The Asylum for me, picks up in the mid lane and has a strong arching motion to the pocket. The Deranged goes longer then flips. So IMO the Asylum is smoother, in other words, it does not have a uncontrollable flip, and it hits hard. I also want to let you know that I am not a 2 handed bowler, so my reaction may differ than yours. For cleaning all of my equipment I have been using " clean and dull", been using it for years.