How to Clean a Bowling Ball

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: December 15, 2022 Approved

A built up layer of oil on your ball can cause it to react differently with the lane. This often causes your ball to lose grip on the lane, which can hurt your throw. However, you can easily remove this oil with a little bit of time and some household products. Using these products, you can clean your ball at home, deep clean it at home, or you could take it to a pro shop and have it cleaned with an oil extraction machine.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Cleaning a Bowling Ball at Home

1
Prevent the buildup of oil for easier cleaning. When the oil is fresh on your ball, it'll be easiest to wipe away. Wipe your ball after every game to maintain its condition. Keep a ball towel with your bowling gear for this purpose, and change it out after every time you play so oil doesn't build up on the cloth and transfer again to the ball.
- Your ball towel, ideally, should be a lint free, microfiber cloth. Microfiber cloths will protect the finish of your ball, and lint free cloth will keep threads and pieces of cloth from rubbing onto your ball and influencing your game.
- For the best results and the most consistent throws, towel off your ball after every shot. During prolonged play, you may want to swap in a clean towel at about the halfway point in your play.^{[1]
  X
  Research source}
2
Moisten your rag with rubbing alcohol.^{[2]
X
Research source} As soon as you finish bowling, the ball will be warm from the friction of the lane. This heat opens the pores on your ball, allowing you to clean the ball better.^{[3]
X
Research source} A little bit of alcohol goes a long way, so use it sparingly to wet your rag, then wipe down the entire surface of your ball.
- After you have wiped down your ball with your alcohol dampened cloth, take a dry part of your towel or a fresh towel and wipe free any remaining moisture on its surface.
Advertisement
3
Clean the ball regularly. The longer the oil sits on the surface of your ball, the more a chance it has to sink in and become harder to remove. This means that by cleaning your ball every time you bowl, your ball will stay cleaner for longer.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- This can save you a considerable amount in professional cleaning and help you bowl more consistently.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Deep Cleaning Your Ball at Home

1
Wait until you've bowled a significant number of games. This kind of deep cleaning is known among bowlers and pros as "pulling the oil out of the ball." Basically, this removes oil that has sunk deep into the pores of your ball over the course of many games. The number of games you should wait before deep cleaning will depend entirely on how frequently you play and the lanes you play on.
- When playing on oily lanes regularly, you may want to have the oil pulled from your ball every 50 games. Better regulated lanes might only require your ball to be deep cleaned every 70 - 100 games.
- When you start noticing the action of your ball on the lane to change, it's probably time for a deep cleaning.^{[5]
  X
  Research source}
2
Tape up the finger holes on your bowling ball. You'll want to use a waterproof tape to do this. Water that gets into the finger holes of your ball can harm its performance. Apply the tape over the holes and smooth it so it is flat and there are no gaps in the tape.
- To ensure that no water gets into your finger holes, you may want to use an additional piece of tape per hole.
3
Fill a bucket with hot water and insert your ball. Oil is lighter than water, so it and any accompanying dirt will lift from the surface of your ball when soaked in warm water. To allow the water enough time to work into the pores of your ball, soak your ball for 20 minutes.
4
Remove your ball, take off its tape, and dry it. After your ball is finished soaking, it should be mostly clean. To prevent water on the surface of your ball from dripping into finger holes, keep the tape on the ball and use a clean, lint free towel or rag to dry the ball. When the ball is mostly dry, remove the tape and dry it again to remove any remaining moisture.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using an Oil Extraction Machine

1
Take your ball to your local pro shop. Even if you're a pro bowler, it's unlikely that you'll have a specialized ball cleaning machine of your own. These machines are essentially tanks of water that heat to open the pores of the ball and remove deeply entrenched oil. You should be able to find one of these machines at most bowling pro shops.^{[6]
X
Research source}
2
Have a pro shop employee clean your ball. This service is usually relatively inexpensive, and having a professional clean and polish your ball all but ensures a thorough cleaning. Beyond that, your pro will be able to point out damage that you might otherwise not have noticed.^{[7]
X
Research source}
3
Plan for the wait time until the ball is clean. The time it takes your pro shop to clean your ball may vary, but you can generally expect ball cleaning to take about an hour and a half. If you have a spare ball, this is just enough time for you to squeeze a few games in.^{[8]
X
Research source}
- Alternatively, you could run errands, tackle some chores, read a book, or play a handheld game while you're waiting. This way, you're not bored while your ball is cleaned.
4
Bowl like a champion. Now that your ball is cleaned and polished, it should have regained the same lane reaction as it did originally. Continue to wipe your ball with a towel after throws, and clean it after every game to maintain its condition.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I use Dawn liquid soap?

Community Answer

Yes, you can.
Question

How does not cleaning a bowling ball affect its performance?

Community Answer

If you bowl with a hook, the oil buildup will affect the reaction of your ball. For instance, if you were previously balancing on the edge of the lane before your hook, an accumulation of oil can cause you to not catch that last little bit of lane and fall into the gutter. Similarly, if you aren't flirting with the edge of the lane, the oil buildup can cause your ball to react later and with less intensity, causing you to miss the pocket.
Question

Can I use furniture polish on a bowling ball?

Michael John Lust

Community Answer

I wouldn't do that. The furniture polish would leave a slick residue on the ball, which would cause it to slide down the lane uncontrollably.

Warnings

To prevent using any cleaning agent that might do harm to your ball, you might want to check the US Bowling Congress's homepage, which has a list of approved cleaners and polishes.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 10 Not Helpful 3
Avoid using Lustre King machines. These glaze the outer lining of a bowling ball, and might sometimes cause permanent damage.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 6 Not Helpful 1
It may be necessary to wear a mask while using the rubbing alcohol. The fumes given off by your cleaner and its interaction with oil can be unhealthy for you, especially in poorly ventilated areas.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 5 Not Helpful 4