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How to Preserve Inline and Roller Skates
Preserving your roller skates and inline skates involves a variety of steps, with some needing more frequent attention than others. Proper care extends the life and performance of your inliners or roller skates, making your skating experience safer and more enjoyable.
This guide will address vital advice and methods for skate maintenance, including protection, cleaning, and maintaining the wheels and bearings in excellent condition. Furthermore, it will direct you to more detailed guides and articles on specific upkeep techniques.
Overview
Overview
What Is the Best Way to Clean My Skates?
The technique for cleaning both inliners and roller skates varies with the model. For example, models with removable liners allow for comprehensive cleaning, while those with built-in liners require a different approach.
Hard boots can withstand a more robust clean using a sponge, but a soft boot needs a gentler touch.
Thoroughly Cleaning Inliners or Roller Skates
- Disassemble the Skates: Begin by removing the wheels and bearings; liners should be taken out if possible.
- Clean the Boots: Clean hard boots with a sponge, mild soap, and water. Use a soft cloth for soft boots, though they should not be completely saturated.
- Wash the Liners: If they are removable and washable, adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions. Generally, wash them in a machine using a gentle detergent at no more than 30°C (86°F), and allow them to air-dry in a well-ventilated space. Avoid using dryers to prevent shrinkage and warping.
- Clean the Wheels and Bearings: Wipe the wheels with a damp cloth. For the bearings, refer to this guide: How to Clean and Lubricate Bearings
Guidelines for Washing Inline and Roller Skate Liners
The liner, or the inner boot, is often detachable for washing. Always follow the manufacturer's care instructions to safeguard them. In the absence of these instructions, here’s a general guideline:
- Remove the Liners: Take out any insoles you use.
- Wash the Liners: Place them in the washing machine with a gentle detergent. Avoid temperatures above 30°C (86°F).
- Air-Dry the Liners: Hang them in a well-ventilated area. Refrain from using a hair dryer.
If the liners in your skates are built-in, washing isn’t possible. However, you can use anti-bacterial shoe sprays to manage odours. Ensure they are left in a well-ventilated space after each use, and consider a boot-dryer if necessary.
Accelerating the Drying of Inline or Roller Skate Liners Post-Wash
To hasten liner drying, stuff them with towels or newspaper to soak up moisture. Ensure the drying room is well-ventilated.
Note: Hair dryers or other heating devices should never be used, as they can lead to liner shrinkage and distortion.
How to Avert Unpleasant Smells in Roller Skates and Inliners
How do you combat smelly liners? The buildup of odour is due to bacteria thriving in warm, damp liners.
Though eliminating odour entirely is challenging, you can greatly delay its onset.
Air Drying Your Skate Liners Considerably Helps
Post-skating, place your skates in a well-ventilated area to dry thoroughly. This minimises the formation of unpleasant smells caused by moisture and bacteria. If your skates have removable liners, take them out to air dry. Wash them regularly if they are designed to be washable.
To keep your skate liners smelling fresh, routinely do the following after skating:
- Open liners fully and let them dry in a well-ventilated space. Don’t keep your skates in the bag!
- Remove insoles to let them air (if applicable).
- Think about using an anti-bacterial shoe spray.
By incorporating these habits, you maintain fresher skate liners longer and avoid unpleasant skating experiences.
How Frequently Should Bearings Be Cleaned?
The frequency of cleaning and lubricating your bearings depends on how often and under what conditions you skate. If you skate regularly or in dirt-prone or moist conditions, your bearings will require more frequent maintenance than skaters who only use dry, clean surfaces occasionally.
Signs that it’s time to clean your bearings include:
- Decrease in Performance: If bearings are underperforming, they need cleaning.
- Odd Noises: Sounds from the bearings may indicate internal dirt or debris. Cleaning can prolong their life.
If your bearings need replacing or cleaning for enhanced performance, we provide both the products and information necessary to better your skating experience by either cleaning and lubricating your bearings or upgrading with completely new ones:
- How to Clean and Lubricate Bearings
- Browse our Selection of Bearing Oil and Containers for Cleaning Bearings
- Browse our Selection of Bearings for Inline Skates and Roller Skates
Steps to Remove Inline Skate Bearings
Inline skate bearings can be removed with or without specialty tools. Follow this guide for efficient bearing removal.
Begin by taking off the wheels; this involves loosening axles and bolts with an allen key.
Note: Maintain the wheel order to ensure correct re-mounting or proper rotation.
Removing Bearings Without a Specialised Tool
An Allen key can pry out the bearings. Each wheel contains two bearings and a spacer; make sure you’re targeting the bearing edge, not the spacer. After removing the first, flip the wheel to extract the second bearing.
Watch this video to see bearings being removed without a specialised tool
Using a Bearing Remover / Blade Tool for Removal
A bearing remover simplifies the task, allowing you to pull on the bearing edge without prying.
Insert the tool into the bearing’s center hole and pull on its inner edge.
Most blade tools are equipped with a bearing puller. Find yours:
Rotating Inline Skate Wheels
When skating, lateral pushes cause faster wear on one side of the wheels. To extend wheel lifespan and maintain a smooth ride, it is essential to occasionally rotate and flip your wheels.
Examine your wheels for uneven wearing. Significant internal edge wear signals it’s time for rotation.
Proper wheel rotation yields optimal results.
Simple Rotating of Inline Skate Wheels
For standard 4-wheel skates, rotate and flip wheels in a crisscross pattern from one skate to the other. Label wheels 1 through 4, rotating them as 1-3 / 2-4.
Is Wheel Rotation on Inline Skates Necessary?
Wheel rotation ensures even wear, prolonging their life. Regular updates to wheel placement offer smoother rides longer before replacement is inevitable. Rotation reduces friction by introducing a new wear point.
While not mandatory – buying new wheels achieves the same – rotation maximises wheel utility!
Essential Tools for Inline or Roller Skate Maintenance
For basic skate upkeep, you should have:
- Hex Key/Allen Key: Key tool for removing and attaching wheels, frames, brakes, and cuffs.
- Blade Tool: Investing in a quality blade tool is beneficial since they encompass the needed hex/allen keys and a proper bearing remover. A comprehensive solution you can carry with you.
Explore blade tools and additional options:
Secure Your Skates with a Skate Bag
Store skates in cool, dry places away from sun or moist settings when not in use for extended periods. Excessive heat can warp plastic, while moisture can cause rust and mould.
A well-made skate bag provides a secure storage solution. These bags and backpacks are crafted to fit your quads or inliners, featuring padding for extra protection against bumps and scratches. Additionally, a proper skate bag facilitates easy transportation of your skates.
