cleaning a bolwing ball

[hook&cry]

question to all .... can i use alcohol - sp? on a storm shift bowling ball or a storm street rod bowling ball to clean them ... will it affect my ball in any negative way need help please

[The KingPin]

question to all .... can i use alcohol - sp? on a storm shift bowling ball or a storm street rod bowling ball to clean them ... will it affect my ball in any negative way need help please


I am not speaking for everyone. But I believe that each person has there own way to clean a ball. I look at it like this, if you were to use alcohol on your ball and you shoot a 300, you would swear by it. I you shot a 100 you would curse it. So I think it depends on the person.

[ArtVandelay]

I used to use alcohol to clean my bowling ball. It works okay...

I throw a Hammer No Mercy, and a while back I saw that Hammer recommends a product called Powerhouse Clean N Dull for the ball I use. I decided to give it a go. The difference was amazing. It really did seem to clean the ball better, and restore a little of the hook. I haven't gone back, to rubbing alcohol, since.


The truth is, you will hear all kinds of people with all kinds of methods of cleaning a ball. I even read somewhere that "baking" a bowling ball (which literally consists of putting your ball in the same oven you cook your food in) is the best way to sweat out the oil. Maybe that works for some people out there, but I'm not comfortable with that method, personally. I would think the heat would harm the ball, and I would also find it hard to use my oven to cook after that particular method.

Is alcohol good for the bowling ball? I dunno... I know certain kinds aren't allowed to be used, but I think rubbing alcohol is okay. I don't think it harmed my ball back when I was using it, but I'm not an expert either.

If I were you, I'd try the alcohol a couple times, see how you like it. Then I would find what Storm suggests you use, and give that a try. See which you like better.

[kev3inp]

I used to use alcohol on my equipment when it was rubber. I've heard people swear by a mixture of Simple Green and alcohol. I use Clean and Dull for deep cleaning, but for everyday cleaning I use Black Magic Rejuvenator. It takes an incredible amount of dirt, etc. off of the ball. I like the "tacky" surface it leaves behind, too. Not really tacky, I suppose, but squeaky clean.

Brunswick is the only mfr that recommends heat, I think. I'll put ours out in back in a black plastic bag to sweat out the oil every once in a while. I wouldn't try to use the oven. I'm not sure you can get it to such a low temp. I've heard of others putting their balls in the dishwasher, or soaking the ball in a bucket of degreaser and hot water. I think there's a guy on Youtube that shows how he cleans his.

[dac300d]

question to all .... can i use alcohol - sp? on a storm shift bowling ball or a storm street rod bowling ball to clean them ... will it affect my ball in any negative way need help please

i have seen people use evertthing from alchol to 409, each bowling company has there own special cleaners to use, but i like to use a prodoct .ZAPP-IT BALL CLEANER. It is the best ball cleaner out there i have found, use it in between shots to keep the ball clean shot after shot after shot i used it all of last year and averaged 234.. was it the cleaner... I THINK SO..... TRY ZAPP-IT PRODUCTS BALL CLEANER,, YOU WILL AGREE.................;)

[ericj]

When they talk about baking the ball, they don't actually mean putting it in a household oven. Though some people do that.

Some pro shops have an 'oven' that maintains a low heat, plus convection, while the ball turns on rollers. I've seen it in use and it really works well, but if you wipe off your ball after every throw and clean it after every game, it shouldn't be necessary to bake it more often than about once a year.

I do know a guy who says he used to put his Hammer balls in his dishwasher and liked the results. Seems extreme to me but OK. I'd bet you'd want to avoid the drying cycle though.

[jaws1945]

I think it's a psychological thing really. It's good to wipe off the excess oil, but I don't think one has to use a cleaner on their equipment every time you bowl. A couple times in a season is more than enough

[JerseyJim]

I think it's a psychological thing really. It's good to wipe off the excess oil, but I don't think one has to use a cleaner on their equipment every time you bowl. A couple times in a season is more than enough

Actually you should. Some of the newer coverstocks absorb large quantities of oil. You will lose reaction after a while. Every ball should be cleaned with a decent ball cleaner before placing it back into a bag. There are a number of decent cleaners on the market, Nitro, Valentino's Remedy RX (my favorite), Storm Reacta-clean, Ebonite Energizer, etc. If you do have a oil soaked cover then a warm water bath works wonders.

[ericj]

I think it's a psychological thing really. It's good to wipe off the excess oil, but I don't think one has to use a cleaner on their equipment every time you bowl. A couple times in a season is more than enough

Actually, I've seen a bowling ball oven in action - with a ball that went in looking relatively clean - and it was amazing how much oil sweated out of it.

I've also taken old used balls - balls that I've cleaned with stuff like 409 - and given them a bath in hot water in a bucket - and i can reach in and feel the greasy surface of the ball. It can take a few baths in succession before it stops sweating oil under the water.

Plastic, non-reactive balls of course don't do this. They're solid polyester or urethane and don't absorb oil past the surface. Reactive balls are more porous.

Reactive balls do "die". Read brunswick's analysis of the effectiveness and safety of the (purpose-built) oven method. The only thing i wish they'd done in addition to their tests is tested the surface hardness of the balls before and after. I'm guessing it went up as the oil soaked in.

Edit: Oh, fwiw i typically use isopropyl alcohol with a little simple green added. Ethyl alcohol works better, but is not approved for league play - the USBC says it tends to soften the ball surface.

[Iceman]

I agree with Jersey, I spray and wipe my equipment I use that night before they go into the bag. If you wait awhile, the oil does soak in - even if you read the equipment care instructions from the manufacturer, most say to clean it after each use.