Now if Bob says it, I will believe it! Over time, water will rot out a glove – and that should be considered. Some of the most savvy glove experts/users use a little hot water on the palm to form the old stiffer gloves, but I won’t encourage anyone to do it because using water opens up the possibility to damage leather. My job is to stress how to care for your glove in order to get the longest life out of it, not the quickest way to get it game-ready.