Just like any poolhall, at the end of the night I have to clean all 18 tables pretty thoroughly. I just use a brush for the felt and a damp cloth to wipe the handprints etc. off the rails. The problem is that it's pretty damn tiring, even if I switch arms when brushing. I have to do 18 tables in a row, non-stop. I used to use a slightly damp rag for the cloth (simonis 860), but my boss told me that it wears the cloth and creates 'mud' underneath the felt. We don't have a vaccum either. Is there a better method of cleaning that is faster or more efficient? I do a pretty thorough job using a brush, but it really doesn't make the table look as clean as it did when I used a damp rag. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Whats the Best/Most Efficient Way to Clean 15-20 Tables?
- Thread starter cuetechasaurus
- Start date
cuetechasaurus said:
In my Pool Room we Brush and Vacum the tables when ever needed, and at least once a day. I purchased a Kerby Vacum cleaner for that purpose alone, but any vacum will work.
However, do not use a vacum with a rotating brush, it will cause the cloth to wear very fast, and it may even damage the cloth if the brush catches a snag,
My only suggestion is talk to your boss, and tell him what you need. I mean the vacum is a write off as a business expense, or you could find another job, because the guy seems like he is not really intersted in getting the most out of his cloth, and keeping the place looking nice for his customers.
Good Luck!!!!!!
At the hall I go to they use some sort of very rough green cloth. They usually clean the billiard tables after every use, but the pool tables they don't, unfortunately. The cloth kind of looks and feels like wool, but I don't think it is as it is very coarse. Whatever it is it seems to do a great job of cleaning the tables. I don't think I can tell you what it is though, because they would just speak korean to me.
Has anyone seen anything similar to this?
Shame the guy won't get a vacuum for you though. Seems foolish to me. Here I know they vacuum every night in addition to whiping down the tables between uses. But labor is a bit cheaper here than in the States.
Has anyone seen anything similar to this?Shame the guy won't get a vacuum for you though. Seems foolish to me. Here I know they vacuum every night in addition to whiping down the tables between uses. But labor is a bit cheaper here than in the States.
That product QuickClean by Dave Hodges seems to do the job pretty good.
On Buddy Hall's website (http://www.buddyhall.com), it states this:
Simply spray it on & wipe it off - because it is a dry-foam cleaner, your table is ready for immediate play.
Cloth will look and play like new - will not fade cloth.
Extends life of cloth by 40-50%.
Safe for all types and grades of cloth.
Brings older cloth back to its original color and playing speed.
Eliminates table slide experienced with new cloth.
Keeps the pockets, balls, furniture and fixtures free of chalk dust.
Saves hours of time over the old cleaning methods.
Quick-Clean also cleans accessories.
Contents are environmentally safe.
JAM
On Buddy Hall's website (http://www.buddyhall.com), it states this:
Simply spray it on & wipe it off - because it is a dry-foam cleaner, your table is ready for immediate play.
Cloth will look and play like new - will not fade cloth.
Extends life of cloth by 40-50%.
Safe for all types and grades of cloth.
Brings older cloth back to its original color and playing speed.
Eliminates table slide experienced with new cloth.
Keeps the pockets, balls, furniture and fixtures free of chalk dust.
Saves hours of time over the old cleaning methods.
Quick-Clean also cleans accessories.
Contents are environmentally safe.
JAM
Cuetech,
If you have someone who opens the pool hall and you close the pool hall, you could have one person do half the tables in the morning and you do half at close.
Anytime I've cleaned a bunch of tables by myself, I just brush off the felt, normally to one corner of the table, and then take a vaccum to the table and then take a damp towel to the felt and rest of the table. I can generally do 10 tables in about a hour maybe 90mins at the most. But these are also 7ft tables.
Have you tried the CHALK OFF stuff?????????
If you have someone who opens the pool hall and you close the pool hall, you could have one person do half the tables in the morning and you do half at close.
Anytime I've cleaned a bunch of tables by myself, I just brush off the felt, normally to one corner of the table, and then take a vaccum to the table and then take a damp towel to the felt and rest of the table. I can generally do 10 tables in about a hour maybe 90mins at the most. But these are also 7ft tables.
