See What Makes MLL Pro Attackman Drew Westervelt’s Game So Clean


You all know Drew Westevelt as the pro lacrosse attackman who recently scored a career record 8 goals in a single game. But there’s another big thing this MLL all-star is working on: a set of gear cleaning products. And Westervelt says it’s a game-changer for the entire athletic industry. We sat him down for an interview. Read the full interview below.

[Lacrosse Playground]: So you’ve started a company that makes a new gear cleaner. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

[Drew Westervelt]: Absolutely. The company is called OdorBalance, and we’re aiming to do something different than other cleaners. There’s a fundamental issue with current solutions on the market. Topical sprays, ozone applications, and odor balls only address a part of the issue by masking or encapsulating odor, but they never fully remove it. So we wanted to build a product that would get at the core of the issue, and that’s what OdorBalance does. It removes the pollutants that cause odor on every level of the item – not just the surface. The really cool thing about this is that it also restores high-performance gear and apparel in the process, so it actually makes your gear perform better and last longer. It also establishes an anti-odor barrier that will keep your gear odor-free on the long term.

[LP]: How does it work?

[DW]: So there’s two parts to our Gear Wash. The first, Gear Wash, will clean out those pollutants from the core of the item and get it ready for the second part. And that’s Gear Shield which will drop that anti-odor barrier on the item to keep the odor from coming back. We found that you need to really clean the item first, or you’d just be building the anti-odor barrier on top of dirt and soil which would then rub off. So our process is to clean and then protect. And it’s really simple to apply. We engineered it to work with a household washing machine (or you can apply it by hand), so you can just put Gear Wash and Gear Shield in your washing machine and let it do the work for you.


[LP]: What prompted you to start OdorBalance?

[DW]: It actually started when I paired up with a couple of cleaning experts to look into a way to clean athletic fields. You know, things like astroturf. We came up with this really great product and, on a whim, I dunked my gear in the solution. I was amazed at the results. After two weeks of using my gear constantly, it hadn’t developed any odor. That’s when we realized we really had something that athletes (and moms) would love. So we started refining the formula to get it where it is today.

[LP]: So any cleaner that works that well has to be pretty strong. What about players with more sensitive skin?

[DW]: That’s the thing; the product is completely hypoallergenic, so there’s no issue there at all. And it’s based on technology that’s been around for 30 years, so there’s been all kinds of testing to make sure it’s safe. It’s also environmentally friendly because it’s biodegradable, and we designed it to be fragrance free, so once you’ve applied it, the only thing you’ll notice is a lack of smell.

[LP]: You’ve mentioned your two-part Gear Wash, but you have other products too, right?

[DW]: Right. We’ve developed the two-part Gear Wash as our flagship product, but we also have an advanced laundry detergent for textiles and high-performance apparel called LaundryPro, and we have a spray that’s great for footwear and items that can’t be washed and also for maintenance of already-treated items called Gear Spray.

[LP]: Anything else you want to say to our readers?

[DW]: Just to check out the products for yourself at www.odorbalance.com.

[LP]: Great. Thanks, Drew!

[DW]: It’s great to be here. Thanks for having me!

Posted in

Lacrosse Playground

In 2009, Adam O’Neill, Harry Alford and Thomas Alford launched Lacrosse Playground as the preeminent site for lacrosse gearheads. For years Lacrosse Playground provided lacrosse fans with tutorials and tips on how to string a lacrosse head, up-close looks at the gear the top players used and sneak peeks at equipment and uniforms before they were released. More than 10 years and millions of visits later, Lacrosse Playground has relaunched with a focus on storytelling. Our mission is to provide comprehensive coverage of the latest lacrosse news, share insights into the sports betting and fantasy lacrosse world and showcase the lifestyles and personalities of the sport of lacrosse through articles, videos and podcasts.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.