How to Clean a Basketball

Co-authored by Ryan Tremblay and Jennifer Mueller, JD

Last Updated: October 25, 2022 References

If your basketball isn't as grippy as it was, you might need to clean it. Dirt and oils on the surface of your basketball can cause it to lose its natural grip. Fortunately, it's easy to clean a basketball, provided you use the right process for the type of ball you have. Washing your basketball on a regular basis will improve your ball's performance and help it last longer. Read on to learn the specific process to make your basketball like new again, whether it's made of rubber, synthetic leather, or natural leather.

Things You Should Know

Clean your basketball regularly to improve its performance and extend its useful life.
Use tap water and liquid dish soap to clean most basketballs.
Protect your basketball by storing it in a cool, dry place when you're not playing.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Cleaning a Rubber Basketball

Rubber basketballs are manufactured by every brand and are the cheapest basketballs on the market. If you paid less than $20 for your basketball, it was likely a rubber basketball.

1
Rub off obvious marks with an eraser. Since your basketball's made out of rubber, a basic rubber pencil eraser can get a lot of the marks and scuffs off of it with no problem. This tends to work best if your basketball is completely dry when you do it.^{[1]
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- It would probably be too time-consuming to go over the whole ball with an eraser, so save this method for noticeable marks. A regular wash is more efficient to take care of overall grime.
2
Fill a sink or container with warm water and a few drops of liquid dish soap. It might be easier to work if the sink or container is big enough to fit your ball completely, but don't worry if it isn't—you can still effectively wash your basketball. Swirl the dish soap around in the water until it's completely dissolved.^{[2]
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- It's a good idea to do this in a place where some splattered water won't matter—outdoors, or in the kitchen or the bathroom.
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3
Run clean water over the entire surface of the ball. You can also simply dunk the ball in the sink or container you've filled with water. Rubber basketballs are completely waterproof, so you won't harm yours by dunking it in the water and rolling it around.^{[3]
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- If the ball is really dirty, run the water directly over it to get rid of some of the surface dirt. That'll save you some time and effort scrubbing it.
4
Soak a sponge in soapy water to scrub the ball. Squeeze the sponge a bit to get rid of excess water and lather the soap up, then start scrubbing your basketball. If you work panel by panel, you can easily track your progress around the ball.^{[4]
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5
Use a little elbow grease for more persistent stains. The good thing about rubber basketballs is that they're tougher than those made of synthetic leather or leather—if you need to scrub, go for it! You're not going to damage the ball just from scrubbing it.^{[5]
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- A bristle brush, like the kind you'd use for scrubbing dishes, works great for dirt that just won't come off.
- An old toothbrush also works really well in a pinch and can get into the tiniest crevices on the surface of the ball. A toothbrush also works great for cleaning dirty seams!
6
Rinse the soap residue off with clean water. The easiest way to do this is to just stick your basketball under the tap and spin it around until you've rinsed it off completely. You could also fill another bucket or container with clean water and rinse it off that way.^{[6]
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7
Dry your ball with a clean towel. Another good thing about rubber basketballs is that they tend to dry pretty quickly. A good toweling off should do the trick and then it's ready to play—although leaving it to air dry overnight or at least for a few hours won't hurt.^{[7]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Cleaning a Synthetic Leather Basketball

Synthetic or composite leather basketballs are mid-range in price (typically around $40). Popular brands include Wilson (which makes official basketballs for the NCAA Final Four) and Spalding. Nike and UnderArmour also make good synthetic leather basketballs.

1
Rinse the basketball with cool water. Spin the ball under the tap or wipe it down with a soft, wet cloth. This will get a lot of the surface dirt off the ball without getting it excessively wet.^{[8]
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2
Add a few drops of dish soap to warm water. Fill a sink or container with water—you don't actually need a whole lot, since you're not going to put the ball into it. Swirl the soap around in the water until it's completely dissolved.^{[9]
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3
Dip a clean, soft cloth in the soapy water to clean the ball. Wring out the excess liquid, then rub the cloth over the surface of the ball to clean it. You might want to lay a towel down where you're working so you can rotate the ball as you work and hold it in place easily.^{[10]
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- Since the surface of a synthetic leather basketball is typically smoother than the surface of a rubber basketball, there aren't a lot of nooks and crannies where dirt can hide. This is good news for cleaning—you won't have to scrub as much!
4
Use a synthetic leather cleaner for stubborn stains. If soap and water just aren't cutting it, a synthetic leather cleaner might do the trick. Follow the instructions on the bottle to apply the cleaner properly.^{[11]
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- Don't use a cleaner that includes any conditioner or softener—you don't want to soften the surface of your basketball, you just want to clean it.
5
Rinse the basketball again. Take another dry, clean cloth and wet it with cool water, then rub it over the surface of the ball to rinse off the residue. You can also spin the ball under the tap, just be careful not to get the ball too wet doing this.^{[12]
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6
Leave the ball in a cool, dry place to air dry overnight. Use a towel to pull excess moisture off the surface of the ball, then leave it out to dry. Make sure there's plenty of airflow around the ball—you might even set a fan to blow on it. Don't pack it away in a bag until it's completely dry.^{[13]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Cleaning a Natural Leather Basketball

The Wilson Evolution and Spalding NBA official basketball are two of the most popular basketballs made from natural leather. Natural leather basketballs tend to be the most expensive and will likely set you back over $100.

