How to Clean Pool Table Balls

Balls on a pool table get dirty from the chalk on a pool cue. Wax, chalk and other debris can be transferred from one ball to another whenever the balls make contact with each other. Cleaning your billiard balls is more than just making them look sparklingly new when they have been properly racked. A dirty pool ball will not move the same way as a clean one, and dirty pool balls can even damage the cloth on a pool table.

Things You'll Need

  • Water
  • Bleach-free liquid dish soap
  • 2 microfiber cloths
  • Pool ball polish
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Instructions

    • 1

      Rinse the pool ball with lukewarm water.

    • 2

      Squirt a few drops of the bleach-free dish soap onto the ball.

    • 3

      Rub the soap along the entire surface of the ball with your hands.

    • 4

      Rinse the ball thoroughly with lukewarm water. Be sure to remove all visible soap from it.

    • 5

      Dry the pool ball with a microfiber cloth.

    • 6

      Squirt 3 to 4 drops of the billiard ball polish onto the ball.

    • 7

      Rub the ball once more with a different clean microfiber cloth. Doing so removes any leftover residue on the pool ball.

    • 8

      Repeat this method for all the balls, including the cue ball.