It looks like I will be doing it by hand for a while, so how do I do it? Should I wax them each time or just clean them? And what do I use to clean them?
Thanks!
Thanks!
How do I clean my pool balls?
- Thread starter Nature Boy
- Start date
Just run them through your dishwasher.
Lol the title of this thread could have been very dirty!
My pool hall just uses a magic eraser to clean the cue balls scuffs and just a regular cloth rub on the rest of them
Their balls are pretty clean
I think as long as you clean them after every use (i know sucks...) they should be in super shape!
My pool hall just uses a magic eraser to clean the cue balls scuffs and just a regular cloth rub on the rest of them
Their balls are pretty clean
I think as long as you clean them after every use (i know sucks...) they should be in super shape!
I just use Aramith ball cleaner/polish and a microfiber towel. I don't put wax on them but I've been wondering about if others do. I played some 3C with a guy who brought his own set and they definitely seemed waxed. It was hard to pick them up without having them slip out of my hands. I don't know if the use of wax on the balls is a carom thing or what.
I think some guys use high end car polish such as Mothers or Meguiar's.
A bottle of the Aramith stuff is only $8-$10 or so and lasts a while since you only need a drop on each ball.
I think some guys use high end car polish such as Mothers or Meguiar's.
A bottle of the Aramith stuff is only $8-$10 or so and lasts a while since you only need a drop on each ball.
In the past, I have always used Aramith cleaner occasionally, and washed the balls with water and a wash cloth every day. After reading several posts on here about Brillianize, I decided to try it. Everything the posters had said was true - the stuff is great. This may be what Mr. Ferguson's 3C friends was using, because the balls will slip out of your hands (after my Diamond polisher is delivered, I may have to invest in some tongs to pick up the balls if they get any more slippery). I will never go back to the Aramith cleaner.
Never use wax on pool balls: it collects dust and will rub off on your cloth. The idea is to have the balls as clean as possible.
Never use wax on pool balls: it collects dust and will rub off on your cloth. The idea is to have the balls as clean as possible.
Is Brillianize a pool product?
Check it out here: http://www.brillianize.com/
The stuff is really easy to use by hand. Much easier than Aramith.
The stuff is really easy to use by hand. Much easier than Aramith.
No. It's a plastic cleaner and polish. I ran across it when my copier repair guy used it to clean the platen glass so the document feeder would work better. He said it made the glass slick so the paper would slide across it. It does.
So, I decided to try it on the pool balls, and it is the nuts. It's used to clean and polish aircraft plexiglass, motorcycle windshields etc. It's just simply the best thing I've found and I've tried everything that has ever been mentioned.
I've read you should not use the dishwasher. Do not use wax. The Magic Eraser will scratch the surface. It's abrasive.
Well, I picked some up at my local hardware store and gave it a test run on my cue balls. It just sprays on, which is definitely easier than the Aramith polish that I put on my finger then smear it around on each ball. I would say that alone makes it a time saver.
But, it seemed I needed to apply a little more elbow grease to get the chalk marks completely out. This is probably because while the Aramith polish is thicker and has a definite grit to it that you can feel, this stuff doesn't seem gritty at all.
I'll give it the full test when I clean my whole set, probably in about a week or so.
I would say that for just polishing up the cue ball, like during play, the Brillianize would definitely be more convenient. When doing a whole set it may also be more convenient for polishing the object balls since they don't have the deep chalk marks like the cue balls do.
Thanks for the link.
The Aramith is much more abrasive than the Brillianize, so it gets out the heavily embedded chalk marks better. The Aramith also gives a better shine to the balls. But the Brillianize gets them much cleaner, which makes them slicker (the Aramith seems to leave a little residue).
When my polisher arrives, if the Brillianize doesn't shine the balls well enough, the same company makes a mil-spec plexi polish that I'll try. I used to polish airplane windshields when I was a kid, and the plexi polish is a real nightmare to use by hand, but should work great in a machine.
pssst. Don't tell anyone, but I used the Brillianize to clean a couple of shafts. Tried it first on an old McVomit, which developed slight fuzzies (2000 grit took them right off). That shaft seemed okay, so I tried it on a good shaft, and it got it cleaner than the magic eraser I have been using. Very slick.
(your mileage may vary)
When my polisher arrives, if the Brillianize doesn't shine the balls well enough, the same company makes a mil-spec plexi polish that I'll try. I used to polish airplane windshields when I was a kid, and the plexi polish is a real nightmare to use by hand, but should work great in a machine.
pssst. Don't tell anyone, but I used the Brillianize to clean a couple of shafts. Tried it first on an old McVomit, which developed slight fuzzies (2000 grit took them right off). That shaft seemed okay, so I tried it on a good shaft, and it got it cleaner than the magic eraser I have been using. Very slick.
(your mileage may vary)
I don't know about the Aramith leaving the balls shinier. The Brillianize made my two cue balls shine up real nice.
Have you noticed if either product is better at keeping balls clean (or cleaner) longer during use? That would be a big plus to the extent that it may help avoid the dreaded "skidder" in between cleanings.
What polisher are you getting?
The Brillianize may shine well, I don't know. I just spray some of it on a cloth and wash the balls. I haven't attempted to put a shine on them (got a bad case of OFH). Just washing them makes them slicker than the Aramith does, or so it seems to me.
Just a guess, but I think the balls should stay cleaner with the Brillianize, because they're cleaner to start with. Haven't checked that.
I'm getting the Diamond single-platter polisher. Should be here in a couple of weeks.
Just a guess, but I think the balls should stay cleaner with the Brillianize, because they're cleaner to start with. Haven't checked that.
I'm getting the Diamond single-platter polisher. Should be here in a couple of weeks.
Duragloss 681
Auto parts stores carry different brands of polish marketed for polishing motorcycle plastic windscreens, and also for plastic headlight and taillight
lenses.
The one I use for pool balls is called DURAGLOSS 681.
It works really well; an 8 ounce bottle will last for years.
It does contain "Aliphatic Hydrocarbons".... so don't drink it, folks! :smilewinkgrin:
RL
Auto parts stores carry different brands of polish marketed for polishing motorcycle plastic windscreens, and also for plastic headlight and taillight
lenses.
The one I use for pool balls is called DURAGLOSS 681.
It works really well; an 8 ounce bottle will last for years.
It does contain "Aliphatic Hydrocarbons".... so don't drink it, folks! :smilewinkgrin:
RL
Secaucus Fats
Banned
Don't use a dishwasher! It will make the ball turn yellowish, and if you use dishwashing detergent (which contains chlorine) it will dull the colors or change them. If you want to wash the balls before polishing them plain old warm water and a washcloth will do the job without damaging them.