How to Clean Billiard Balls at Home

People who Own a billiard or have played pool games will know the struggle of having dirty pool balls. It is easy for them to get dirty. And cleaning it is also a struggle. Whether you’re a beginner or pro in this game, you can’t help getting your pool balls dirty. 

Dust, oil residue, sweat from your hand, chunks from the pool board even chalk can stain your Pool balls. Now the question is how to clean billiard balls at home.

So in this article, we will give you the step-by-step process of cleaning billiard balls at home. But first, let’s know the reasons for Cleaning your pool balls. 

how to Clean Billiard Balls at home

Reasons For cleaning Billiard Balls

Many people don’t wash or clean their dirty pool balls because they think it won’t affect their game. We should debunk this myth. It would be best if you cleaned your billiard balls often. Before showing you the step-by-step billiard balls cleaning method, you must know the reasons for cleaning pool balls. 

Smoothness of Ball

New pool balls move smoothly on the surface. But when your pool balls get dirty, the dirt will create a new surface on the ball. So you won’t get the smoothness of the cue ball you would get from the new one. It will be hard for the ball to spin. 

High level of Friction

It would help if you transferred the spin from your cue ball to your object ball. If your billiard balls are dirty, you won’t get the Friction or momentum between the balls. Only clean balls can give you a high level of smoothness. 

To Save the felt

As dirt builds on your pool balls, it creates more Friction to the surface. So when dirty balls roll over your table cloth, there’s a possibility of tearing the cloth. 

More Frictionless speed

Dirt, chalk dust will generate more resistance and less speed between the ball and the surface. So cleaning the ball will stimulate the speed of the ball. 

How to Clean Billiard Balls at Home (Step by Step)

There are two easy methods of cleaning dirty billiard balls at home. Both of the methods are easy and useful. But before knowing about the process, you must understand what type of pool balls you have.

If you have a Resin-based pool ball, then you need Hot water. But if you have Polyester-based pool balls, then you need Lukewarm water to clean your billiard balls. Now let’s dive into the methods of cleaning pool balls.

1st Method: Using Soap And warm water to clean

The soapy water mixture is the most common ball cleaning method for ages. We are very familiar with this procedure. Whenever something gets dirty, the only thing that comes to our mind is the soap water mixture. It’s not surprising that we are using a soap water mixture for cleaning pool balls. The ingredients you need for this method are

Quick Note – 

  • For Resin balls, use hot water 
  • For Polyester balls, use lukewarm water, also add some baking soda into the water for better cleaning
  1. Two Buckets (one for soap water mixture and one for clean water)
  2. Detergent or soap
  3. Hot or lukewarm water(according to the type of balls you have)
  4. Dry Soft towel, clean cloth (Micro-fiber cloth recommended)

Process:

  • Mix a mild soap or detergent into one bucket and pour hot or warm water according to the type of ball you’re going to clean. 
  • Pour cold water into the other bucket.
  • Take billiard balls and soak them into the soap water mixture for about 10-15 minutes. After soaking them properly, please take out the balls, wipe them with a microfiber cloth, and make sure there is no more soapy residue. 
  • Then put the balls into the cold water and wash thoroughly. After washing, take the soft towel, dry the balls, and take a clean cloth to finish polishing.

Now you have clean and Dry Billiard balls to play with. Please do not play with them before drying correctly.

2nd method: Using a professional Billiard Ball cleaner

There are many cleaners in the market, and you will be confused about which one to use. Our experts have checked many of them and decided to use Aramith Phenolic Billiard Ball Care for the rest of their lives.

Aramith Phenolic Billiard Ball Care

Aramith Phenolic Billiard Ball Care

This one is the best for cleaning, and it comes with a cleaner and Restorer set and microfiber cloth. It is the best and easiest way to clean, and It helps to get rid of Chalk stains, yellow stains, dust, and oil residue from your pool balls quickly. It is specially designed for phenolic Billiard balls. 

Quick note – Must for Phenolic resin balls.

