Soap/vinegar/alcohol will all make the surface of the ball dull, when you take a new set of balls out of the box they are shiny but not real slippery to the touch like a "waxed" ball. I want mine to be the same as a new set of boxed balls as that is the condition of the balls in most tournaments. That is also the same condition the balls are in for pro tournaments, the camera guys always like to get a shot of the racked balls with the arena lights reflecting off of them. Bars are a bad example to use for balls, I have seen bar balls that look like they were used on the concrete street in front of the bar.