How to Care for Your Winter Gear: Cleaning, Storing, and Maintaining Your Equipment
Quick answer: After every ski day, wipe and dry your skis or board to prevent edge rust, pull boot liners and footbeds to dry, and hang outerwear. Wash shells in cold water with a technical-fabric detergent. Before summer, apply a thick storage coat of wax (don't scrape), store gear somewhere cool and dry, buckle boots, and get bindings checked once a season.
Winter adventures are a blast, but your gear needs some care to keep performing. A few simple steps to clean, store and maintain your equipment will extend its life, and you'll know when to bring it into Next Adventure's tune shop for expert service.
Cleaning your winter gear
Skis and snowboards
After each session, wipe your skis or board to remove dirt, water and road salt. Moisture left on your gear leads to rust, especially on the edges. Use a soft brush to clear mud from bindings, then dry everything thoroughly with a towel.
Clothing and soft goods
Jackets, gloves and snow pants take a beating. Wash them in cold water with a detergent made for technical fabrics to maintain breathability and waterproofing, then hang dry or tumble dry on low.
Boots and bindings
Pull the liners and footbeds out of your boots after every use and dry them, ideally on a boot dryer. Once dry, buckle or lace the boots so they keep their shape. Clear snow and dirt out of your bindings so they work properly.
Storing your winter gear for summer
Skis and snowboards
Before storing, apply a thick coat of wax and leave it unscraped. It keeps bases from drying out and protects edges from rust. Store gear in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight, don't stack heavy things on top, and remove snowboard bindings to help prevent warping. Prefer to hand it off? Our tune shop's full tune includes base repair, stone grind, edge sharpening and wax.
Clothing
Clean and fully dry clothing before storing it in a breathable bag or a bin with silica gel packets to prevent mold and mildew.
Boots
Store boots buckled or laced in a cool, dry place, stuffed with newspaper to hold their shape. If they hurt during the season, get them adjusted by a boot fitter before you put them away.
Maintaining your gear during the season
- Skis and snowboards: regular waxing, edge sharpening and base repair keep your gear fast and responsive.
- Bindings: have ski and snowboard bindings tested and adjusted at least once a season. Next Adventure is a certified binding service center for major brands.
- Boots: if you feel pressure points, our boot fitters can work out hot spots, build custom footbeds and fine-tune your stance.
- Outerwear: refresh waterproofing with a DWR spray when water stops beading.
Shop gear care essentials
- Swix Plexi Scraper For home waxing
- Dakine Diamond Scraper Mat Keeps wax off the floor
- Dakine Pipe Snowboard Bag Protects your board in storage
- Gear Aid Seam Grip WP Repair Kit Fix tears and seams
- Next Adventure Logo Repair Patch Patch small holes in style
Why bring your gear to Next Adventure?
Our tune shop at the Grand Avenue store in Portland handles everything from quick tunes and edge-and-wax to full tunes with base repair and stone grinding, plus custom work like snowshoe repairs and crampon sharpening. Book early at the start and end of the season, when the shop is busiest.
Winter gear care FAQ
How do I store skis or a snowboard over the summer?
Apply a thick coat of storage wax and don't scrape it, then store them in a cool, dry place out of the sun with nothing heavy on top. Remove snowboard bindings to reduce warping.
How do I dry ski boots?
Remove the liners and footbeds after every use and dry them on a boot dryer or at room temperature. Avoid direct high heat, which can damage liners.
How often should bindings be checked?
At least once a season, by a certified shop, and anytime your boots, weight or ability change.
How do I wash a ski jacket?
Machine wash in cold water with a technical-fabric detergent, then hang dry or tumble dry on low. Reapply DWR if water stops beading.