Have you tried the CHALK OFF stuff?????????
We use a tiger shark with the 8 inch attachment (no rotating brisstles), everyonce in a while I break out the attachment with the bristles around the edge and it help quite a bit to stir up the chalk to suck it away.
I have also done some research on chalkoff, and I think maybe bluecoral dryclean spray for car interiors would work also, and at like 3-4$ a can instead of 25$ it is a bargin.
I have also done some research on chalkoff, and I think maybe bluecoral dryclean spray for car interiors would work also, and at like 3-4$ a can instead of 25$ it is a bargin.
I worked at a 20 table room and we cleaned the tables daily. The best way is to get a back pack vacuum to vac first, then wipe the cloth down with a damp cloth. This is assuming they have Simonis cloth (which is directional don't forget! Also don't forget to clean the inside of the pockets...they get filthy as well.
Gerry
Gerry
I've heard others talk about the mud thing. It must be regional. In the midwest no mud is created with a damp towel.
Jerry Karsh of Shaksperes - Denver in argues, if you go ahead and vacuum a table and come back with the damp cloth you still pick up chalk. Why didn't the vacuum get it all?
I've used a damp cloth for years and no problems. However you shouldn't scrub the cloth like a dirty floor. You just wipe it down.
IMO a brush simply throws the chalk around and in the air as well as grind it in to the bed. Check out how much chalk is on the slate next time you change a bed cloth. Dirty wornout balls also contribute to cloth wear.
The chemical sprays I haven't tried. They probably do a decent job but I want slide on my table and these products come out and say that they take the slide out of the cloth. Major tournaments are played on new cloth and new balls. New cloth has slide. If the balls slide there's obviously less friction which should equal less wear.
Clean Balls + Clean Cloth + Slide = twice the life of your cloth.
Jerry Karsh of Shaksperes - Denver in argues, if you go ahead and vacuum a table and come back with the damp cloth you still pick up chalk. Why didn't the vacuum get it all?
I've used a damp cloth for years and no problems. However you shouldn't scrub the cloth like a dirty floor. You just wipe it down.
IMO a brush simply throws the chalk around and in the air as well as grind it in to the bed. Check out how much chalk is on the slate next time you change a bed cloth. Dirty wornout balls also contribute to cloth wear.
The chemical sprays I haven't tried. They probably do a decent job but I want slide on my table and these products come out and say that they take the slide out of the cloth. Major tournaments are played on new cloth and new balls. New cloth has slide. If the balls slide there's obviously less friction which should equal less wear.
Clean Balls + Clean Cloth + Slide = twice the life of your cloth.
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cuetechasaurus said:
That's a helluva lotta tables to brush at one crack. If you work at a busy establishment you can't always count on this happening, but is it possible to ease the burn by starting to clean the tables as they go empty later in the evening?
Or... you could think about it this way... Many people have to pay health club memberships in order to get their arms tired. You're getting a workout and a paycheck. So, maybe you could have a glass of protein drink and go get 'em.
If you do manage to talk the owner into a vacuum cleaner purchase, something with a HEPA filter is a must. Thankfully, there are a lot of vacuums with good filters these days. Chalk dust - or any dust for that matter - is bad news, particularly if inhaled on a regular basis. When you're brushing tables, you're working in a blue cloud.
Ken
Is there a differance between "Chalk-Off" and Quick Clean ? Or are pretty much the same? How about price?
Thanks for the tip on the Coral Blue.
I have used Chalk-Off and it works good and fast smells good to. I use it on a microfiber towel and wipe my cue shaft. I was surprised at how much chalk came off with this product!!
Thanks for the tip on the Coral Blue.
I have used Chalk-Off and it works good and fast smells good to. I use it on a microfiber towel and wipe my cue shaft. I was surprised at how much chalk came off with this product!!