1
Use a disinfectant wipe for a quick cleanup. If you're in the middle of a game and don't have time for a deep clean, wipe the surface of the ball with a disinfectant wipe. Then, wipe the ball down with a towel to quickly dry the surface.^{[14]
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- Disinfectant wipes might reduce your ball's performance over time, so try to use these sparingly unless you have a lot of fresh basketballs at your disposal.
2
Inflate your basketball to its correct air pressure. Always inflate a natural leather basketball before cleaning it to avoid creases and cracks in the leather. This also ensures that you're cleaning every surface of the ball.^{[15]
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- To check if your ball is properly inflated, hold it over your head and drop it to the floor. If it bounces back up to chest height, you're good to go. If it won't bounce that high, it probably needs a little more air.
3
Wipe the ball down with a clean, dry cloth. This loosens up any dirt on the ball and gets rid of the top layer of surface dust. While it isn't a necessary step, it makes the rest of the process go a little more smoothly.^{[16]
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4
Wet a clean cloth with leather cleaner. Pour a little leather cleaner onto your cloth, then wring it out to get rid of any excess moisture. Don't put the leather cleaner directly onto the basketball—you'll get it too wet and damage the leather.^{[17]
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5
Dab the leather cleaner onto the surface of the ball. Use the cloth to rub the cleaner into the surface, paying special attention to the seams, which attract a lot of the oil from your hands. Go panel by panel, cleaning the entire ball. Even if an area doesn't look especially dirty, it can probably use a general cleaning.^{[18]
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- If you've got a lot of caked-on mud on your ball, you might need to haul out the big guns. A heavy-duty leather shampoo and plenty of water will loosen up that dirt.
- Never use conditioners or any product that claims it will "soften" leather. While you might want your leather jacket to be buttery soft, you want the leather on your basketball to stay hard.
6
Wipe the ball with a clean, dry cloth to remove the residue. The dry cloth also pulls the moisture out of the surface of the ball so that it dries more quickly. Rub the cloth lightly in a circular motion to give your ball a good polish so it looks like new again.^{[19]
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- If you got the ball wet at all, leave it out to air dry for at least 24 hours. Never use a hair dryer or other heated appliance to dry your leather basketball—it will crack and damage the leather.
7
Store your basketball in a cool, dry place. Leather basketballs, in particular, are vulnerable to extreme temperatures and moisture. Ideally, keep your basketball in a vented basketball bag in a climate-controlled area.^{[20]
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- To protect your leather ball, only use it indoors—never outside.^{[21]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Ryan Tremblay
  Basketball Coach
  Expert Interview. 13 November 2020.}

Expert Q&A
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Question

How do you care for a leather basketball?

Ryan Tremblay
Basketball Coach
Ryan Tremblay is a Basketball Coach and the Owner of National Sports ID and STACK Basketball. With over 30 years of experience, Ryan specializes in basketball coaching, social media marketing, and website design. Ryan created the National Sports ID as a platform to verify the age/grade of youth athletes and STACK Basketball to inspire young athletes to grow into mature individuals and basketball players. Ryan was a First Team All-Decade basketball player in Bergen County and finished in the top 20 all-time leading scorers in the county’s history with 1,730 points. He went on to Caldwell University on a basketball scholarship where he was part of three championship teams. Ryan was a two-time All-Metropolitan, All-State, and All-Conference point guard and the all-time three-point leader in the school’s history, landing him in the Caldwell University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Ryan Tremblay

Basketball Coach

Expert Answer

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The most important thing is to never use a leather ball outside. If you're playing outdoors, use an indoor-outdoor ball, which is made of composite leather.
Question

How do you sanitize a basketball?

Ryan Tremblay
Basketball Coach
Ryan Tremblay is a Basketball Coach and the Owner of National Sports ID and STACK Basketball. With over 30 years of experience, Ryan specializes in basketball coaching, social media marketing, and website design. Ryan created the National Sports ID as a platform to verify the age/grade of youth athletes and STACK Basketball to inspire young athletes to grow into mature individuals and basketball players. Ryan was a First Team All-Decade basketball player in Bergen County and finished in the top 20 all-time leading scorers in the county’s history with 1,730 points. He went on to Caldwell University on a basketball scholarship where he was part of three championship teams. Ryan was a two-time All-Metropolitan, All-State, and All-Conference point guard and the all-time three-point leader in the school’s history, landing him in the Caldwell University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Ryan Tremblay

Basketball Coach

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In my facility, we put them in a bin, then spray them with a disinfectant spray. Then, we wipe them down with towels.
Question

Can I clean my leather basketball without using leather cleaner?

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You can clean a leather basketball with warm water and dish soap. Just use a cloth both to apply the soapy water and to rinse the soapy water off the ball—don't dunk it directly in water or run water over it. Leave it out to dry for at least 48 hours after washing it.