Author Topic: Is there anything at home I can use to clean my bowling balls? (Read 135940 times)

danprince10 · « **on:** January 19, 2011, 05:56:25 AM »

I've used glass cleaner in the past but now I'm wondering if it helps at all, hell it might even be hurting.

Is there any household products I can use just to clean the surface of my balls, water? Glass cleaner? Anything ?

Thanks for the help!

10pin hater · « **Reply #1 on:** January 19, 2011, 02:13:56 PM »

I wouldn't use glass cleaner it probably would just shine your ball if anything any degreaser would work fine or old trusty rubbing alcohol works good also

charlest · « **Reply #2 on:** January 19, 2011, 05:07:08 PM »

lighter fluid and a Brillo pad??

More than one person has said that Brunswick's Remove-All cleaner is nothing but rebottled Windex. I don't know that to be true but I have not found it to be particularly useful in cleaning bowling balls.

However, Brunswick/Neo-Tac's Hook-it is one of the best made anywhere.

http://shop.bowlersparadise.com/neotachook-it6oz.aspx

Most household degreasers will clean a bowling ball BUT they can often leave residues. If you use alcohol to clean off the residue, you should be good, depending on the degreaser, of course.

You should use a bowling ball specific cleaner, as they are USUALLY designed to do the job properly.

"None are so blind as those who will not see."
BowlingChat.net

laddog54 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 20, 2011, 05:40:44 AM »

I use a 1/3 Simple Green, 1/3 Alcohol and 1/3 water mixture. Simple green is a degreaser, the water cuts it so it's not to strong and the alcohol evaporates the residue away. My Dad kind of figured this out about 20+ years ago with a different degreaser that he had at work and then we switch it to Simple Green because it is more common. I trust him since he has degrees in Chemical Engineering.

ROTO GRIP - King of Them All

snowspike1 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 20, 2011, 07:16:46 PM »

scrubbing bubbles is another idea... and it is on the approved list.

mike31959 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 20, 2011, 08:25:42 PM »

1/3 "orange cleaner" 1/3 denatured alcohol, 1/3 water. Works great!

Locke · « **Reply #6 on:** January 20, 2011, 08:33:41 PM »

I have used 409 in the past. It works well. Also some rubbing alcohol does work pretty well.

Always be sincere, even when you don't mean it

Artimust · « **Reply #7 on:** January 21, 2011, 08:54:26 AM »

I Agree with laddog54, equal parts of Simple Green concentrate, water, and iso alcohol does the trick, plus you may have the ingredients layIng around the house. I been using this recipe for a few years and it works great and so far, doesn't appear to affect the coverstock in any adverse way. Spray on, let sit for about 30 seconds, and wipe off well. Done.

I know it sounds like I'm in denial, but I'm not.

charlest · « **Reply #8 on:** January 21, 2011, 09:07:42 AM »

I'm not picking on you but I'd like to know why you and so many others add water to this mixture, when household isopropyl alcohol already has water in it? 70% alcohol has 30% water, as far as I know.

Just curious.

Artimust wrote on 1/21/2011 9:54 AM: I Agree with laddog54, equal parts of Simple Green concentrate, water, and iso alcohol does the trick,

"None are so blind as those who will not see."
BowlingChat.net

Artimust · « **Reply #9 on:** January 21, 2011, 09:37:15 AM »

charlst, I don't really know. I read about it and that was the ratio that was given. I tried it and it works. I can see why water is added because the Simple Green that I use is the concentrate. If the mix wasn't strong enough to cut the oil off the ball, I would adjust the ratio, but I don't see a need to do that.

I know it sounds like I'm in denial, but I'm not.

Mighty Buffalo · « **Reply #10 on:** January 24, 2011, 08:33:47 AM »

Just a shot in the dark about the mixture of simple green, water, and alcohol. Yes there is water in the alcohol, so you could just use a mixture of simple green plus alcohol, but alcohol also costs more money than filling the rest of the bottle you are mixing than filling the rest with water. This way you can make your rubbing alcohol last longer.

Just a thought...

Let in the DOGS - I've got a HAMBONE for them!

To all the haters, get over it!

volley_man · « **Reply #11 on:** January 24, 2011, 10:20:50 AM »

I'm going to have to go with charlest on this one, because it makes good sense (darn it since I never thought of it before). I used to follow the mixture of thirds of each of the mentioned additives, but I think in the future it makes better sense to change it up a bit.

From now on I'll go with 1/2 70% ISO Alcohol, 1/3 Simple Green, 1/6 Water (whatever amount remains after filling other additives). This will add up to within 1% of having 33% for each ingredient.

Mighty Buffalo - I think you have a good point about making your alcohol lasting longer by keeping the original ratio, but for most of us the intent is about making a solution that is effective and not so much about making the ingredients "stretch out longer".

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the
judgement that something else is more important than fear...

robospare · « **Reply #12 on:** January 24, 2011, 10:52:37 AM »

Equal parts of clear ammonia, clear vinigar, and clear alcohol in a spray bottle.

tvphotog · « **Reply #13 on:** January 24, 2011, 11:56:14 AM »

soap and water

Mike Thomas
Mooresville, NC
photog17@windstream.net

Current Arsenal:

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charlest · « **Reply #14 on:** January 24, 2011, 02:02:29 PM »

No problem, artimust. As i said, I was just curious.

FWIW I also dilute the concentrated SG for cleaning up around the garage and the basement and the car.

I think if I were to use this on bowling balls, I'd just dilute the SG with alcohol on a 50/50 basis. I think the alcohol would help remove any possible residue that SG leaves. The water in the alcohol just dilutes the mixture because concentrated SG is fairly strong.

Artimust wrote on 1/21/2011 10:37 AM: charlst, I don't really know. I read about it and that was the ratio that was given. I tried it and it works. I can see why water is added because the Simple Green that I use is the concentrate. If the mix wasn't strong enough to cut the oil off the ball, I would adjust the ratio, but I don't see a need to do that.

I know it sounds like I'm in denial, but I'm not.

"None are so blind as those who will not see."
BowlingChat.net

Author Topic: Is there anything at home I can use to clean my bowling balls? (Read 135940 times)

danprince10

Is there anything at home I can use to clean my bowling balls?

10pin hater

Re: Is there anything at home I can use to clean my bowling balls?

charlest

Re: Is there anything at home I can use to clean my bowling balls?

laddog54

Re: Is there anything at home I can use to clean my bowling balls?

snowspike1

Re: Is there anything at home I can use to clean my bowling balls?

mike31959

Re: Is there anything at home I can use to clean my bowling balls?

Locke

Re: Is there anything at home I can use to clean my bowling balls?

Artimust

Re: Is there anything at home I can use to clean my bowling balls?

charlest

Re: Is there anything at home I can use to clean my bowling balls?

Artimust

Re: Is there anything at home I can use to clean my bowling balls?

Mighty Buffalo

Re: Is there anything at home I can use to clean my bowling balls?

volley_man

Re: Is there anything at home I can use to clean my bowling balls?

robospare

Re: Is there anything at home I can use to clean my bowling balls?

tvphotog

Re: Is there anything at home I can use to clean my bowling balls?

charlest

Re: Is there anything at home I can use to clean my bowling balls?