Ball Cleaners?

[teke527]

Hello all,

Does anyone out there use DIY ball cleaners and if so, what are your pros and cons about them? Is there anything you shouldn't use that will destroy the investment of a ball? $12-14 for a 12oz Storm Reacta Foam is pretty cheap, but over time it can rack up (this is what I'm using now), but I will have 5 balls soon and cleaning twice a week might put a hole in the pocket. Looking for any advice from PSO's, experienced veterans, and the like. Thanks for any advice.

[drlawsoniii]

I use concentrated simple green. I can get a gallon for 6 dollars, it is USBC approved. After league I take them home and fill my kitchen sink with hot tap water and a cup of simple green and let it soak for a half hour. Then I use a rag and wipe the ball down and rinse with hot tap water and towel dry.

[got_a_300]

I use a mixture of 50% simple green and 50% alcohol it does a great
job of getting the oil off of the ball and it isn't very expensive doing it
that way either.

[Timmyb]

I use a mixture of 50% simple green and 50% alcohol it does a great
job of getting the oil off of the ball and it isn't very expensive doing it
that way either.


I used to do the Simple Green/alcohol mix. Works great on oil, but not so good on belt marks, and the house I used to bowl at left tons of them. I now use the Monster Tac from bowlingball.com. $25 for a 32 oz. bottle.

[KYDave]

Just as a side note if it matters.

Last I had seen USBC approves the standard simple green but not the industrial. They approve alcohol of any % I believe. However, the mix of the 2 isn't listed as approved. I doubt anyone would raise a stink about it tho.

[foreverincamo]

I use the Monster Tac 32 oz size myself. I own over a dozen balls and clean my equipment regularly. That bottle has lasted me thru 3 seasons. I also have a bottle of Vise ball cleaner that came with my spinner package. It does a great job on belt marks

[1VegasBowler]

Just as a side note if it matters.

Last I had seen USBC approves the standard simple green but not the industrial. They approve alcohol of any % I believe. However, the mix of the 2 isn't listed as approved. I doubt anyone would raise a stink about it tho.

While there are many cleaners out there, you cannot use a combination of cleaners during league play unless they are approved as a combination. All approved cleaners must be in their original container.

Anybody who questions the use of a cleaner to the league president is obligated to come to you and see what you're using. If it's not approved they can tell you not to use it during league play. If you continue to use it, you could forfeit your games for the night.

And be very careful if you participate in any sanctioned tournament. If you use any unapproved substance and get caught you will forfeit without any warning.

For a normal cleaning, I use Max Tack from Bowlers Mart. To give my equipment a thorough cleaning I use That Purple Stuff. And to de-oil my equipment, I use a bucket of hot tap water and some Dawn detergent for each ball, and I let them soak for 20 minutes each.

[Tony]

I've got a bottle of simple green/ alcohol and a bottle of Clean and Dull in my bag and I've used Monster Tac also.... they do get some of the surface grime and oil off the ball but I'm not so sure that they really make much of a difference on what the ball absorbs.

I just brought in a ball that had maybe 100 games on it and it had been cleaned pretty regularly (although not soaked in dawn and hot water) and like always it had a fair amount of oil in it.....I'm not sure that the cleaning really made all that significant of a difference.

I also factor in how much the pro shops and web sites push the cleaners .....I really don't feel as it they are doing it to extend the life of our bowling equipment, they seem mostly interested in the ongoing sales of the cleaners to contribute to their bottom line.

[1VegasBowler]

The products they sell over the counter are all good in one way or another. But for me, That Purple Stuff does the best of any of them.

Now it does stink to the high heavens and will linger on for quite a while after using it, but IMO it's the best out there.

When it comes to de-oiling, nothing beats what the pro shops do. But since my bowling has been cut down for the last month and change, I've only done my own de-oiling once, and I'll do it again the day before I have my surgery so that I don't have to worry about it.

Try to remember that the pearl balls don't have to be done as often as the solids. Those solids suck up the oil like a sponge does with water, and by doing nothing you're going to lose ball performance in a hurry, especially if you bowl quite a bit.

[fokai73]

Remedy Rx 40 oz. for $35.
look for coupons for Valentino Bowling products. It's a good cleaner and I use it more you do. I use Rememdy Rx between frames and deep clean with clean and dull once a month. None of my balls bled oil. NONE!!! I still use balls that are almost ten year old and older. I just buy new ones because I have NBI for NIB's. NEW BALL ISSUE for NEW IN BOX.

I don't only use Remedy Rx for my balls, but when I ball work for the guys, I use Remedy Rx and still have enough for the season.

