Blade drying products

[Nekobirm]

What product would you recommend for wiping blades dry after a skating session? I was thinking about a natural chamois cloth. I have terry cloth soakers at the present. Thanks ~♡~

[tstop4me]

You don't need chamois.  Generic microfiber towels (about 1 ft square) are inexpensive, soft, absorbent, and durable  I use the two-soaker/two-towel method.  At the rink after skating, wipe off blades with towel 1, put on soaker 1.  At home, to get rid of condensation, wipe off blades with towel 2, put on soaker 2.

[AlbaNY]

I have been using microfibre towels from the automobile section of stores for a while, but I just switched to an even more absorbent one from the detailing aisle in an auto shop that is far better.  They were not expensive and work fantastically.  The receipt says "pro elite premium detailing towels," and they dry so much better and fast than the others I've had.

[Nekobirm]

Thank you. I'll look into this.

[FigureSpins]

I use a chamois because someone gave me a chamois, but any absorbent towel that isn't scratchy is good. Microfiber towels from the dollar store sometimes don't soak up the water, so go with AlbaNY's suggestion for the car microfiber cloth.

Keep your towel in an outside pocket of your skate bag or pull it out to dry between uses.  Stops it from going sour.  (When I used to use a small suitcase for a skate bag, I hung a mesh pouch on the handle for the cloth.)

[Query]

If your blades are not stainless steel, I suggest you also carry a similar towel that has a little oil on it, especially if it will be more than a day before you skate again. After you have wiped the whole blade dry, use it to apply a thin film of oil. Some people use grease, but that might leave a mess in your skate dry.

OTOH, with good stainless steel blades, I just wipe them dry, and leave them uncovered, taking them inside my dehumidified home. I only use oil if it will be many days before I skate again.

I learned about oiling steel to prevent rust from people who play with hand tools, like saws, drills, wrenches, etc. It's common in that world.

What I do NOT do is leave them in a bag, box, or car.

I admit you may notice that some of us take care of our boots and blades like babies, treating them with more care than our own bodies.

[Nekobirm]

Thanks everyone. I did follow up on the auto drying towel. Great suggestion! I'm happy with the results.

[ChristyRN]

I'm definitely the oddball here. I use wasted (but not used) surgical sponges. If they're good enough for the human body, they're good enough for my blades. As as added fun detail, we've used them to sop up dye, so they're tie dyed too.

[Query]

I use wasted (but not used) surgical sponges.

Do surgical sponges have an advantage over typical microfiber cloths or chamois? More absorptive, or more gentle?

The idea of something gentle enough to be medical dressing is very appealing. I baby my blades, and don't want scratches, or dulled edges. But I don't want to spend extra if if it has no advantage.

If this Wikipedia article is correct, I guess they are the same thing as a "gauze sponge". AFAICT, they are not made of any specific material, though many are cotton or coated cotton. But gauze seems to be a "stabilized" fabric weave, which means the fiber structure is stabilized, maybe with a little extra space between the fibers - does the stabilization make it more absorptive?

I assume you do not mean gauze sponges that are impregnated with a medically useful material, such as zinc oxide and calamine? I assume since zinc oxide, under some (basic) conditions, is an oxidizer, it would not necessarily be good for steel blades, though I'm not sure even relatively hard water is basic enough to activate its oxidizing properties. (Possibly unless we are talking about an outdoor pond or lake, in which case being gentle on blades may be a lost cause.)

AFAICT, cotton gauzes primarily absorb water, whereas Microfiber absorbs water and dirt (e.g., oil). Sometimes dirts and oils get onto the ice surface (tracked in from outside, or from the Zamboni), so I think a mild cleaning, from the microfiber, could only be good, as long as it doesn't scratch the blade or dull the edge. Except - I often use a separate oil cloth after drying, to keep out moisture.

I assume in neither case would you want to leave the drying cloth in contact with the blade during storage, because the water is still there?

I confess I sometimes just use paper towels from the rest room, then throw them away. That's probably a terrible idea - potentially more abrasive than any of these ideas. But then I don't have to carry anything.

[Query]

Maybe we are thinking about this wrong. Blades aren't baby skin. Compared to ice skating, any reasonably soft towel, used for a few minutes or less - maybe even paper towels - provides insignificant abrasion.

So I guess ordinary towels are good enough.

Rust is chemistry: the combination of iron or steel with oxygen, in the presence of an electron transfer catalyst, such as water, salts, acids, bleach, or other ionic materials.

The most important thing it to thoroughly dry the blades and boots. Then, ideally, coat the blades in oil or grease to keep out atmospheric water and oxygen, and store them in a reasonably dry place.

As a separate issue, if there is a danger of significant abrasion during transport or storage, wrap each blade with a reasonably soft, clean, dry towel. (It is harder to keep skate guards clean and dry than towels.) Maybe don't wash with bleach?? And maybe soft towels matter more for wiping the skate boots dry? Of course, plastic skate guards are still useful for a short walk between the rink side and the place where you take off your skates, or if you need to run to the bathroom.