Toweling off your cue - harmful?

Mike in MN

Mike in MN

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hey everyone. I was just looking for some feedback regarding the use of plain ol' towels to wipe down your cue during play. I regularly use shaft conditioning systems like Q-Kleen and such, but when I am in play, sometimes my cue just needs to be wiped off to remove sweat, chalk, dirt, etc. So my question is: Is there any kind of towel fabric I should be especially weary of? Is there anything that could damage my cue or scratch it up? Any recommendations for a product that stands above the rest? I would hate to use an extra kitchen towel I have only to find out that it could harm my cue in some way. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks :)
 
9BallMarksman said:
Hey everyone. I was just looking for some feedback regarding the use of plain ol' towels to wipe down your cue during play. I regularly use shaft conditioning systems like Q-Kleen and such, but when I am in play, sometimes my cue just needs to be wiped off to remove sweat, chalk, dirt, etc. So my question is: Is there any kind of towel fabric I should be especially weary of? Is there anything that could damage my cue or scratch it up? Any recommendations for a product that stands above the rest? I would hate to use an extra kitchen towel I have only to find out that it could harm my cue in some way. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks :)
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I use micro-fiber towels to wipe down my cue. I use one with a softer finish for polishing, and a slightly coarser grained one...(they're all still pretty soft)...for wiping down my shaft. They're fairly inexpensive, especially at Wally World. You can the coarser ones in the automotive dept, and check the kitchen/bath dept for the softer towels. I really like the waffle patterned ones for polishing.
To date, I have noticed no scratching of the finish, and they clean up quite nicely.

NOTE: When washing micro-fiber towels, DO NOT use a fabric softener on them!!! That is one sure way to ruin them, and then they will become scratchy...also, no high heat in the dryer, as they could melt....being an all synthetic blend. They will actually air dry pretty quickly, when compared to a cotton towel, and will not lose their 'nap'.

Lisa
 
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I just make a trip to the men's room and wash my hands. The paper towel I dry my hands with is then slightly damp in some areas, dry in others, perfect to wipe down my shaft with the slightly damp and buff with the dry afterward.
 
I just bought 6 micro fiber wash cloths at Kragen Auto Parts. They're regularly $2.99/pkg of 3 but are on sale this week at $.99/pkg of 3. I haven't tried them yet but a read a blurb somewhere that they're very good to use when wiping your cue.
 
catscradle said:
I just make a trip to the men's room and wash my hands. The paper towel I dry my hands with is then slightly damp in some areas, dry in others, perfect to wipe down my shaft with the slightly damp and buff with the dry afterward.
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I do the same,its alot easier.
 
catscradle said:
I just make a trip to the men's room and wash my hands. The paper towel I dry my hands with is then slightly damp in some areas, dry in others, perfect to wipe down my shaft with the slightly damp and buff with the dry afterward.
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I have done this in the past as well and it seems to work well.
 
supergreenman said:
I use a golf towel, comes with a nice clip to attach to my case.
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Same here. This is so convenient, I don't know why more folks don't do this.

If you lay the towel and bag over the edge of a nearby table just right it makes a great place to lean your cue onto with zero chance of scratching even if it gets bumped a little.

I've got my eye out for a nice microfiber towel. Pete LaFond from Slipstik said in another thread that they have a new clip-on microfiber towel that sounds ultra primo.

The other nice thing about having a clip on towel is that it makes your bag super easy to recognize from across the room.
 
Da Poet said:
I've got my eye out for a nice microfiber towel. Pete LaFond from Slipstik said in another thread that they have a new clip-on microfiber towel that sounds ultra primo.
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Same here, will be getting this towel a.s.a.p.

In the past, I've always used a cloth baby's diaper to wipe down my shafts. I figured if they're good enough for a baby's bottom, then they should be fine for my cue stick :D :D :D !!!

Maniac
 
I used to use paper towels used at the snack shop and someone told me it was abrasive and eventually will ruin the finish so I started using the micro fiber fabric that people use to wipe their glasses with.
 
