If you have ever played billiard sports in a pool hall or a bar, you might have for at least once come across an unmaintained pool table, pool balls, and cues which is impeding as well as concerning.
Keeping the pool balls clean is fundamental and is often disregarded in the overall maintenance.
Daily dirt, chalk dust, sweat and oil from holding, and residues can alter the shiny look of the pool balls which definitely needs attention.
Will people play with dull-looking and splotchy billiard balls rather than shiny attractive ones?
Not only does it affect the look of the balls but also the durability of the balls and the surface of the table as dirt and crud that accumulates on the pool balls can be transferred to the table while playing.
Being known of the fitting cleaning procedures can help with the endurance of the pool table and everything it comprises.
This blog provides you with a handy guide to ruling out many pool problems with simple hacks yet effective in action.
Table of Contents
Things not to do while cleaning balls:
There are few methods that need to be avoided as they may cause more damage than being useful.
1. Dishwashing your balls
Even though dishwashing seems a perfect fit as well as a simple procedure for cleaning your pool balls, it is not the right choice as it can lead to irreversible damage to the balls.
As you know, pool balls are made up of either phenolic resin or a polyester-resin blend.
Hence, these materials are severely influenced by the dishwasher’s heating system.
Therefore, eliminate this option from your cleaning bucket list as they affect both the surface and integrity of the pool balls.
2. Do not use home cleaning items
Household cleaning products can look like a great option for bringing back the glow and shine in your pool balls but the opposite of what is expected happens most of the time.
These products can be harsh and abrasive on the surface.
Some spray bottle liquids and bleach can cause discoloration and turn the balls yellow which is risky.
So, it is best to keep such damaging products away from your pool balls.
The right way of cleaning your billiard balls
Cleaning the pool balls with light detergent or soap and water is the best way.
Use lukewarm water as both the extremities can’t be helpful.
The cold water will not be aiding in removing the dirt and dust from the balls while hot water can cause potential damages.
100 % resin-based balls can be cleaned with hot water as it won’t damage the core integrity of the balls.
Quick Steps:
Take a bucket of your choice according to the number of balls you have. About 3 to 4 gallons will work best.
Fill the bucket up to 3/4th with lukewarm water.
Add the detergent to the water and dilute well. For every 10 – 12 parts of water, add 1 pack of light detergent. (Use a proper pool ball cleaner or restorer or polisher for proper results).
Aramith Billiard Ball Cleaner & Restorer 8.4 fl. oz. Bottles
Soak the billiard balls for around 5 to 10 minutes.
After a good soak, gently scrub off the debris from each ball using a microfiber cloth or rag. To ensure the pool balls brighten well, you can add a little extra detergent to the cloth.
Transfer the pool balls into another bucket with cold or room temperature water and wipe off the excess soap.
Thoroughly dry each ball using another towel.
Make sure you dry them with your towel very well because partially dried or air dried balls can leave a spot on the surface and cannot provide you the results you wish to see.
Do this and yellow stains will go away
Even with good maintenance, yellow stains appear in your pool balls especially in cue balls due to oxidation like that of rust seen on metals.
As it affects the aesthetically appealing appearance of the balls, yellow stains have to be treated and removed.
How To Clean Yellowed Pool Balls? The best and easiest method is to make a fine paste using baking soda and water. Once the paste is completely mixed, rub the mixture onto each ball after the primary wash.
Quickly rub and rinse the baking soda and water paste with cold or normal water so that it does not adhere to the surface of the balls.
BallStar Pool and Billiards Ball Cleaner
The BallStar Pool Ball Cleaner includes everything you need for hundreds of cleaning cycles.
You can clean 8 pool balls per cycle. Each cycle takes about 1 minute.
The machine is fast and easy to use.
Included are some pretty useful instructions, a liter of liquid cleaner, a cleaning box, two pads for cleaning, an 8-blade impeller, and an injector bottle.
Even though it looks like the latest space-age crockpot, this heavy-duty system is extremely efficient.
Using the machine won’t remove the heavy scuffs.
The balls shine after cleaning and the english imparted on the ball is night and day.
Your game will become completely different with clean balls.
Polishing Billiard Balls
After cleaning and drying the balls, to retrieve that extra sparkle and shine in the balls, polishing would be a good choice.
However, polishing is not necessary but an added element that gives shine on the surface.
It is crucial to know the product and its effect on the balls before using it.
Oil included polish products should be avoided due to stickiness on the ball’s surface even after complete drying.
It is highly recommended to avoid waxing as you do to your car because it is not meant for pool balls.
Given that, it affects the ball’s trajectory, speed, and contact with other balls; may even possibly cause damage to the balls.
If polishing is needed, going for products that are specifically designed for polishing purposes will be a pool ball healthy choice.
Bestselling Billiard Pool Ball Cleaner and Polisher
- Aramith Phenolic Billiard Ball Care
- Aramith Power Ball Cleaner
- Mezz Cue Magic Billiard Pool Ball Polisher
Pros of Keeping Balls Clean
By taking good care of the balls and with proper maintenance, the durability and longevity of the pool balls, felt, cue, and table are increased.
Owing to that fact, dirt accumulated balls will not last longer than the ones that are well maintained.
If the whole billiard gear is cleaned, there is a significant change in the gameplay.
The clean pool balls will provide a smooth and expected trajectory than the unclean balls.
Cleaning the balls will ensure a long run of the balls and felt.
It saves a lot of money instead of spending dollars in changing the felt and balls every now and then due to complete damage without cleaning.
More importantly, clean balls help to keep the felt clean for a long time.
If the balls are dirty and chalked, it is obviously transferred to the felt and so it needs maintenance more often which can be reduced by cleaning the balls on a regular interval.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get my pool balls white again?
- Take a small bowl and fill it with baking soda.
- Pour in water slowly until it is a thick paste.
- Use a toothbrush to apply this paste to the billiard ball.
- Billiard balls should be rinsed and dried as soon as possible with a dry cloth.
Can pool balls be washed?
- It actually reacts the same way as a standard glass when washed in any kind of washer, preferable to a dishwasher.
- Thus, they can be cleaned with a dishwasher quite easily.
- Therefore, your dishwasher can do the job for your Aramith balls; rather than using harsh soaps, use mild ones.
Why do pool balls turn yellow?
- Over time, phenolic resin pool balls will turn yellow.
- Yellowing occurs when phenolic resin breaks down due to UV light, heat, and air, giving the ball a grayish appearance.
What can you polish pool balls with?
- A cleaner and polish from Chem Pak is an all-in-one solution.
- You can clean, polish, and protect with it.
- This product should only be used in moderation.
- Billiard balls are usually clean with a wet cloth when cleaned regularly.
Should I polish my pool balls?
- According to the WPA and most competitive pool players, waxing and even polishing pool balls is bad practice because it makes it harder to consistently hit the ball.
- Furthermore, throwing or spinning the ball becomes nearly impossible.
- Keep reading if you still have your eye on turtle wax.
How do you clean Aramith pool balls?
- Shake bottle well before use.
- Place an Aramith ball on the Aramith Restorer.
- Using a microfiber cloth, rub well. Apply Aramith Cleaner a few drops at a time.
- Use Aramith Microfiber Cloth to scrub gently again.
- Use dry paper or a piece of dry cloth to make the ball shine.
Conclusion
The above methods will help you resolve your problem as well as ease up your cleaning process.
Learning about the cleaning process is an essential component to keep your gear in good shape.
Not following this can lead to money-consuming repairs and replacements.
Clean billiard balls and felt will also brighten up the game and environment.
As already said, “simple things can make big differences”. Make these simple yet big difference producers in your gear cleaning routine.
