How To Clean Golf Headcovers
Headcovers spend their life in a wet bag next to muddy grips, so they need cleaning more often than people think. Here is how to do it without shrinking the lining or losing the shape.
How to clean golf headcovers quickly after a round
Wipe the outer shell with a damp cloth and a drop of washing-up liquid, then wipe again with clean water. On synthetic leather-feel covers this removes almost everything, including grass marks, in under a minute.
Turn the cover inside out and shake the lining out. Sand and grit collect in the base of the cover and that is what scratches a driver crown, not the cover itself.
Can golf headcovers go in the washing machine?
Knitted and fabric covers can usually take a cold, gentle cycle inside a mesh laundry bag - but check the care label first, and never use hot water or a tumble dryer. Heat is what shrinks the neck of a cover and ruins the fit permanently.
Covers with a magnetic closure, a rigid internal structure or a synthetic leather-feel shell, like our driver and putter covers, should not go in the machine. The drum flexes and cracks the shell and can dislodge magnets. Hand wash these instead.
How to hand wash golf headcovers, step by step
This takes about ten minutes and is safe for almost any cover:
- Fill a bowl with lukewarm water and a small amount of mild detergent.
- Submerge fabric covers and squeeze gently; for structured covers, use a cloth rather than soaking them.
- Work stubborn marks with a soft brush, such as an old toothbrush, in small circles.
- Rinse thoroughly in clean water so no detergent dries in the lining.
- Press out water in a towel. Do not wring it out - that is what distorts the shape.
Drying and storage
Air dry away from direct heat: no radiators, no tumble dryer, no hot car. Stuff the cover loosely with a clean towel or a ball of paper so it dries in its own shape rather than collapsing flat.
Store covers on the clubs, not loose in a pocket. A cover that lives crushed in a bag pocket loses its neck tension and stops gripping - once that happens, it is time for a replacement cover.
Removing grass, mud and dye stains from headcovers
Grass: a mild detergent and a soft brush handles most of it. Avoid bleach, which will lift colour from printed designs on funky covers.
Mud: let it dry completely first, then brush it off. Wet mud pushes into the weave and makes the job harder.
Ink or dye transfer from a wet bag lining: act quickly with a damp cloth. Once it dries into a light-coloured cover it rarely comes out fully.