Vacuuming vs. Brushing vs. Cleaning

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scottjen26

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've searched older posts, looked at the Simonis website, got some good but conflicting info, just looking for more up to date info...

I heard vacuuming is bad for the cloth, that it pulls small particles of chalk that are resting between the cloth and the bed of the table back up into the felt in the small holes in the pattern of the cloth etc.

I've been neglectful in cleaning my table since I got it, but hasn't been that much play yet so not horrible. I have a small $30 wet-dry vac (that some people mentioned), tons of microfiber towels, a traditional pool brush, and a can of Chalk-off.

I'm not sure what to do first, in what order, or how often. So what's the best method of keeping cloth clean? Can I just brush and use a slightly damp cloth weekly or every so many hours of play? Does vacuuming actually help or hurt? Is Chalk-off any good (simulating the damp cloth I would suspect)? And, brush or vacuum before wiping, after, ???

Thanks,
Scott
 
O

onyxbfly

Registered
Thanks for inquiring. I too have done some research and I can't say that I have found a consensus either. I received a table for my bday in July and I am interested in learning the proper way to clean the table.
 
ROB.M

ROB.M

:)
Silver Member
Table

you two are not the only ones looking for a good answer, it's been posted before but most likely it's buried deep..
I've posted on the subject before but I think you'd go bonkers digging thru my posts, there should be a sticky thread on the subject.
Perhaps one could be brewed up'


Rob.M
 
rexus31

rexus31

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
For a little over a year now, I've used my shop vac with a horse hair attachment to clean my Simonis 860. Ernesto and Oscar set up my table and this is what they recommended. I've not had any issues with holes forming or any thing of that nature. I usually vacuum the cloth after every 3rd or 4th use and use a very damp cloth to wipe the bed down once every couple of months.

 
fastone371

fastone371

Certifiable
Silver Member
rexus31 said:
For a little over a year now, I've used my shop vac with a horse hair attachment to clean my Simonis 860. Ernesto and Oscar set up my table and this is what they recommended. I've not had any issues with holes forming or any thing of that nature. I usually vacuum the cloth after every 3rd or 4th use and use a very damp cloth to wipe the bed down once every couple of months.

Click to expand...

I do the same thing but I also brush mine after vacuuming then I clean it with chalk off and a micro fiber towel.
 
Tony_in_MD

Tony_in_MD

You want some of this?
Silver Member
First off I am not a fan of caulk off.

I vacuum my table (no rotating brush) then follow off wiping down the cloth with a damp microfiber cloth. (wet the cloth and them wring out well)

The concern about vacuuming that was on this forum before only applies to slate seams that are filled in with plaster, or water putty. According to some it can become loose and then you will have bits of plaster under the cloth that can move around.

If your seams are filled with beeswax or bondo should be no issues.
 
S

scottjen26

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks. I saw that concern about slates, but also heard from someone that vacuuming pulls up small grains of chalk that land between the cloth and slate, pulling them back up into the cloth and clogging the pores essentially. I was told that when cloth is changed there is a layer of dust on the slate from all the chalk that passes "through" the cloth and you don't want to disturb that and bring it back up into the cloth.

Who knows, many people have recommended light vacuuming, I got a $30 wet/dry vac for just that purpose, just need to find a nice attachment that's soft on the table.

At least the consensus seems to be to brush first, then wipe down with cleaner or damp rag, that's good info.

Also, do you do the full routine (vacuum/brush/clean) each time you clean the table, or quick brush and full routine every so often? Can you overclean the cloth, like how after you wash clothes too many times they start to wear thin?

Scott
 
Tony_in_MD

Tony_in_MD

You want some of this?
Silver Member
I have seen the dust you spoke of when my table was last recovered about 3 years ago. I don't think the vacuum cleaner pulls that back up. If it did it wouldn't be there.

I clean the table when it needs it. It is based upon my impression of its appearance. I always vacuum then wipe with a damp cloth (Guess I wait till it is fairly dirty) before I clean it. I also have 2 Siamese cats that love to play pool, so my table may get dirtier than most.

Can you over clean it? I am sure you can. I am sure I have never over cleaned mine.
 
