Cleaning pool balls?
- Thread starter mantis99
- Start date
soap and water to clean myne
Secaucus Fats
Banned
mantis99 said:
I use warm water (not hot), a little bit of dishwashing liquid, and a terrycloth wash towel. I follow that with a good warm water rinse. I use a terrycloth towel to dry them, then I apply a little car wax, let dry to a haze, and buff to a high gloss.
Fats
Rambosky said:My wife likes to put whipped cream on mine. She needs two cans though since I have a set of Elephant balls.
There was a line, and then you crossed it...
...why isn't there a vomiting smiley?
++
= vomit smiley
Waxed balls will generally throw less and play longer off the cushions than unwaxed balls.Rambosky said:
S
Scottster
Guest
Bob Jewett said:
They will also break out a whole lot nicer playing straight pool.
Rich R. said:Save your money and buy a good ball cleaner, like the one Blud sells. You won't be sorry. Other than a table and a good cue, it will be the best money you ever spent on pool equipment.
I just can't see investing $479 for a ball cleaner. I want to! I'd love to be able to justify it. But I just can't do it. It's not very often I can't justify a new toy but the ball polisher is one I just can't do.
So... I wash them in warm water with Dawn dish soap. Auto detailing freaks will tall you that only Dawn will remove all the dirt/grime etc. I then use a good automotive cleaner/polish. Not a wax. Wax will make the balls act funny.. unrealisticly,at least for a while, and I don't need the wasted time learning to account for the changing conditions of the new wax and as it wears off. Get a good car cleaner and polish and spend an hour or so doing a good job. Use a microfiber towel. Muellers sells Karseal ball cleaner and polish and I can testify that it works well. You'll love the cb action you'll get for a while
They advertise that the spray table cloth cleaners do a good job. I can't comment on this. I got my first can the other day and it didn't do a great job on the spotted Araimith cue ball I have. It holds chalk pretty badly and didn't come clean with the table spray cleaners Chalk Off or Quick Clean.
When I'm using the table for a couple hours daily I need to do the job about once every 2 months. About once a week I wipe them with a damp cloth. I keep the table meticulously clean.
Someone said once they used pledge on them after they cleaned them. Does that work?
Gunn_Slinger said:
Work in what way? What is the goal?
Pledge will put an oily film on them. If that is the goal then Pledge works.
Sorry. That's a smart ass reply on my part. Accurate but smart ass.
You don't want anything that leaves a film of any kind. No soap scum, no wax, no oily film, no fingerprints, no dirt, no chalk, nothing that will cause an abnormal reaction as they collide with each other. Hell it's hard enough to tell what they're going to do when they are perfectly clean and neutral. Add in the complexity of an unknown agent making them stick together or slide apart as they collide and you got an impossible situation that will not resemble the real world. Well... maybe it will. Come to think of it pool hall and saloon pool balls are not known for exhibiting the pristine conditions for precise replication of the physics at work in pool ball collisions. Maybe we're better off leaving our home pool balls as dirty or covered with Pledge oil as we can get them and then we'll be playing under the same conditions we'll be sure to find at Wed night league.
A ball cleaner for home use would be a little bit of overkill. A good washing with Dawn and a microfriber towel and Meguires Cleaner/ Wax works just fine.Rich R. said:Save your money and buy a good ball cleaner, like the one Blud sells. You won't be sorry. Other than a table and a good cue, it will be the best money you ever spent on pool equipment.
What about running them all thru the dishwasher?
What ever happen to the mini ball buffer that they offered in Muellers. I tried pledge but the balls were slick made them play very different. Ok if u wanted to do trick shots that u need alot of draw but for playing I would not recommend it. Take them to your pool hall and have them run them through the ball polisher if u have that convienence.
Secaucus Fats
Banned
Dead Money said:
Don't do it! Dishwashers use very hot water and most dishwashing detergents contain chlorine. The heat will cause the balls to yellow and the chlorine will fade the colors and pit the surface.
Fats
Jim, add up all the time it takes you to wash and wax your pool balls. Then multiply it by your hourly wage to determine what kind of time and money you are wasting.JimS said:I just can't see investing $479 for a ball cleaner. I want to! I'd love to be able to justify it. But I just can't do it. It's not very often I can't justify a new toy but the ball polisher is one I just can't do.
It takes me one minute to put the balls in the cleaner, spray with solution and turn the dial. It takes less than one more minute to take them out.
Yes, a ball cleaner is a little overkill. Yes, it is expensive. However, while you are cleaning balls, I'm playing pool.
Save your money.
If you are going to VF, they offer a slight discount there.
I just finished hand cleaning a set of neglected Centenials. I used Meguiar's Plastx and 2 terry towels. One to apply and clean, one to polish. The product is manufactured for cleaning and polishing plastic headlight lenses and convertible windows. It work great on the Centenials. The balls look brand new. I will let you all know how they play. Since its a polish instead of a wax, I expect they will play nice.