Ball Cleaning Products

[The German Shepherd]

I have read many posts about ballcleaning products and practices and have always been looking for the one product I could feel some confidence in. Up until now, myfavorite deep cleaner has been "Hook It." It really does a good job of clearing away belt marks, oil and dirt. Te other day I discovered Neo Tac Hook Plus. You apply the cleaner and let it dry to a haze then wipe off. IMO this works even better than Hook It as it removes even the imbedded lines that other cleaners tend to leave behind. I have not done a black light test with Hook Plus but I used it after Monday Night leagues and was very impressed with the way it performed...

Jay

[dnhoffman]

I stick to simple green and isopropyl alcohol

[tccstudent]

I stick to simple green and isopropyl alcohol

Are you talking about the simple green that we had gallons of in the army or is this a special bowling ball cleaner

[bowl1820]

Are you talking about the simple green that we had gallons of in the army or is this a special bowling ball cleaner

The simple green and isopropyl alcohol mix, is a 50/50 mix of the Simple green household cleaner like you get at the store and Alcohol.

The mix is a common DIY ball cleaner that's been around a long time, it works pretty good.

Caveat: While both ingredients are approved cleaners, combined they haven't been tested by the USBC. So it has not been approved.

[swingset]

I've tried quite a few and the one I really like is amazingly simple and cheap - foaming glass cleaner from Dollar Tree.

My brother was using it and suggested it, and I gave it a shot and I have to say it works great...works great on oil and belt marks and leaves no residue. A $1 can has lasted me all season so far.

Probably not USBC approved, but not super concerned about that. I touch my finish up every 6-10 games so I don't ever look for "restorative" products.

[vdubtx]

I did some shopping around for cleaners recently finally ended up going to Lowes and getting a gallon of Simple Green($10) and a 32oz spray bottle($1). Also bought some isopropyl alcohol($2.50) and put a 50/50 mix in the spray bottle and it works great. Gives a nice clean and tacky feel to the bowling balls.

Each fill of the spray bottle yields 32oz of cleaner(4 fillups of Powerhouse spray bottle). Will be able to get 8 full fills of the 32 oz spray bottle which in turn will yield a total of 32 fills of the little Powerhouse bottle.

$10 Powerhouse cleaner for an 8oz spray bottle.

$10 Simple Green 1 Gallon 128oz
$1 32oz generic spray bottle
$2.50 32oz Isopropyl Alcohol(would need a total of 4 bottles so cost is $10)

=$21.00 for 256 oz of cleaner or 32 fills of the Powerhouse bottle vs. $320 buying the Powerhouse individually.

I copied and pasted above from another post I did about this and since I wrote that, I actually diluted the mixture a bit further with some water as the alcohol smell(to me) was a bit too strong. Will be able to get even more fills with my new mixture. :cool:

[Mudpuppy]

I used to use simple green to clean my motorcycle chain and it did quite well - just kerosene works better. I might have to try that for the bowling ball. The small bottles of Black Magic you buy at the pro shop don't last that long and I find it difficult to remove belt marks, etc.

[e-tank]

Im actually testing simple green + alcohol + vinegar

So far its working pretty good and seems to leave the balls with a tackier result

[vdubtx]

Im actually testing simple green + alcohol + vinegar

So far its working pretty good and seems to leave the balls with a tackier result

Vinegar?? I wouldn't use anything that is not on the approved list. Haven't looked but I wouldn't think that vinegar would be an approved product to use.

[e-tank]

Vinegar?? I wouldn't use anything that is not on the approved list. Haven't looked but I wouldn't think that vinegar would be an approved product to use.

If you go on bbe, roylay uses vinegar in his cleaner and everyone loves it so i figure coverstock wise, the vinegar shouldn't be doing any damage. I agree i dont see why vinegar wouldnt be approved though.

[Aslan]

Im actually testing simple green + alcohol + vinegar

So far its working pretty good and seems to leave the balls with a tackier result

I've been using a 50/50 mix of Simple Green and Vodka. I didn't have any isopropyl alcohol.

Then last night I needed to refill one of the bottles and didn't have any vodka left...so I tried 40% Simple Green, 30% Hydrogen Peroxide, 20% mouthwash, and 10% Gin. That bottle isn't in use yet...still have one bottle of the Simple Green/Vodka left.

I don't care much about USBC approved...I wouldn't use any cleaner "during" an actual event. As long as it doesn't mess up the ball...thats my only concern.

[Mudpuppy]

I thought you could only clean your ball before or after a game? Is that not true? Can you clean it during a game? I know some people will put some cleaner on their towel so when they wipe the ball before each frame it cleans it.

[bowl1820]

I thought you could only clean your ball before or after a game? Is that not true? Can you clean it during a game? I know some people will put some cleaner on their towel so when they wipe the ball before each frame it cleans it.

Yes you can clean your ball during competition (Unless a league or tournament rule forbids it) as long as you use a product approved for use during competition.

USBC BALL CLEANER LIST - ACCEPTABLE/NON-ACCEPTABLE

Approved Cleaners and Polishes
http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/equipandspecs/pdfs/Approved_cleaner_polish.pdf

Non-Approved Cleaners and Polishes
http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/equipandspecs/pdfs/Non_approved_cleaner_polish.pdf


Commonly Asked Questions – Rule 18.
18/1 When can an approved cleaner be used on a bowling ball?
Unless otherwise provided by league or tournament rule, cleaners designated as approved by
USBC can be used on bowling balls at any time during USBC competition. During competition
approved cleaners may only be applied by hand and soft cloth. For a complete list of approved
cleaning agents, see BOWL.com.

[Mudpuppy]

Yes you can clean your ball during competition (Unless a league or tournament rule forbids it) as long as you use a product approved for use during competition.

USBC BALL CLEANER LIST - ACCEPTABLE/NON-ACCEPTABLE
http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/equipandspecs/pdfs/Combined%20cleaner_polish.pdf

Interesting. Thanks for the tip. I prefer to clean my ball immediately following bowling and then I just use a clean towel to wipe during play.

[Mudpuppy]

Link is dead:

Not Found

The requested URL /usbcongress/bowl/equipandspecs/pdfs/Combined cleaner_polish.pdf was not found on this server.

[bowl1820]

Link is dead:

Not Found

The requested URL /usbcongress/bowl/equipandspecs/pdfs/Combined cleaner_polish.pdf was not found on this server.

Okay its fixed now , they changed the link again.

[tccstudent]

Im actually testing simple green + alcohol + vinegar

So far its working pretty good and seems to leave the balls with a tackier result
are you using equal parts vinegar, alcohol, simple green

[Mudpuppy]

Okay its fixed now , they changed the link again.

Thanks. Found the stuff I am using on there - label says USBC approved but never know. Anyone can print a label that says anything. Like Tommy Boy you can crap in a box and put a guarantee on it.

I am going to use up what I have and then try the simple green and alcohol