What are the best methods to clean Old Cortland linen wraps?

2strong4u

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What are the best methods to clean Old Cortland linen wraps? I've seen a cue maker use just soap and water with a sponge. It helped some. I was considering a spray foam upholstery cleaner.

Or do you just leave then grungy and refinish around the wrap?

Thanks
 
Most quality cue repair shops should be able to clean and press the linen. It comes out looking nice afterwards. The white in Cortland wraps is more of an ivory color, not a true bright white.
 
Anybody willing to share their techniques for cleaning Cortland wrap? Thanks.

While the cue is spinning in the lathe I use dish soap and water and a rag (cuts the grease and oils from your hands). I then use my linen press to completely dry and press the linen. You certainly don't want to leave the linen nor the handle wet or damp. Once completely dry I seal the wrap and finish pressing it. I run the lathe as fast as possible but not where it will damage the cue, usually around 2,000 rpm).

Dick
 
What kind of soap? I generally use a bit of laundry soap, a mild mix. Enuff to create some bubbles.

Upholstery cleaners. I would be careful for one reason. When you read the instructions on just about any can, it will tell you to first try it on a hidden or test piece of material, in case that it causes the dye to run.

I have never touched Cortland, but will give any other wrap a spritz of Starch after I initially clean and dry the wrap. Make sure that I wipe it in evenly with a clean cloth and dry it again with a press.

And honestly, I have no idea if the starch does anything special.
 
What kind of soap? I generally use a bit of laundry soap, a mild mix. Enuff to create some bubbles.

Upholstery cleaners. I would be careful for one reason. When you read the instructions on just about any can, it will tell you to first try it on a hidden or test piece of material, in case that it causes the dye to run.

I have never touched Cortland, but will give any other wrap a spritz of Starch after I initially clean and dry the wrap. Make sure that I wipe it in evenly with a clean cloth and dry it again with a press.

And honestly, I have no idea if the starch does anything special.


I would use Dawn dish soap, like they do on the little ducks that fall victim to BP & Exxon
 
I would use Dawn dish soap, like they do on the little ducks that fall victim to BP & Exxon

I also use dishwashing detergent, but I only use a moist/damp towel in order to use as little water as possible. I do one section of the wrap at a time and completely dry it with a clean terrycloth towel and then move up to the next section.

I have only cleaned original Cortland wraps. My method works very well. I have not damaged a wrap or loosened one yet. It is startling how much dirt and grime can be easily removed.
 
I also use dishwashing detergent, but I only use a moist/damp towel in order to use as little water as possible. I do one section of the wrap at a time and completely dry it with a clean terrycloth towel and then move up to the next section.

I have only cleaned original Cortland wraps. My method works very well. I have not damaged a wrap or loosened one yet. It is startling how much dirt and grime can be easily removed.

Thanks for the info. :)

What do you do afterward, if anything, to seal or finish it?

Aloha.
 
Hi,

I use Oxyclean.

On light color wraps there is no better IMO.

Once it is dry try Renaissance Wax and burnish with an index card at high speed.

Renaissance is not a wax, it is a microcrystalline chemical formula.

Just plain Wax attracts dirt.

Soap also attracts dirt because it is above 7 on the PH scale and is alkaline.

Renaissance is slightly acidic and repels dirt. It leave the wrap shiny without being sticky. Very nice!

Here is an example on how it works in carpet cleaning for example.

Most people clean their carpet using soap and a machine. When they are done some give it a water rinse. After that process the fibers of the carpet still has an alkaline residue. That coating attracts dirt back into the fibers like a chemical magnetism.

Pros rinse the carpet with an acid rinse that is slightly acidic and the fibers repel dirt. Dirt then falls to the bottom where they are easily vacuumed away. Carpets stay cleaner longer.

It took me a few years to figure this out and when I read the formula of Renaissance I knew this was the product site specific for wrap use in my shop.

It was invented by chemical engineers at the British Museum in the 1950s to coat, wood, marble, metal, paper and organic material. The Constitution and The Magna Carta are protected with this protective layer.

Try it and I am sure you will be delighted with the out come on linen.

Rick
 
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Hi,

I use Oxyclean.

On light color wraps there is no better IMO.

Once it is dry try Renaissance Wax and burnish with an index card at high speed.

Renaissance is not a wax, it is a microcrystalline chemical formula.

Just plain Wax attracts dirt.

Soap also attracts dirt because it is above 7 on the PH scale and is alkaline.

Renaissance is slightly acidic and repels dirt. It leave the wrap shiny without being sticky. Very nice!

Here is an example on how it works in carpet cleaning for example.

Most people clean their carpet using soap and a machine. When they are done some give it a water rinse. After that process the fibers of the carpet still has an alkaline residue. That coating attracts dirt back into the fibers like a chemical magnetism.

