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Thread: Putting balls in the dishwasher? Safe or no way?

  1. #1
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    Default Putting balls in the dishwasher? Safe or no way?

    I have been reading over the internet that putting your balls in the dishwasher with the heated dry off is just like baking your ball, or dish soap soaking your ball, without the mess or added time. Some sites say that dishwashing a reactive resin ball is fine, others say that it is not recommended and the coverstock could get damaged.

    Has anyone had any experience with sticking a reactive resin ball in the dishwasher to soak the oil out? Or should I just stick with soaking my ball in soapy water?

  2. #2
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    Personally I would stick with soaking the ball. The dishwasher uses a continuous spray that "washes" the outside of the ball. The hot water soak however allows the water to penetrate the coverstock and "float" the oil out of the ball.
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  3. #3
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    Also you might have to remove the upper rack to get the ball to fit, and that's a big pain. At least with our dishwasher. Bowl1820 made an oil extractor out of an old dehydrator and a 5 gal bucket. Another way is to put the ball in a box and cover it with a black trash bag and put it out in the sun. Then periodically you wipe the ball off with a microfiber towel.

    Here's a link to the thread with the dehydrator. Pics, too. http://www.bowlingboards.com/showthr...ght=extraction
    Last edited by kev3inp; 06-18-2011 at 10:11 AM. Reason: found thread

  4. #4

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    The only thing I've tried personally is putting my ball in a garbage bag, then submersing it in a hot 5-gal bucket (~170°F). Got my ball to sweat pretty good, cleaned it off a few times, then got tired of it. Felt like I could have done it all day and would still be wiping oil off. Problem is that the oil really has no where else to go in a garbage bag.

    Directly in the hot water in theory is more effective since the oil can drift off into the water on its own, but I just don't feel comfortable trying it on one of my good balls (and that's all I have!). If I get a ball used for pretty cheap, I'll try it before I get it redrilled, that way I'm not out much if it damages it.

  5. #5
    Ringer DanielMareina's Avatar
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    Soaking the ball directly works just fine. It isn't great, but it is safe. Make sure to not exceed 170 degrees. Reactive resin balls have a high chance of cracking above 180 degrees. Also, the wax that they use to fill in the symbol and writing tends to melt during the soak, it doesn't matter for anything but the way it looks.
    Manufacturers will tell you not to soak, heat in the oven/dishwasher, or anything else. They do this because there is always a risk of problems occuring. The only safe ways I have found is a garbage bag in the sun (inconsistent if not rotated regularly) and soaking. Good luck!
    Daniel Mareina
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