Last edited:
Travis3c

Travis3c

AV Pool Nut
Silver Member
The chalk dust is there because the table or tables wasnt cleaned properly over the course of the cloth life. I always vacuum first with a non rotating head that has bristles similar to the one pictured. Then I wipe with a very very slightly damp cloth. You should not be able to wring one drop of water out of the cloth. If the cloth changes the color of the table cloth due to wetness then the cloth has too much water in it. After that I either start playing on it or brush it. I am a very clean freak with my table. I have a friend who is the same way with his table and after 4 years, his cloth had no chalk dust under it when we recovered it.
 
F

FranCrimi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
scottjen26 said:
I've searched older posts, looked at the Simonis website, got some good but conflicting info, just looking for more up to date info...

I heard vacuuming is bad for the cloth, that it pulls small particles of chalk that are resting between the cloth and the bed of the table back up into the felt in the small holes in the pattern of the cloth etc.

I've been neglectful in cleaning my table since I got it, but hasn't been that much play yet so not horrible. I have a small $30 wet-dry vac (that some people mentioned), tons of microfiber towels, a traditional pool brush, and a can of Chalk-off.

I'm not sure what to do first, in what order, or how often. So what's the best method of keeping cloth clean? Can I just brush and use a slightly damp cloth weekly or every so many hours of play? Does vacuuming actually help or hurt? Is Chalk-off any good (simulating the damp cloth I would suspect)? And, brush or vacuum before wiping, after, ???

Thanks,
Scott
Click to expand...

Scott, Simonis makes a device to wipe down the table and remove the chalk dust without harming the cloth. I think it's expensive, about $90. Cloth can stretch. As you know, when installers install a cloth properly, they stretch it across the table. Vacuuming will stretch the cloth further and loosen it.

That's what happens eventually in pool rooms that vacuum their tables. It's nearly impossible to draw the cue ball with any consistency on loose cloth. You may have experienced that in some pool rooms without realizing what's going on.

I'm not crazy about the spray products but I guess they're better than vacuuming, if you're not into spending the money on the Simonis product.

A slightly damp cloth is ok but it won't get all the chalk up.
 
WestPenn

WestPenn

West Penn Billiards
Be careful vacuuming the cloth. If you use a vacuum that's powerful(such as a Dyson), you could stretch or tear the cloth. I recommend a cheap little handheld vacuum. It's enough the clean it, but not enough to do any damage.
 
reverend

reverend

Table Mechanic
Silver Member
WestPenn said:
Be careful vacuuming the cloth. If you use a vacuum that's powerful(such as a Dyson), you could stretch or tear the cloth. I recommend a cheap little handheld vacuum. It's enough the clean it, but not enough to do any damage.
Click to expand...

If vacuuming a table is causing your cloth to stretch, you are doing something wrong.

I would like to see the vacuum that can rip pool table cloth as well.
 
gulfportdoc

gulfportdoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Any comments about the spray cleaner I've seen used by the staff at DCC? The name escapes me.

I've used spray Woolite on my last table covered with Granito. It worked very well. It produced a light foam which, when wiped off, left the cloth clean and dry. I haven't seen the product lately.

Doc
 
whammo57

whammo57

Kim Walker
Silver Member
Never brush worsted cloth, it breaks down the threads and makes it fuzzy. Vacuum and then spray it with blue coral foaming automotive upholstery cleaner ... wipe it with a micro fiber cloth.

looks like new

Kim
 
desi2960

desi2960

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
i had problems with vaccum

i had idots put my new brunswick table together, and there were small pieces of loose slate near the joints and when i vaccumed the pieces lifted under the cloth causing very small bumps.
i removed the rails, took the cloth off the table, removed the wax they used to fill the slate joints. then i really cleaned the table. i used 5 min epoxy to fill the cracks between the pieces of slate. smoothed the seams with a straight edge. after the epoxy set i recut it with a razor blade. then sanded it smooth. then replaced the cloth. i now brush often, vaccum as i see fit. no more problems. my 860 has lasted over 5 years.
 
WestPenn

WestPenn

West Penn Billiards
reverend said:
If vacuuming a table is causing your cloth to stretch, you are doing something wrong.

I would like to see the vacuum that can rip pool table cloth as well.
Click to expand...

We've been open for over 50 years, and it's only happened a few times. Most recent was someone used their Dyson(not just the brush, they lifted the vacuum onto the table) and it stretched the cloth. When you ran your hand over it, it created "waves". Obviously they could no longer play on the table and they needed new cloth.
 
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