Pros rinse the carpet with an acid rinse that is slightly acidic and the fibers repel dirt. Dirt then falls to the bottom where they are easily vacuumed away. Carpets stay cleaner longer.

It took me a few years to figure this out and when I read the formula of Renaissance I knew this was the product site specific for wrap use in my shop.

It was invented by chemical engineers at the British Museum in the 1950s to coat, wood, marble, metal, paper and organic material. The Constitution and The Magna Carta are protected with this protective layer.

Try it and I am sure you will be delighted with the out come on linen.

Rick
Actually, Just to clarify, Renaissance wax is NOT acidic, it is actually the opposite. http://www.restorationproduct.com/renwaxinfo.html
It does sound like a great wax to use for wraps.
Dave
 
Actually, Just to clarify, Renaissance wax is NOT acidic, it is actually the opposite. http://www.restorationproduct.com/renwaxinfo.html
It does sound like a great wax to use for wraps.
Dave

Thanks Dave,

Yea, that ad says neutral PH. I read in a report somewhere that is was slightly acidic but as long as it is neutral it won't attract the dirt.

The PH Scale is calibrated from 0 to 14. On the PH scale 7 is neutral , anything 7+ is alkaline and anything 7- is acidic. Neutral is not opposite actually.

Anyway it is awesome stuff for wraps

Rick
 
dish soap and sponge with green scrub side.wet wrap lather the soap up all over handle .wit the scub side spin the cue in hand in one direction .sqeeze and spin dont scrub.rinse.dry with terry cloth..ive used spray starch..wrap with thin dish towel or t shirt and iron it
 
Thanks Dave,

Yea, that ad says neutral PH. I read in a report somewhere that is was slightly acidic but as long as it is neutral it won't attract the dirt.

The PH Scale is calibrated from 0 to 14. On the PH scale 7 is neutral , anything 7+ is alkaline and anything 7- is acidic. Neutral is not opposite actually.

Anyway it is awesome stuff for wraps

Rick

Yes neutral... Been using it for years... Great on wraps, shafts, satin finished cues. Very nice on older shafts with no finish on the collars... It hardens so it can be built up an polished to a nice natural sheen.... On the cues I collect I use it on joint pins and shaft inserts or wood threads as well...
 
I'm a big fan of Cortland Linen; some might even think of me as a Cortland zealot,. I do not have the equipment that others have nor do I install my wraps.
I rely upon others to perform that kind of work, including my cue's tips. Thereafter, the maintenance of the cue's overall finish, etc. is my responsibility.

The only thing I've done to my Cortland wraps over the years is to wipe the wrap with a damp white face cloth and then dry wipe it with a clean white towel.
I let the wrap sit for a short period since there's still a tiny amount of dampness in the wrap, usually no more than 5-10 minutes. Then I take a glass beer stein
(mug) and after laying the cue butt on a flat surface underneath a towel, I use the flat barrel outside of the mug to rub the wrap very fast with application of
pressure as well. I gradually increase both speed & pressure application and heat rub the wrap rotating it as I perform this treatment using a round, straight
heavy glass.The surface feel of the wrap noticeably changes after being dampened and air drying. The wrap cleaning creates some loose fibers of the woven
flax or linen strands that you can feel, however, the heat rub apparently presses the strands flat & the sheen look of the linen & a softer feel is restored again.

It takes multiple treatment of the wrap with heat rubbing using a glass object and I found a beer mug or heavy 16-20 oz. thick glass works great. I press so hard
when I rub that I've actually broken a mug a couple of times but the handle portion that I hold has never come close to breaking. This works.....I dunno why but it
really does work, I wish I had a lathe because that would make this so much easier. I also found it's helpful to damp wipe and dry rub the Cortland Linen in the
same direction it was spun onto the wrap. Always rub in the same circular rotation that the wrap was spun onto the wrap is what I was told a long time ago and
I've just stuck to that.

I'd read where some Azers have used a steam iron to actually press the wrap but I've never attempted that and the idea doesn't appeal to me, especially since
my technique produces acceptable results for me. There's rings and inlays that are very close to my cues' wraps and I'm not saying exposing them to the heat
would be injurious to my cue. I'm just saying I don't feel comfortable even doing that and so why take the risk. I'll stick to what I do since it produces acceptable
results but keep in ind I'm not trying to clean up a cue wrap with years of dirt, grit and grime accumulation like might be the case if you bought a used cue. That's
simply because I attend to my wraps every couple of months so there's not much build-up of dirt so to speak.

Anyway, that's what I know about cleaning Cortland Linen, or any Irish Linen, pool cue wrap.

Matt B.
 
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I've never had the chance to try working with Cortland or Penn linen.

This is just my experience with white with black spot,and black with white,but Woolite on a paper towel or white t shirt material works real nice ;). Tommy D.
 
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