How to Clean Billiard Balls at Home

Billiard balls get dirty over time as you use them.

Billiards is a fun game that you can play at home when you have your own billiards table and billiard balls. When you first bought the balls, they were probably shiny and basically flawless. After hours of play, though, billiard balls can become dirty and scuffed up. This is especially true of the cue ball as it is hit most often. It is easy to clean billiard balls at home so that they perform at their best capacity.

Things You'll Need

• Dish soap
• Warm water
• Dry, soft towels or cloth
• Billiard ball cleaner
• Billiard ball wax

Instructions

1. Use dish soap and warm water to clean billiard balls. Fill up the sink about half way with warm water, and add about 1/8 of a cup of dish soap. Place the balls in the soapy water, and let them sit. Use a soft towel to wash them. Using dish soap and water will remove most of the blemishes on the balls, but not all of them. Use a soft towel or piece of cloth like an old T-shirt to dry the balls.

2. Wash the balls again with a cleaner for billiard balls. This should remove all the dirt or scuff marks that are on the billiard balls. If the balls have deep scratches on them, they may look dirty when they are not.

3. Apply billiard ball wax the the balls. This will make them shiny and perform better.

Tips & Warnings

• Always follow the instructions on the cleaning supply bottles so as not to damage your billiard balls.

• Do not use cleaning products that are too harsh. They can ruin the balls and make them less shiny.

References

• Play Pool: Cleaning Billiard Balls