How to Clean Golf Balls
Keeping your golf balls clean assures top-notch performance throughout your round.
Golf balls go through a lot of things during their time in our golf bag.
From the everyday punishment of being hit with golf clubs to finding themselves covered in dirt, the top brands of our favorite golf balls need cleaning to restore their original glow on the links.
We’ve taken some of the best methods to help you keep a clean golf ball, whether you are on or off the golf course, and included them in this article.
Best Scrubbing Tools to Clean Golf Balls
When looking for the best products to clean your golf ball, the great thing you’ll find is that you will not have to spend much money. A few household items can do the trick, including a towel, cotton balls, and even toothbrushes.
While other golfers may look at you funny, when finding unique ways on how to clean golf balls, you will save time and energy using these methods for a quick scrub without having to soak or fill a bucket with water.
Towel
Nothing beats a towel when you need some help removing unwanted dirt from dirty golf balls. The towel is a great way to achieve a clean golf ball, especially on the course. While it is great to have a bucket handy, on the links that is not possible.
So by placing a little water and dish soap on the towel before your round, you can have a quick way to clean your golf balls during a round.
Cotton Ball
Even a ball of cotton can remove pesky dirt from the cover of the golf ball.
By putting a few cotton balls in your bag, golfers will create a targeted way to clean the golf balls, removing any mud or grime from individual dimples.
Old Toothbrush
Keeping an old toothbrush in your bag is a convenient way to scrub the outer cover of the ball, especially if you don’t have time to wash the golf ball.
Dishwasher
When cleaning golf balls at home, another underrated device for removing unwanted dirt is the dishwasher. By placing the golf balls in the dishwasher, you can completely remove the grime from the outer cover.
A great tip for using the machine is putting the golf balls along the top rack in a container that provides a mesh exterior to allow water to scrub and rinse the cover.
Washing Machine
Many golfers use their washing machine to clean their golf balls, much like if they were washing clothes.
For restoring used golf balls, this method of cleaning golf balls is the easiest and offers the least amount of physical contact with the golf balls.
Best Cleaning Products to Clean Golf Balls
If you regularly play with used golf balls, the best way to restore them to their original condition is by using a bucket with some warm water and cleaning solution.
You should never soak the golf balls, because that could break down the outer layer and hurt the makeup of the golf balls.
Instead, by using a soft wire brush or towel after using one of these three cleaning solutions, you can remove debris and create the best collection of golf balls for your golf game.
Dishwashing Liquid
Remember, by removing all debris from the dimples of a dirty golf ball, you are using the best method to strategically reduce drag.
While you certainly can use a little elbow grease, a thorough cleaning typically involves clean water and some type of dish soap to completely clean your golf balls.
Hydrogen Peroxide
If you are worried about touching dirty golf balls, a quick sterilizing method involves hydrogen peroxide.
While you never want to let the golf balls sit in the solution, letting the golf balls sit for a couple of minutes should neutralize and kill any unwanted bacteria.
Bleach
The same cleaning theory with peroxide holds true with bleach. If you are wondering, will bleach damage golf balls? The answer is no, the bleach will not damage your golf balls, but many golfers cannot stand the smell of having the solution on the outer cover.
After you get a bucket, add warm water first, with the next step coming in the form of adding a small amount of bleach to the water. Then, place the golf balls in the bucket, letting the golf balls soak for several minutes to neutralize all bacteria.
Once the time is up, take the golf balls out of the bucket, rinse them, and allow them to air dry, preferably outside. After a couple of hours, feel free to use dry towels to remove any remaining moisture before you throw them in your bag.
Nail Polish Remover
If you need to remove ink from your golf ball, using nail polish remover is a great, inexpensive way to restore the outer layer to its previous condition.