If you are a regular bowler, it is very important to know how to clean a bowling ball. Whether you plan to clean your bowling ball at home or opt for bowling ball cleaning at your local pro shops, it is very important to know the tools, equipment, and techniques required to ensure that your bowling game is not affected by the dust, dirt, grime, and oil found on the lanes.
To know more about cleaning your bowling ball at home or at a pro shop, continue reading this handy guide!
What You Will Need to Clean a Bowling Ball at Home
For this particular type of bowling ball cleaning, you would need a couple of things, namely:
Microfiber Towel
A microfiber towel (or microfiber cloth) is used to wipe the surface of the ball. This particular type of maintenance should, under ideal circumstances, be done every time you use the bowling ball.
A microfiber cloth is very good because it can get into the grooves and pores of the bowling ball, especially if the bowling ball's coverstock is reactive resin for better hook potential.
Failure in wiping your bowling ball will not only directly affect the hook potential but may lead to more costly maintenance procedures using deep cleaning equipment in the future.
We recommend the Impresa Bowling Ball Microfiber Towel.
Bowling Ball Cleaners
Bowling ball cleaners are a convenient and affordable all-around method of ensuring that with every wiping session, you are able to clean the entire surface and get rid of dust, grime, oil, and other particles that should not be on the ball.
Alternatives to exclusive bowling ball cleaners are acetone, liquid dishwashing soap (dish soap), regular soap, and rubbing alcohol. However, we would ultimately recommend going with an actual cleaning solution for bowling balls as the alternative solutions may be too potent or insufficient to get that deep clean so you can play games with performance down the lanes.
We like using the Pyramid Monster Tac Bowling Ball Cleaner or you can check out the Bowling Ball Cleaning Kit.
Bucket with Hot Water
Sometimes, in order to get that deep clean that can cover all parts of the bowling ball, you might just have to skip the bowling ball cleaners and just fill a bucket or tub and soak the bowling ball in it.
The soak method of cleaning a bowling ball takes roughly 20 minutes (including the preparation of needed items) and is great for when you want to perform DIY deep cleaning. This is one of the better cleaning methods for bowling balls that are constantly exposed to heavy oil conditions on the bowling lanes during games. Oil will be easily extracted and readily noticeable as oil will rise to the top of the bucket as it is lighter than water.
However, before you proceed with this cleaning technique, you will be needing a special kind of tape, as discussed below.
Waterproof Tape
Duct tape is generally considered waterproof, but for the sake of the soak method for bowling ball cleaning, it is important to select a heavy-duty kind of tape.
There are no bowl-specific tape products, so we would just suggest going with the premium duct tape brands to ensure that nothing gets through the finger holes of the ball.
Check out the Gorilla All Weather Waterproof Duct Tape.
Ball Spinner
A lot of things can affect the quality and luster of your bowling ball, including temperature, oil, dirt, and dust. Fortunately, a bowling ball spinner machine can help even out the surface by allowing you to sand, polish, and generally clean the whole surface of the bowling ball.
The way this device works is, the ball literally spins around while you are wiping down the surface with a towel and liquid cleaners or just a microfiber cloth. You can usually check this process out at your local pro shop to see it in action.
If you feel like the lane performance of your bowling ball is inconsistent, then dirt may have clogged the pores of certain areas of your bowling ball (which is a common occurrence among bowlers). Do not let dirt and grime affect your game. Use a bowling ball spinner as necessary.
We suggest using the Bowlerstore Personal Ball Spinner.
For more options check out: the 5 best bowling ball spinners
How to Clean a Bowling Ball (Step-by-Step Guide)
Bowling ball cleaning is not as tedious as it may seem, and trust us when we say that the integrity of the ball's surface can spell the difference between knocking all the pins down (strike) and leaving a couple of pins standing.
With the use of cleaners, microfiber towel, and the soak technique mentioned above, here are three of the most prominent cleaning methods that bowlers could (and should) take advantage of to keep their bowl game in check.
