect from the dirt in the field. It quickly dissolves the dirt without damaging the materials. A dry toothbrush can help get in those crevices where dirt can hide, too.
3. Dry brush, light sponge and leather cleaner for batting gloves
Using a soft dry brush to brush away any dirt, then wiping down with a barely damp sponge with a drop of soap. Rinse the sponge and wring it out well before wiping down one more time to remove any soap residue. You don’t want to saturate the glove with the water. Hang gloves to dry, then apply leather conditioner, following the instructions on the bottle.
4. Baseball pants, football pants and other practice uniforms
The only way to really sell pristine practice uniforms is to sell the ones your kids outgrew before they could wear them to practice. Moms love to buy spare pieces for extra practices, though, so they’re great to sell at consignment. To help remove stains, try one of these tested-by-moms treatments: Soak in Biz or Oxyclean before washing; Use Shout to pre-soak, then wash in Tide. Rub a cut potato over the stain before washing; Wet a bar of Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar and let it sit for a few minutes before washing as normal.
5. Refill & Scrub
Basketballs, football and soccer or volleyballs that have been left outside can get a 2nd chance at life with a little help from an air pump and a gentle (or not-so-gentle) scrubbing with a light loofah pad. Helmets can benefit from a wipedown, too.
Taking a little time to clean up sports gear can help them sell at your favorite seasonal consignment sale. Why not take a few minutes to give them a little TLC and increase your chance for bringing home a larger consignor check? You can make another Consignment Mommy and her family happy, too!
About the Author
Elizabeth Renfroe has a passion for all things consignment sale-related. She enjoys coordinating the Children’s Market Sale at First United Methodist Church, Jacksonville, Alabama.