It's reasonable priced, it doesn't smell, it leaves the ball tacky, and it cleans out oil and belt marks.

[got_a_300]

While there are many cleaners out there, you cannot use a combination of cleaners during league play unless they are approved as a combination. All approved cleaners must be in their original container.

The only time I use my simple green/alcohol mixture is after league is over. I only take
a microfiber towel and wipe my ball down between frames during league competition.

[bowl1820]

Hello all,

Does anyone out there use DIY ball cleaners and if so, what are your pros and cons about them? Is there anything you shouldn't use that will destroy the investment of a ball? $12-14 for a 12oz Storm Reacta Foam is pretty cheap, but over time it can rack up (this is what I'm using now), but I will have 5 balls soon and cleaning twice a week might put a hole in the pocket. Looking for any advice from PSO's, experienced veterans, and the like. Thanks for any advice.

When it comes to cleaning every bowler should have a microfiber towel and a spray bottle of a approved cleaner in their bag.

USBC BALL CLEANER LIST - ACCEPTABLE
http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/equipandspecs/pdfs/Approved_cleaner_polish.pdf

USBC BALL CLEANER LIST - NON-ACCEPTABLE
http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/equipandspecs/pdfs/Non_approved_cleaner_polish.pdf

Cleaning:
1- Wipe your ball off after every shot. This should be part of your pre-shot routine.

A leather shammy pad is a bit more effective at removing surface oil than the dry microfiber towel during bowling. (Note: Don't use cleaners with leather shammy's)

2- After you get done bowling a session, you should clean your ball off with a approved cleaner and microfiber towel.

These two things do the most to help reduce oil absorption into the cover of the ball.

3. Do a deep cleaning about every 50 – 75 games. This will help in removing any oil absorbed into the cover. The number of games can vary though depending on how much you bowl and the conditions. If you bowl often and/or on oilier conditions, you may want to de-oil more often.


As for what not to use, the main one would be things like Acetone (Nail polish remover, Non-acetone nail polish remover etc.) which are not approved for use at any time, except for things like spot removing superglue from when you put inserts in etc.

Powerhouse Clean'N Dull is one of the best for removing oil soaked into the immediate surface of the ball, Not really for use at the lanes. It's a gel cleaner and you don't need to use it every time you bowl, I use it about once a week.

For use at the lanes almost any of the approved ball cleaners will work okay, I use Bowlingball.coms Monster Tac (The big bottle) it's lasted a long time. Also Ole Roy's Early Shift cleaner. (In the video section you can see some tests I did of several cleaners).

A good bang for the buck is the Motiv cleaner (Power Gel Clean & Power Gel Scuff) which is about $15 for a 16oz. bottle depending on where you buy it.

As for DIY cleaners for the most part none of them are USBC approved for any use and most likely nobody is ever going to pay to have them tested.

[1VegasBowler]

The only time I use my simple green/alcohol mixture is after league is over. I only take
a microfiber towel and wipe my ball down between frames during league competition.

After league is over or just before league play begins is the only time you can use it.

I use the Genesis oil shammy and it does a great job. I clean it about once/month and it's like new again.

[bdtrob300]

The only time I use my simple green/alcohol mixture is after league is over. I only take
a microfiber towel and wipe my ball down between frames during league competition.

Simple green/Alcohol mix works best on the spinner. It works ok by hand, but much on the spinner applied with a microfiber towel

[foreverincamo]

Saw WD-40 on the " unacceptable " list. Can't imagine what that stuff would do to a ball. It does wonders in the mechanical world, but as a ball cleaner, I don't think so.

[KYDave]

Saw WD-40 on the " unacceptable " list. Can't imagine what that stuff would do to a ball. It does wonders in the mechanical world, but as a ball cleaner, I don't think so.

I would imagine you would use as a slip agent and not a cleaner.

Also, I often work at a local plant that makes resin. They use methanol to clean. I use it all the time there and very effective. Dries fast and no residue. I have wondered how well that would work on a ball. I've also been curious if any ball cleaners use it, as some have had a slight smell of it.

[Timmyb]

I would imagine you would use as a slip agent and not a cleaner.

Also, I often work at a local plant that makes resin. They use methanol to clean. I use it all the time there and very effective. Dries fast and no residue. I have wondered how well that would work on a ball. I've also been curious if any ball cleaners use it, as some have had a slight smell of it.


The issue with WD-40 is by nature, it's a solvent. It just happens to have oil mixed in. My guess is it would be outstanding at removing belt marks and subway gunk, but I still wouldn't spray it on a bowling ball.

[Tony]

I wonder how aqueous solution would work on cleaning and extracting oil from a ball ?