Things you’ll need to clean your billiard balls:

  1. Aramith pool ball restorer
  2. Aramith pool ball cleaner
  3. Aramith microfiber cloth
  4. Dry towel

Directions for using Aramith pool ball cleaner :

  • Shake the bottles well at first
  • Take a tiny amount of Aramith restorer on the snooker ball
  • Rub the restorer evenly with Aramith microfiber cloth
  • Take a small amount of Aramith Cleaner this time
  • Pour it upon the ball
  • Rub again with Aramith microfiber cloth
  • Then shine the ball with a dry towel or electric buffer, or paper. 

Now you have nice smelling snooker balls. Keep in mind that you need to use the restorer before the cleaner breaks down any dirt or stain from the ball. 

Now we know how to clean billiard balls but do we know the benefits of cleaning billiard balls?

Benefits of cleaning Billiard Balls at home

It’s Hygienic

Dirty materials are the ultimate home for germs and bacteria. If you touch those dirty pool balls with your hand, the germs will transfer into your body. You’ll get various diseases related to those bacteria. So hygiene is a must. That’s why by keeping your snooker balls clean, you won’t get any infections. Also, People around you will feel great by playing with clean snooker balls. 

It will save you money

cleaning balls often will save you tons. Because they won’t be damaged easily. So it will go in the long run. Which will save you money from buying pool balls again and again. 

It will last longer

They will last longer if you clean them properly. You can quickly expand their life expectancy by cleaning them repeatedly. 

Pool table maintenance

if you use dirty balls on your pool table, there are chances of the table getting ruined. So to ensure your table maintenance, you need to clean those billiard balls. It will keep the table stable and satisfactory.

FAQs

There are a few questions and confusion among the folks about cleaning balls. Here we are going to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about cleaning balls at home.

1. How do I make balls Shiny again?

You can use a soap water mixture or Aramith billiard ball cleaner to make your billiard balls shiny again. But if you still can’t make them shiny, then it’s time to get new pool balls. 

2. Should I wax or Polish pool Balls?

We do not recommend you wax or polish your pool balls. What you can do is take care of your pool balls regularly. It will restore the shine, and you do not need to polish them. 

3. How often should you clean? 

You can deeply clean your pool balls once every month if you’re a home table owner. But if you own a club where different kinds of people come to play, then you need to wash them more than once a month. 

4. Why do pool balls turn yellow?

It’s a general question among pool ball lovers that the pool balls turn yellow so quickly. If your pool ball is made with phenolic resin your pool balls will get yellow over time. It’s because the exposure to UV light, air, and the environment makes the phenolic resin turn yellowish. 

5. How to Clean Pool Balls with Baking Soda?

Put some baking soda into a bowl and add some water to make a paste. Then take a toothbrush and brush your pool balls with the soda paste. Then wash them with water and dry the balls with a clean, dry towel. 

6. Can Billiard Balls go bad? 

The average billiard ball lasts for over one year. However, if cue tips often strike your pool balls, then they will degrade faster. 

7. Can you clean the pool balls in the dishwasher? 

You can wash Resin-based balls in the dishwasher. Keep in mind, try not to use harsh soap for this. As resin-based balls behave like regular glass, you can use a dishwasher to clean them. 

8. How Do I make my Pool balls White again?

Take a toothbrush and scrub the white balls with toothpaste. Then wash it off and dry with a clean towel. The toothpaste will help to get rid of yellow stains from the white balls. 

9. Do pool balls get out of Round?

It is possible to get out of round for pool balls. If you play regularly, the pool balls can get out of shape. A drifting effect can cause it. If you notice this type of issue, then it’s time to replace those balls. 

10. What is the best way to clean billiard balls?

The ultimate best way to clean is using Aramith Pool ball cleaner. It’s the Strongest pool ball cleaner. All of the dirt, yellow stain, chalk stain, marks will go after using this cleaner. 

Conclusion

If you want your billiard balls to last longer than cleaning them regularly is a must. Now you know everything about how to clean billiard balls. Then Don’t waste your money on expensive cleaner machines.

Clean your pool balls at home and save tons of money. Let us know in the comment section below which method will you use to clean billiard balls at home?