We get our best results by vacumning and then spray the cloth with a solution of 1 part white vinegar and 3 parts water and wipe it down. As mentioned above, don't scrub with the cloth, just wipe straight down the table. Haven't noticed any "mud" when changing cloth although we still see chalk residue.
3kushn said:
Wiping, vacuuming - they are all imperfect. Vacuums - particularly without "beater brushes" such as used on carpet - can't get all of the dirt, especially since the cloth is down against the slate, which restricts air flow. When you consider that wiping will never bring up anything that is below the surface of the cloth, you really need to vacuum too.
Anyone who has ever pulled up a carpet can attest to how much junk even the most powerful vacuum cleaner will leave behind.
Ken
Slider said:
it may not return the cloth to the clean state it was in when you first installed it, but it cleans the hell out of it. I have played in too many pool halls that do not vacum and plenty that do including mine. The difference in the color of my hands goes without question. When they dont clean them, I get black hands, and black up under my finger nails. I look like a mechaninc after a few hours, compared to our tables where you will only get those black hands if we get a case of the lazy asses for a few days.
Or the guy that vacums for free table time doesnt show up that week.
PROG8R said:
Oh hell, yes, I agree totally. I wasn't trying to say vacuuming was useless - it's the best game in town, I was addressing someone's query as to why wiping after vacuuming will reveal more dust. Actually - as any door-to-door vacuum salesman knows - vacuuming after vacuuming will pick up more dust too.
So... speaking of mechanics... Do you know the difference between a chef and a mechanic?
The chef washes his hands after he uses the restroom.
Ba-dum-bump.
A few years ago my company had hired a plumber for some drain repairs and kitchen remodeling. We were shooting the bull one day, and I asked him if he was union, which led to a conversation about their apprenticeship program. He told me the first and most important thing a prospective plumber needs to learn. "Don't chew your fingernails."
Ken
Everytime someone brings up the balls, I brush the table down also, so it happens quite a bit thru the night. When we get close to closing time, the ones I've already cleaned I just turn the lights off or write down the numbers of the tables I've cleaned. My problem is on the weekends. Usually we have almost a full house when we call out 'Last game', so I have to wait until the last minute until everyone leaves. They all leave at the same time since it's last call, so I have to do most or sometimes all of the tables non stop.
I know it's a good work out and everything, it's just that it's pretty darn exhausting, and I have ALOT of other stuff I have to do after the tables. I have to take out the trash, mop the bathrooms, restock the beer and drinks (this takes a long time), sweep outside, and wipe down all the counters and tables etc with windex (this also takes a long time). Most of this can't be done before we give last call.
I know it's a good work out and everything, it's just that it's pretty darn exhausting, and I have ALOT of other stuff I have to do after the tables. I have to take out the trash, mop the bathrooms, restock the beer and drinks (this takes a long time), sweep outside, and wipe down all the counters and tables etc with windex (this also takes a long time). Most of this can't be done before we give last call.
Make your cloth last longer and keep good employees.
Reading everything that has been written so far leads me to believe that you need to express to the owner of the business that a high quality BACK PACK vacuum cleaner (with HEPA filter) is needed (no brush) and that this will EXTEND THE LIFE OF HIS CLOTH, keep his business cleaner, his customer's hands cleaner, his employee's hands cleaner etc. I would try some of that 1 and 3 concoction of vinegar and water spray on on some old cloth prior to replacement.
The owner is wasting valuable resources (time, money and good employees) on doing a mediocre job.
P.S. I like your work initiative but will try to give you some bad REP anyway.
JoeyA
cuetechasaurus said:
Reading everything that has been written so far leads me to believe that you need to express to the owner of the business that a high quality BACK PACK vacuum cleaner (with HEPA filter) is needed (no brush) and that this will EXTEND THE LIFE OF HIS CLOTH, keep his business cleaner, his customer's hands cleaner, his employee's hands cleaner etc. I would try some of that 1 and 3 concoction of vinegar and water spray on on some old cloth prior to replacement.
The owner is wasting valuable resources (time, money and good employees) on doing a mediocre job.
P.S. I like your work initiative but will try to give you some bad REP anyway.
JoeyA