OMG...my dd's kneepads could kill a man!

The only thing that worked on my DH's hockey equipment was a good washing and a lot of Febreeze. To this day, the smell of outdoor scented Febreeze reminds me of hockey.

Soak in baking soda. Or use the spray for killing dog odors.

We use Tide Sport! Takes the funk out for us.

I remember all to well the stink of volleyball kneepads and I don't miss them one bit. Volleyball gear rode on the roof, not inside the vehicle. It was bad enough that her knees needed to be in the car after she removed the pads.

We used vinegar and pinesol and left them in the sun to dry. It helped but nothing made them pristine.

We use vodka for smelly ballet costumes. If you think ballerinas don't sweat, you have no clue! And many of those costumes cannot actually be washedd. Spray bottles with vodka are the secret. You may want to go with full strength. The vodka supposedly takes care of the yucky, smelly bacteria that help keep the unattractive scent in the fabric.

It's funny you mentioned knee pads. I picked up my dancer from the train this evening and she asked who would sell them besides a dancewear store! ROFLOL! She's not normally that clueless. I explained that we could go to Modell's or Dick's and maybe even Target. Alas, there was no time. She will likely pick up a pair at a dancewear store in NYC before her rehearsal. Her knees are so raw from today and she will be working on this piece the rest of the week to perform it on Friday.

I have a friend who uses cat litter for soccer cleat odor. Maybe you could put the pads in a bag, cover with litter? Obviously have to hide it from your cat if you have one. . .

You can buy Sport Wash at most grocery store and box stores. It is specifically made to deal with sport "funk" odors that seem to retain on the newer moisture wicking and sport fabrics. I would recommend putting the items in the washer with the sport wash and then let it soak for a half hour or so the first time you use it. Then thereafter, just wash the sport uniform and VB kneepads in it each time on a regular wash cycle. I like the Atsko brand which I buy at Walmart. I like that it doesn't leave a residue after rinsing so it allows breathable fabrics to breathe. I live in the country and have a septic system and it is safe to use with septic systems.

It is also good for washing Thinsulate or Gore-tex jackets and sleeping bags.   I haven't tried the Tide brand sport wash so I can't comment on how effective it is. 

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Oh, and it's also pretty good if your dog gets sprayed with a skunk. Use it as the dog shampoo. It doesn't completely eliminate the skunk odor, but it does it well enough so that the smell is "tolerable". Hunters also use it on clothing so their scent doesn't alert game.

ETA: I forgot to add, don't use fabric softener or dryer sheets with the sports items. After washing, just hang to air dry. The fabric softener and/or dryer sheets "coat" the fabric as well and leads to the odor retention.

Our DS15's soccer cleats can take down a wild elephant! The only thing that I have found that is effective against the stench is a disinfectant spray that we purchased at Dick's Sporting Goods. It is AMAZING!

10-Seconds Deodorant and Disinfectant

I just purchased four spray cans of it from Amazon for our current soccer season because our Dick's was out of stock. Seriously, this stuff kills everything dead and you won't believe the lack of smell. Make sure to spray it outside with good ventilation. You may need to saturate the knee pads with it, but it works!

dunking in the pool and drying out in the sun. We live in Phx, though, so fortunately we can employ this method year round. You haven't smelt funky until you have a boy who wears hockey goalie gear.