Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Cleaning a bowling ball at home
• Method 2 of 3: Thoroughly clean a ball at home
• Method 3 of 3: Using an oil extraction machine
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities
• Cleaning a bowling ball at home
• Thoroughly clean a ball at home

A build-up of oil on your bowling ball can cause it to react differently to the lane. As a result, the ball often loses grip on the court, which can have negative consequences for your throw. However, with some time and some household products you can easily remove the oil. With these products you can clean your ball at home, clean it thoroughly yourself, or you can take it to a proshop and have it cleaned with an oil extraction machine.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Cleaning a bowling ball at home

1. Prevent the oil from building up for easier cleaning of the ball. The easiest thing to do is to immediately wipe off the oil that comes fresh on the ball. Wipe the ball after each game to maintain fitness. To do this, always keep a ball towel with your bowling equipment and change it after each time you play so that no oil builds up on the cloth and ends up on the ball again.
   • The ball towel should ideally be a lint-free microfiber cloth. Microfiber cloths protect the finish of the ball and lint-free cloths keep threads and bits of fabric from rubbing against the ball and affecting your game.
   • For best results and the most consistent throws, you should wipe the ball after each throw. You can exchange the towel for a clean towel mid-game if you're playing for a long time.
2. Dampen the cloth with rubbing alcohol. After bowling, the ball is warm due to the friction of the lane. This heat opens the pores of the ball, allowing you to clean the ball better. A little bit of alcohol is more than enough and lasts a long time, so be careful with it when you wet the cloth. Then wipe the entire surface of the ball with it.
   • After wiping the ball with the alcohol-dampened cloth, take a dry portion of the towel or a clean towel and wipe away any residual moisture from the surface.
3. Clean the ball regularly. The longer the oil sits on the surface of your ball, the more likely it will be absorbed and more difficult to remove. So the ball stays clean longer if you clean it every time after bowling.
   • This can save you a significant amount of professional cleaning and help you bowl more consistently.

Method 2 of 3: Thoroughly clean a ball at home

1. Wait until you've bowled a significant number of matches. This type of deep cleanse is known among bowlers and pros as "pulling the oil out of the ball." This basically removes oil that has been absorbed deep into the pores of the ball over the course of many games. The number of matches you have to wait before doing a deep clean depends entirely on how often you play and the courts you play on.
   • If you play oily courts regularly, you may need to draw the oil out of the ball every 50 games. In more regulated courts, the ball may only need to be thoroughly cleaned every 70 to 100 games.
   • If you notice that the response of the ball to the court is starting to change, it is probably time for a deep clean.
2. Tape off the finger holes on the bowling ball. Use a waterproof tape for this. Water getting into the finger holes of the ball can affect performance. Apply the tape to the holes and smooth it so that it is flat and there are no gaps in the tape.
   • To keep water from getting into the finger holes, you may want to put an extra piece of tape over the holes.
3. Place the ball in a bucket of hot water. Oil is lighter than water and will therefore, along with any debris on it, come off the surface of the ball when soaked in warm water. Let the ball soak for 20 minutes to give the water enough time to penetrate the pores of the ball.
4. Remove the ball from the bucket, remove the tape and dry it. The ball should be almost completely clean after soaking. To prevent water from dripping into finger holes on the surface of your ball, keep the tape on the ball and use a clean, lint-free towel or cloth to dry the ball. When the ball is mostly dry, remove the tape and dry it again to remove any residual moisture.

Method 3 of 3: Using an oil extraction machine

1. Take the ball to a proshop. Even if you are a professional bowler, you are unlikely to have a specialized ball cleaning machine of your own. These machines are essentially water tanks that are heated to open the ball's pores and remove deep-seated oil. You can find such a machine at most bowling pro shops.
2. Have the ball cleaned by a ProShop employee. This service is usually relatively inexpensive and having the ball professionally cleaned and polished will ensure a thorough cleaning. In addition, the employee can point out any damage that you might not have noticed otherwise.
3. Plan to do something while waiting for the ball to clear. The time it takes them to clean the ball at the proshop can vary, but you can generally expect it to take about an hour and a half. If you have a spare ball, this is just enough time to insert a few games.
   • You can also run errands, do some chores, read a book or play a game on your mobile while you wait. This way you don't have to get bored while you wait for your clean ball.
4. Bowl like a real champion. Now that your ball has been cleaned and polished, it should have gotten the same reaction to the course as it originally did. Wipe the ball with a towel after each throw and clean it after each game to maintain its fitness.

Tips

• Be patient while cleaning, especially when trying to remove stains on the ball. These can sometimes only be removed after a lot of cleaning and several uses of cleaner.
• Another way to clean a bowling ball is to place it in an electric smoker; the smoker's temperature should be around 135 degrees Celsius. Take the ball out every few hours; clean it with alcohol and a clean cloth. The whole process can take about five or six hours, but it works fine.
• A good way to clean polyester or urethane bowling alleys is to use Windex, although it should never be used on reactive resin balls as it destroys the coating and reaction of the ball.

Warnings

• Do not use Luster King machines. These glaze the outer lining of a bowling ball and can sometimes cause permanent damage.
• To avoid using cleaners that can damage the ball, ask a proshop for a list of approved polishes and cleaners.
• You may need to wear a mask when handling rubbing alcohol. The fumes released by the cleaner and the interaction with the oil can be harmful to you, especially in poorly ventilated areas.

Necessities

Cleaning a bowling ball at home

• Rubbing alcohol
• 2 clean cloths (preferably microfiber or lint-free)
• Ball towel (preferably microfiber or lint-free)

Thoroughly clean a ball at home

• Bucket (where the ball fits)
• Tape (waterproof)
• Ball towel (preferably microfiber or lint-free)