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Author Topic: Cleaning my Balls  (Read 5771 times)

strikecing

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Cleaning my Balls
« on: December 11, 2008, 01:32:40 PM »
So got about 10 balls that need a good cleaning. Was wondering how well a hot bath would work??
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Maine Man

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Re: Cleaning my Balls
« Reply #1 on: December 11, 2008, 10:07:57 PM »
A hot bath works good for TWO of my balls....  
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strikecing

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Re: Cleaning my Balls
« Reply #2 on: December 11, 2008, 10:33:01 PM »
Does it matter what brand they are??
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lenstanles703

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Re: Cleaning my Balls
« Reply #3 on: December 14, 2008, 03:57:03 AM »
Yours are branded! OW!
LOL
Seriously try one and see if it helps, five gallon bucket with a little dish soap for about twenty minutes works for me.
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Edited on 12/14/2008 5:01 AM

leftyinsnellville

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Re: Cleaning my Balls
« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2008, 05:47:38 AM »
Throw 'em in the dishwasher without any detergent and with the "dry" function turned off.  I face the fingerholes/thumbhole down so hot water doesn't collect in them, but I don't think it makes a huge difference.  You'll be pleased with the result, balls come out squeaky clean, no chemical residue, and a high percentage of the retained oil will have been sweated out and rinsed away.
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charlest

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Re: Cleaning my Balls
« Reply #5 on: December 14, 2008, 06:22:50 AM »
quote:
Depends on how long you went without cleaniong them. I*f they are losing reactiion, then bathe them..

BTW..

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road94master

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Re: Cleaning my Balls
« Reply #6 on: December 16, 2008, 04:44:22 PM »
Thats funny topic name cleaning my balls how dirty and sweaty are they????

HAHAHHAHA

J_w73

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Re: Cleaning my Balls
« Reply #7 on: December 16, 2008, 04:52:18 PM »
quote:
Throw 'em in the dishwasher without any detergent and with the "dry" function turned off.  I face the fingerholes/thumbhole down so hot water doesn't collect in them, but I don't think it makes a huge difference.  You'll be pleased with the result, balls come out squeaky clean, no chemical residue, and a high percentage of the retained oil will have been sweated out and rinsed away.
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220...221...whatever it takes.


I have heard people say that the dishwasher isn't good as the water gets too hot.. but it does a dandy job for me. No mess with wiping off oil or changing water or adding hot water. I know that was the reason for the dry comment.  But I guess some dish washers also heat the water.
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mrbowlingnut

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Re: Cleaning my Balls
« Reply #8 on: December 16, 2008, 05:30:20 PM »
My dishwasher will scold your hand with dry mode off, so be careful with a dishwasher try it on ball you could care less about.


quote:
quote:
Throw 'em in the dishwasher without any detergent and with the "dry" function turned off.  I face the fingerholes/thumbhole down so hot water doesn't collect in them, but I don't think it makes a huge difference.  You'll be pleased with the result, balls come out squeaky clean, no chemical residue, and a high percentage of the retained oil will have been sweated out and rinsed away.
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220...221...whatever it takes.


I have heard people say that the dishwasher isn't good as the water gets too hot.. but it does a dandy job for me. No mess with wiping off oil or changing water or adding hot water. I know that was the reason for the dry comment.  But I guess some dish washers also heat the water.

J_w73

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Re: Cleaning my Balls
« Reply #9 on: December 16, 2008, 05:44:12 PM »
quote:
My dishwasher will scold your hand with dry mode off, so be careful with a dishwasher try it on ball you could care less about.





that was my point. The newer machines I believe heat the water to hotter temps that could damage the ball. I don't have to worry as my machine just uses the temp of the hot water that comes out of the hot water heater and I know that is around 110 deg f
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J_w73

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Re: Cleaning my Balls
« Reply #10 on: December 16, 2008, 10:54:06 PM »
quote:
From now on, let's all guess what the correct way is.  Next time someone asks me what to do for cleaning oil off their ball, I will tell them to use honey.  And the only way I have got free ( I hate to pay retail ) honey in the past , is to stick my tallywhacker into a bee's nest.  I have only done this once, but it sure 'wurk'd fer meee.'
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sounds good..

I would say that if you are sure the water in your dish washer stays below a temp that could damage your ball then the dishwasher would be the best way to wash your ball.
There is also the hook again/kitty litter that you can use to get the oil out of the ball.

Edited on 12/16/2008 11:57 PM
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dizzyfugu

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Re: Cleaning my Balls
« Reply #11 on: December 17, 2008, 03:00:16 AM »
Do not do anything to a bowling ball that your bare hand cannot stand. Dishwasher might be fine, but check the water temp, it should not be boiling hot. Hot tap water is a good temp benchmark, and safe, if you use it in a bucket and some drops of detergent to crack the oil when it oozes out of the coverstock, and you might repeat the process if need be.

Just do never put a bowling ball into an oven, because you cannot control the heating well - it comes only from one side/source, so you easily create tension between the ball's components. The charm of hot water is that it evens out the heat distribution and prevents over-heating.

Only thing that might occur is that some coverstocks change color - "bleaching". But this does not affect performance, and if you later put some polish back onto the ball or when it absorbs oil again, it should get back to normal looks.
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Brickguy221

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Re: Cleaning my Balls
« Reply #12 on: December 17, 2008, 11:48:51 AM »
quote:
Just do never put a bowling ball into an oven, because you cannot control the heating well - it comes only from one side/source, so you easily create tension between the ball's components.  


Dizzy, that is true for a standard oven. However, balls can be put into a convection oven with the temp set on low which is around 130-140 degrees as it blows and circulates air and heats the ball evenly all the way around. I've done my balls in a convection oven many times without any damage to the ball.
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JohnP

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Re: Cleaning my Balls
« Reply #13 on: December 17, 2008, 09:06:28 PM »
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Spinner 1

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Re: Cleaning my Balls
« Reply #14 on: December 18, 2008, 04:18:24 PM »
I've put balls in very warm,(not real hot) with a little dish soap and left them overnight.  By morning there was always a fair amount of oil floating on the water. Even balls that seemed clean. Had to keep them totally submerged.