Holster Maintenance: How to Properly Clean Your Glock 22 Holster

If you carry a Glock 22 for personal protection, either as a concealed carrying civilian or a law enforcement officer, chances are you have a Kydex holster. A high-quality Kydex holster securely retains the handgun on your body better than a leather holster.

Most of us are familiar with firearms maintenance basics; we all know how important it is to clean our guns regularly and adequately lubricate them.

However, considering that the holster is the only link between your gun and your body. It is also gear that deserves proper care and maintenance, especially if you carry inside the waistband.

Here are a few tips and tricks on how to properly clean your Kydex  Glock 22 holster.

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Cleaning Practices

Kydex is a  thermoplastic material with plenty of well-known advantages for use in holsters. However, there is one that is often overlooked: It is easy to clean.

Unlike leather, maintaining a Kydex holster is easy and inexpensive, requiring no special tools or equipment like special brushes or saddle soap. Kydex is not damaged by water, making it possible to clean your  Glock 22 Kydex holster with elementary methods.

When you want to clean your Kydex holster, the first thing to do is to put it under running tap water. Don’t be afraid to get it wet; make sure the water passes through every surface on the outside, the inside, and over any mounting screws and mechanisms.

After, dry your holster using the rag or towel of your choice, making sure to clean out any dust, debris, lint, and other small particles that lodge themselves into your holster, especially on the inside sections where your firearm rests.

A popular myth among gun owners claims that Kydex holsters eventually scratch and damage your gun’s finish, but this will only happen if you never clean your holster. The more debris and particles accumulate inside your holster, the greater the chances of those scratching and ruining your handgun’s finish. If you want to keep your gun looking as mint as possible, clean your holster as well.

After you’ve dried your holster, to make sure that your firearm fits securely without undue resistance, apply a little bit of lubrication on the inside. Spray some of your favorite gun lubricant (such as Hoppe’s No. 9) on a wet wipe, then scrub the inside of your holster with it, making sure that every surface in contact with your handgun is lubricated.

Test the holster by inserting and removing your handgun a few times, ensuring that retention is tight and secure without being overly hard to draw. If everything is good to go, you’re finished.

A good time to do this is at the end of your firearm maintenance session, after cleaning and lubricating your firearms while you still have your gun oils and lubes within arm’s reach.

Don’t Neglect the Screws

Over the years, your Kydex holster screws have a high chance of loosening. This may cause your holster to no longer retain your handgun safely. While this may not be until one or two years after you’ve first bought the holster, it can become a problem down the line.

After adjusting them to your liking, apply Blue Loctite to each screw, including the retention screw. Use a marker to draw a line across the screw and the holster or plastic retention parts.

These marker lines are loosening marks, which serve as a reminder of which position your screws were in when you adjusted them to your liking and also show you how much the screws have drifted off from their original position after months or years of use. Neglecting your screws can cause them to drop and eventually get lost, requiring you to replace them - or your entire holster.

When the time comes to re-adjust and re-tighten them, the Blue Loctite can be broken off and reapplied later. Don’t use Red Loctite on your screws - the bond is often too strong to break and requires a torch or high heat to remove, which would melt or destroy your holster.

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Incognito Concealment offers a wide range of Kydex gun holsters and  magazine carriers for all types of handguns.

Our holsters are made to your specifications: Right- or left-handed orientation, 1.5” or 1.75” belt size, and optional cuts to accommodate red dot sights, mounted lights, or laser sights. A wide range of colors and patterns is also available on all models, such as tactical black, olive drab, standard woodland camo, and more.

Our products are 100% hand-crafted in the USA and come with a lifetime warranty. We also offer a 10% discount for our law enforcement, military, and first responder customers.

Don’t hesitate to call us at  (586) 333-4240 if you have any questions about our products or services.