1. Spray-and-Wipe Technique
As mentioned in the previous section, the spray-and-wipe technique is a simple way of maintaining your ball. All you need for this are good bowling ball cleaners and a good microfiber towel or two.
Generously apply the bowling ball cleaner (alternatives: rubbing alcohol, acetone, liquid dish soap) all around the bowling ball's surface. Once applied, repeatedly wipe down the entire area with a clean towel.
This technique will take no longer than 20 minutes so we advise doing this as frequently as possible.
2. Soak-in-Water Technique
Also mentioned briefly earlier is the Soak-in-Water technique. This is a more intensive way of ensuring that dirt and oil are removed across the pores of the surface of the ball and could help you extend the lifetime of your ball despite constant exposure to the oily bowling lane.
For this approach, heat up enough water to fill a tub, the volume of which should be at least thrice the volume of the bowling ball you plan to clean. While heating up the water, apply duct tape to the bowlers finger holes to ensure that water does not penetrate the interior of the ball.
Once the holes are covered and the water is ready, dip the bowling ball in the water and leave it there for approximately 20 minutes. This should be enough time to remove the dirt, oil, and other particles from the bowling ball.
3. Pro Shop Servicing
If you have the money to spare and are looking for premium ball servicing done by ball experts and technicians, then simply visit your local pro shop to remove the ball from its dirty, dust-covered, oil-filled state.
Even members of the bowling congress, despite their wealth of knowledge, still visit the ball shop for legitimate servicing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to clean your bowling ball?
The best (and easiest) way to clean your ball is by using a cleaning solution, applying it generously over the surface or cover of the ball, and wiping the ball down rigorously with a piece of cloth or a towel.
Can you clean a bowling ball with Windex?
According to veteran bowlers who hit the lane often, Windex is a good cleaning solution to get rid of dirt and oil from the balls. However, we would still recommend bowl-specific cleaning solutions to get the job done properly.
Does rubbing alcohol damage bowling balls?
Certain concentrations of rubbing alcohol may damage balls if left unattended. If you plan to use rubbing alcohol instead of a standard cleaning solution, make sure to wipe the ball down thoroughly to remove the oil and dust particles.
What is the best bowling ball cleaner?
For us, the best ball cleaner is whatever is convenient and available. If alcohol or acetone is the most convenient solution, then by all means take advantage of the alcohol or acetone you have at home. If you only have a spare piece of cloth instead of a rugged towel, then that is fine, too.
The goal is to ensure that the ball is cleaned frequently and consistently.
How to remove oil from bowling ball?
The best way to completely eliminate oil from the ball is to surrender your ball to a specialty shop or pro store. The expert ball technicians will ensure an even surface (or cover) and cleansed finger holes.
If you would like to do it yourself, your best bet would be to dip your ball in hot water and leave it there for 20 minutes, then follow it up with a gentle scrub.
How to polish a bowling ball?
A ball can be polished either by an expert ball technician or with the use of a ball spinner.
If you have invested in a personal spinner, simply mount your ball on the mechanism, activate the spinner, and run a towel over it as the ball spins around.
How to clean a bowling ball with Dawn?
Dawn is a mild cleaning solution (as opposed to alcohol or acetone) that can be used to cleanse a ball thoroughly. To use Dawn, apply it generously over the entire ball, wipe the surface with a towel, rinse with water, then wipe the surface once more.
How to clean bowling ball finger holes?
Finger holes should be maintained by an expert ball technician at your local professional store.
If you want to do it yourself, try to get a lint-free towel and manually rub each hole as deeply as possible.
How often should you clean your bowling ball?
We would recommend cleaning your ball after every session (standard maintenance) and having your ball deep cleaned once every 6 months (intensive maintenance).
Conclusion
Knowing how to clean a bowling ball may seem intuitive to some, but it is very important to know the important cleaning steps so as to not damage the bowling ball's outer surface or coverstock as it proceeds down the lane.
Whether you plan to use cloth, towel, DIY cleaning, deep clean services, or any other type of method mentioned in this guide, make sure that you commit to bowling ball maintenance consistently in order to maintain the bowling ball's polish and performance, as well as your style of play.