The human body is prone to injuries either through sports, accidents, or other encounters. This is why protective gear has been designed to protect sensitive parts of the body, which, when injured, can destabilize the normal function of the body. An excellent example of these is knee pads.
The knee is one of the largest and most complex joints in the body. It allows flexibility of the lower leg and is essential to normal walking posture. When there is an injury to the knee joints, it destabilizes the walking pattern, which is why you see people limping with canes or confined to wheelchairs.
To protect the knees from injury, knee pads were created. Knee pads are protective gear worn on the knees to prevent them from injury upon impact. They function to protect the knee and reduce the impact of injuries on it.
Wearing knee pads can also support the knee joints, as in older people with knee degradation, reducing the pressure on their knees. It reduces the risk of shattering your knee bone, in which case you will have to get a knee replacement via surgery.
How To Wash Knee Pads
Wearing knee pads to prevent injuries or reduce their impact is a wise choice, but we also need to consider how to care for your knee pads.
It is unhygienic to use the same pair of knee pads over and over again without washing. Here are steps to take to wash your knee pads:
Check the tag
The easiest way to wash your knee pads is with the washing machine. However, you have to check the tags to see if the manufacturer recommends machine wash or manual washing. If it says that machine washing is an option, there are certain steps to follow.
- Wrap in a laundry bag if your knee pads are washable to keep them from discoloring the rest of your gear.
- Wash with the rest of your gear to avoid your kneepads rattling around in the machine the entire time.
- Use the right detergent. It is important to use a detergent that is recommended to wash synthetic fiber.
- Wash your kneepads in cold water, and be sure to use the gentle cycle to prevent them from getting damaged.
- Do not use the dryer but opt for air drying. Using your machine dryer can cause your kneepads to shrink till they no longer fit you. Hang them out to dry and wait patiently until they are ready to be used.
If the tag does not support machine washing and you have to do it by hand, here are a few ways to go about it.
- Use a brush, soap, and water to scrub away debris on your knee pads.
- Soak in a mixture of detergent and water. Move the pads around in the water to imitate the movement of a washing machine. It is important to note that you use a detergent that is good for synthetic fiber.
- After soaking in the water, drain the water from the bucket and rinse with cold water.
- Pat them down with a towel to drain out the excess water and then hang them to dry.
Bottom Line
Using knee pads is not only important for sports, but in other fields like tiling, plumbing, gardening, landscape gardening, and other aspects where there is prolonged kneeling involved and a high chance of your knees coming in contact with surfaces or objects that can cause injuries to them.
When choosing knee pads, go for the right kind that is comfortable and fits your knees, and you can be guaranteed that your knee joints will be well protected and safe from injuries.
