How to Clean and Maintain Your Sim Racing Gloves for Longevity

Quick answer

Clean sim racing gloves after every few sessions with cool water and a drop of mild soap, then air-dry them away from heat. For GSI AeroFlex gloves, this protects the silicone grip pattern and poly-spandex breathability. Never machine wash or tumble dry them, and never soak the touchscreen fingertips longer than needed.

Sim racing gloves take a beating even when your hands never leave the rig. Sweat, skin oils, and dust settle into the palm and finger seams, and over time that buildup can make the silicone grip feel slick and the fabric stiff. A short, repeatable care routine keeps your gloves comfortable and extends how long they perform.

This guide walks through an ordered process for cleaning and maintaining sim racing gloves, with checkpoints to catch the mistakes that shorten glove life. It applies to GSI AeroFlex gloves and similar poly-spandex designs, and the same habits help any pair you race with.

Why glove care matters for sim racing

Your gloves sit between your hands and the wheel for hours at a time. Sweat and body oils break down elastic fibers, while dust and dried salt clog the breathable weave. On gloves with a silicone palm pattern, that film reduces the friction you rely on for precise, repeatable inputs.

Care is not about making gloves look new. It is about keeping grip, breathability, and fit consistent so your force feedback and steering inputs feel the same from one session to the next. A five-minute routine after a few sessions does more for longevity than a deep clean once a year.

• Rotate between two pairs if you race daily, so each pair fully dries between uses.
• Keep gloves out of direct sun and away from heaters, which can degrade elastic fabric.

What you need before you start

Gather cool or lukewarm water, a small amount of mild liquid soap, a soft microfiber cloth, and a clean towel. Avoid harsh detergents, bleach, fabric softener, and abrasive brushes. If your gloves have touchscreen-compatible fingertips, treat those areas gently because the conductive material is the most delicate part.

Work over a sink or a basin so you can control water exposure. The goal is to lift sweat and dust out of the fabric and silicone, not to saturate the glove. A little water and a little soap go a long way.

• Skip hot water, which can shrink or distort synthetic fabrics.
• Do not use dish soap with degreasers or heavy fragrances on technical fabrics.

How often to clean your gloves

For most sim racers, a light clean every three to five sessions and a deeper clean monthly is a good baseline. If you sweat heavily or race in a warm room, clean more often. If you notice the palms feeling slick or the fabric stiffening, that is your cue to clean sooner.

Between cleanings, air the gloves out after each session. Leaving them crumpled in a bag traps moisture and odor, which is harder to reverse later.

• Track your sessions in a note or calendar so cleaning does not slip.
• If gloves smell musty, clean them before wearing them again.

Drying and storage that protect the fit

Air-dry gloves at room temperature, ideally with the fingers slightly spread so air moves through them. Lay them flat on a towel or hang them from the wrist cuff. Do not wring, twist, or hang them by a single finger, which can stretch the seams.

Once fully dry, store gloves flat or loosely folded in a clean, dry place. Avoid compressing them under heavy gear, and keep them away from oils, solvents, and direct sunlight.

• Never dry gloves on a radiator, in a dryer, or with a hair dryer.
• Make sure they are completely dry before storing to prevent mildew.

Step-by-step glove care routine

1. Step 1: Shake out loose dust: Take the gloves outside or over a bin and clap them together, then gently flex each finger. This removes dry dust and dried salt before water turns it into a film. Checkpoint: if dust is still visible in the seams, repeat before washing.
2. Step 2: Spot-clean the palms and fingers: Dampen a microfiber cloth with cool water and a drop of mild soap. Wipe the silicone palm and finger pattern in one direction, then wipe again with a clean damp cloth to remove soap residue. Common mistake: scrubbing hard or using a brush, which can lift the silicone grip pattern.
3. Step 3: Hand-wash the fabric gently: Fill a basin with cool water and a small amount of mild soap. Submerge the gloves, squeeze them softly a few times, and avoid twisting or wringing. Rinse in cool water until no suds remain. Checkpoint: the water should run clear; if it is still cloudy, rinse once more.
4. Step 4: Protect the touchscreen fingertips: Limit soaking time for touchscreen-compatible fingertips and avoid rubbing them against rough surfaces. Pat them dry rather than squeezing. Common mistake: leaving gloves to soak for long periods, which can weaken the conductive fingertip material.
5. Step 5: Remove excess water without wringing: Press the gloves between two clean towels to absorb water. Do not twist, wring, or roll them tightly, which can stretch seams and distort the fit. Checkpoint: gloves should feel damp, not dripping.
6. Step 6: Air-dry at room temperature: Lay the gloves flat on a dry towel or hang them by the wrist cuff with fingers spread. Keep them out of direct sun and away from heat sources. Common mistake: using a dryer, radiator, or hair dryer, which can shrink or damage the fabric.
7. Step 7: Store clean and dry: Once fully dry, store gloves flat or loosely folded in a clean, dry place. Keep them away from oils, solvents, and heavy gear that could compress them. Checkpoint: if you smell any mustiness, clean again before your next session.

Product facts that affect glove care

• "Havoc" AeroFlex Shorty Gloves: Made with a lightweight and breathable poly-spandex material, with a grippy silicone surface pattern on the palms and fingers and touchscreen compatibility for GSI wheels (phones not supported). The breathable weave and silicone grip are the two areas that collect sweat and dust, so clean them gently and avoid abrasives that would wear down the silicone or pill the fabric.
• "The Geek" AeroFlex Shorty Gloves: Same AeroFlex construction: lightweight poly-spandex, silicone grip pattern on palms and fingers, and touchscreen compatibility for GSI wheels (phones not supported). Because the materials match, the same cleaning routine works for both designs, and the touchscreen fingertips need the same careful, low-water treatment.
• Interlock Ultra + Simucube 2 Pro Bundle: The Interlock Ultra is the flagship of the system, featuring a unique rim design with the LED Matrix seamlessly built in. A flagship wheel with integrated electronics is worth protecting, so keeping your gloves clean reduces the transfer of sweat and dust to the rim surface and controls.

Clean sim racing gloves last longer and feel more consistent. A quick shake-out after each session, a gentle hand-wash every few sessions, and careful air-drying will keep the grip and breathability of your AeroFlex gloves working the way they should.