A bag of sweaty hockey equipment is like a Holiday Inn for bacteria. When the zipper closes, it creates a damp, dark environment where bacteria will thrive, resulting in the pungent, unpleasant smell that hockey parents know so well. (Sorry to be the one to tell you, but as your young player enters the tween and teen years, it only gets worse!) I play hockey myself and have many hockey-parent friends, so I’ve compiled their best tips for washing hockey gear and keeping it as clean and odor-free as possible. Moisture is Your Opponent The number one tip was unanimous: dry it out. Immediately following each game or practice, every piece of equipment should be removed from the bag and hung up (or at least spread out) to dry. To facilitate this process, I purchased a metal “tree” style rack with rods that hold various pieces of equipment and allow…