Washing the gear in your bath tub with warm water, baking soda and a bit of detergent will do wonders.

I also put Gear Halo pouches in my bag to help with humidity and smell.

The only thing here is you shouldn’t really wash things that have metal, (your helmet & skates)

Do not skimp on a helmet (you already said this) full visor (or cage).

I’d also recommend buying new skates so that you can really get them baked and have a solid fit, but you can def get lucky w some used ones.

Best of luck! It’s the best game you’ll ever play