9BallMarksman said:
Hey everyone. I was just looking for some feedback regarding the use of plain ol' towels to wipe down your cue during play. I regularly use shaft conditioning systems like Q-Kleen and such, but when I am in play, sometimes my cue just needs to be wiped off to remove sweat, chalk, dirt, etc. So my question is: Is there any kind of towel fabric I should be especially weary of? Is there anything that could damage my cue or scratch it up? Any recommendations for a product that stands above the rest? I would hate to use an extra kitchen towel I have only to find out that it could harm my cue in some way. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks :)
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The most important thing is to keep it clean. I do not like the micro fiber towels because of their abrasive nature, they will cause wear!!!! A clean soft cotton towel will work well to clean and polish your entire cue. I recommend keeping the butt polished with a good Carnuba wax, this will prevent contaminants especially chalk from abrading the cues finish. Chalk is very abrasive and it should not be allowed to build up on the shaft, the butt, or the wrap.

Have a great day!!!!!
 
catscradle said:
I just make a trip to the men's room and wash my hands. The paper towel I dry my hands with is then slightly damp in some areas, dry in others, perfect to wipe down my shaft with the slightly damp and buff with the dry afterward.
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I do this aswell...but I carry a washcloth to use if I need to between bathroom breaks...
 
my 2 cents

Jim Buss (our local cuemaker and board member of American Cuemakers Association) has always told me to first and foremost always wash your hands before play...with SOAP. This sweat, grime mix that people have all over their cues will eventually cause the finish to deteriorate over time. Keep your hands clean and use a CLEAN soft cotton towel to keep sweat and grit from chalk etc to a minimum. The soap will also dry out your hands for a while eliminating the overuse of hand talc some people are so fond of. Using a dirty towel all the time isnt doing as much good as you think. Some guys buy a towel to clip on thier case and then NEVER clean it. Just the tips I tell everyone to help if I can. My 2 cents worth.
 
First I gotta get the chalk off my tip!! I use a MicroFiber Cloth.
I woulden't use anything on my cues I havent tryed on my dad's cues:D .
-Vinnie
 
There are very few 100% cotton towels available and any polyester content will scratch the clear coat. Use of a high quality microfiber towel is the best... that's what the big time detailers, car collecters and hot rodders use and in many, if not most, cases the clear coat is the same product.

I like the waffle weave.

Do no wash them with other towels or clothes, don't use fabric softener or bleach, and don't dry in the dryer. They pick up lint like a magnet and you won't be able to get it off. Wash seperately or wash by hand in the sink with Dove dishwashing detergent. Dove is the only one that will remove any dirt, oil, grease and wax that might get on the towel.
 
If you are burnishing with something like the smooth side of a Q-wiz disc (which is what I use), it's hard to believe that any towel would be too abrasive. The Q-wiz is not abrasive, but isn't it rougher than a towel?
 
manwon said:
The most important thing is to keep it clean. I do not like the micro fiber towels because of their abrasive nature, they will cause wear!!!! A clean soft cotton towel will work well to clean and polish your entire cue. I recommend keeping the butt polished with a good Carnuba wax, this will prevent contaminants especially chalk from abrading the cues finish. Chalk is very abrasive and it should not be allowed to build up on the shaft, the butt, or the wrap.

Have a great day!!!!!
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Second that (good post). Find something at the dollar store for a towel. Save the moolah for other accessories!
 
First I brush the shaft lovingly with a brush made from the finest human baby hair, then I use a couple of live, sedated, royal angora chinchillas. I spray the first one with a fine mist of pure spring water and rub his little chinchilla arse all over my shaft, then I follow up with the second (dry) chinchilla. Oh, and make sure that the chichillas are declawed and have had all their teeth removed. :D
 
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Secaucus Fats said:
First I brush the shaft lovingly with a brush made from the finest human baby hair, then I use a couple of live, sedated, royal angora chinchillas. I spray the first one with a fine mist of pure spring water and rub his little chinchilla arse all over my shaft, then I follow up with the second (dry) chinchilla. Oh, and make sure that the chichillas are declawed and have had all their teeth removed. :D
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Do you use males or females? I think females would work best, they seem to keep their arse a little cleaner than males.;) That way you will not get any brown stains on your shaft, because they may be harder to remove!!!!!!!!!!!!!:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :D
 
Since my cues have automotive finishes, I also use clear-coat friendly microfiber cloths on my cue, I use separate mf's so as not transfer the abrasive chalk particles from the shaft to the butt.

For the shaft, I use the suede-texture mf as it burnishes the shaft as good as a leather!

For the butt, I use the fuzzier mf since it traps dirt really well, therefore reducing the chances of scratching the clear coat:)
 
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