What sort of maintenance should you do on ice skates?

Question

I have heard many people talking about "looking after thier ice skates" and "taking good care of them." I know this is very important, but I would like to know just what sort of maintenance is needed to prolong the life of a pair of skates?

Answer 1

I wouldn't recommend doing any sort of maintenance on ice skates.  They're really not very safe.  Imagine climbing a ladder wearing skates??  Not a good idea at all.  I suggest all maintenance should be carried out wearing a good pair of sturdy boots.

Answer 2

After u get off frm d.rink, dry ur blades and boots. When it's dry, you can put on the soakers. If u put em when they're wet then the blade will be rusty. N you have to put umm wax? I dunno wat u call em. It's liquid and u have to put it on the boot's wood

Answer 3

you ABSOLUTELY need to take care of your skates. you need sharpenings and good drying of the blades before you put them away. put soakers on the blades to absorb any extra water and make sure you take them to a professional for sharpenings (ask your coach for a recomendation). you need to put a yellow lacquer type stuff on the wooden parts to prevent mold. air your skates out when not being used. leave them out of your bag. you can also keep your skates looking nice with polish or can try preventing nicks/damage using skate tape on your skates.  airing them out and taking care of them will help them last longer and not break down as quickly.

the yellow liquid that you can buy to sponge onto the wood and let dry is actually what they tell you to buy when you first get skates. i have cavalier ever dri it is a silicone water repellent meant for boots/shoes /leather/canvas and nylon.

it is very important to take proper care of your skates. you spend a lot of money on them and they will smell/rot/mold etc if you dont. talk to your coach, he/she will be able to walk you through what you should do every time after you skate.

Good luck!!

Answer 4

As a minimum you should definitely dry the blades with a soft cloth after using them - stops them going rusty

Answer 5

as soon as you get off the ice dry the inside, outside, and blade then put your soakers on. when you get home take them out of your bag unless if you have one with air holes on the side. if you don't that will allow them to air out.

to take care of your blade you need to wear your hard guards everywhere you walk. then wipe them off and put your soakers on after everytime skating. never leave your guards on for a long period of time this allows rust to build up. only put them on when you are walking. get them sharpened when you start slipping on the ice or after a few weeks depending on how much you skate. another trick is running underneath your thumbnail along the blade(part that touches ice) and if it makes a scratching noise then you don't need to get them sharpened. you can always check with your coach or a certified skate sharpener.

Answer 6

yess soakers are good

but i would recommended drying your skates with a towel before you put the soakers on, just to be extra safe.

also if your walking on your boots on anything else than ice you should wear guards which you can by from nearly all skate shops and some sports shops. there is probably on at you r rink.

when you get home after skate practice you should take your boots out their bag and leave them to air. so they dont rot inside.

hope this helps

Answer 7

You should make sure that you have your skates sharpened according to how many times you go skating a week (once then every 2 months) you should never walk on concrete in skates. Never let your laces get caught underneath them. Clean them after every use. Always put guards on straight after use. If you do all of the above they should last for longer!