time to clean (soak) bowling ball?

[tracy]

i was bowling today in league and noticed oil (lines) residue on my bowling ball and normally i don't see any. do you think it's time to do some rejuvinating,like sanding,soaking and polishing? it just did'nt act normal either.

[Graaille]

Potentially. If you normally wipe your ball between shots it will slow down the oil absorption process - but regular ball maintenance (every 10 games for pros, 25 games for serious bowlers, 200 games for everyone else) is key in maintaining reaction. You might get away with just needing a deep cleaning with (insert favorite deep cleaner here - mine is Resurrection), and then put the ball on the spinner and bring it back to your preferred surface. If that doesn't work - you may need to take a turn on the Revivor oven.

But it is a very good idea to make a habit of wiping down your ball w/a microfiber or loomed towel before every shot, and doing a regular cleaning at the end of each bowling session. You can check the USBC Website and/or the PBA website for lists of approved cleaners as most everyone on here has a favorite, with no real strong front runner as to which one is best.

[randwool]

Those lines are just lane oil and show up depending on when the lanes were last oiled and what path you throw your ball. That ring, by the way, is how the Pro Shop guy measures the ball's PAP. I just wipe my ball between throws, but different lanes can have some subtle differences and I have to adjust a few boards to try to make it better. Easier said than done for me. Soaking your ball would give a good base line to see what's going on.

[tracy]

some say that you don't need to wipe your ball (which i don't believe) as when bowling because the resin balls soak up the oil (which it does and should) but i always wipe my ball after every frame. i do notice however when i use my urethane ball, it is an oily mess in a few frames because of the lack of absortion. now with the resin ball, i have noticed very little to non, but lately it's been showing more oil as i bowl. i will soak it later and then refinish it as close as i can to factory. we shall see the results then.....i hope.

[Stormed1]

With today's porous covers normal recomendation for a "bath" is 40-50 games