3 Ways To Clean A Bowling Ball - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Clean a Bowling Ball PDF download Download Article Co-authored by Chad McLean

Last Updated: February 19, 2026 Approved

PDF download Download Article
  • Cleaning a Bowling Ball at Home
    • |
  • Deep Cleaning Your Ball at Home
    • |
  • Using an Oil Extraction Machine
    • |
  • Video
    • |
  • Expert Interview
    • |
  • Q&A
    • |
  • Tips
    • |
  • Warnings
    • |
  • Things You'll Need
|Show more |Show less X

This article was co-authored by Chad McLean. Chad McLean is a professional bowler, a bowling ball designer, and the Technical Director at Storm Products based in Brigham City, Utah. He started playing at just three years old, and developed a passion for bowling that carried through high school into his adult life. After bowling for nearly his entire life, during college Chad managed a pro shop at a local bowling alley where he learned through hands-on experience all about fitting hands, drilling balls, and the science of bowling ball manufacturing. He’s internationally recognized as one of the most sought-after ball drillers and technical coaches in the world. He has worked for 10 years at Storm Products and oversees ball development for multiple brands, shipping bowling balls worldwide. Chad has multiple 300 games and 800 series and has been inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records seven times for bowling-related feats, most recently for the “Tallest Stack of Bowling Balls” with 11 balls broken at Storm headquarters. He currently holds the record for the “Most Strikes in 60 Seconds” at 12 strikes and the “Most Bowling Balls Held Simultaneously” with 16 balls. He also travels globally to teach bowling, conduct seminars, and educate others on the technical aspects of the sport. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 88% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 199,905 times.

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.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 3:

Cleaning a Bowling Ball at Home

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  1. Step 1 Prevent the buildup of oil for easier cleaning. 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.[1]
    • 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.
  2. Step 2 Moisten your rag with rubbing alcohol. 2 Moisten your rag with rubbing alcohol. 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.[2] 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.
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  3. Step 3 Clean the ball regularly. 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.[3] [4]
    • This can save you a considerable amount in professional cleaning and help you bowl more consistently.
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Method 2 Method 2 of 3:

Deep Cleaning Your Ball at Home

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  1. Step 1 Wait until you've bowled a significant number of games. 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.
  2. Step 2 Tape up the finger holes on your bowling ball. 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. Step 3 Fill a bucket with hot water and insert your ball. 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. Step 4 Remove your ball, take off its tape, and dry it. 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.
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Method 3 Method 3 of 3:

Using an Oil Extraction Machine

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  1. Step 1 Take your ball to your local pro shop. 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.[5]
  2. Step 2 Have a pro shop employee clean your ball. 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.[6]
  3. Step 3 Plan for the wait time until the ball is clean. 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.
    • 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. Step 4 Bowl like a champion. 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.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question Can I use Dawn liquid soap? Community Answer Community Answer Yes, you can. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 4 Helpful 35
  • Question How does not cleaning a bowling ball affect its performance? Community Answer 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. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 2 Helpful 17
  • Question Can I use furniture polish on a bowling ball? Michael John Lust 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. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 3 Helpful 13
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Video

Tips

  • Be patient while cleaning, especially when trying to remove marks on your ball. These can sometimes take a good deal of elbow grease, and several applications of cleaner, before they are removed. Thanks Helpful 8 Not Helpful 3
  • While Windex can be a good way of cleaning polyester or urethane bowling balls, it should never be used on any reactive resin balls, as it will destroy the coverstock and reaction of the ball. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1
  • Another way to clean a bowling ball would be to place it in an electric smoker; the temperature of the smoker staying at approximately 135 degrees Celsius. Take the ball out every couple of hours; clean it with alcohol and a clean rag. The process may take 5 or 6 hours to work, but works great. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 5
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

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. Thanks 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. Thanks 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. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 4
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Things You'll Need

Cleaning a Bowling Ball at Home

  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Clean rag (x2; microfiber/lint free preferred)
  • Ball towel (microfiber/lint free preferred)

Deep Cleaning Your Ball at Home

  • Bucket (large enough to hold ball)
  • Tape (waterproof)
  • Ball towel (microfiber/lint free preferred)

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Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about bowling, check out our in-depth interview with Chad McLean.

References

  1. ↑ Chad McLean. Bowling Expert. Expert Interview
  2. ↑ https://www.bowlingball.com/BowlVersity/how-to-properly-clean-your-bowling-ball
  3. ↑ Chad McLean. Bowling Expert. Expert Interview
  4. ↑ https://www.bowlingball.com/BowlVersity/how-to-properly-clean-your-bowling-ball
  5. ↑ Chad McLean. Bowling Expert. Expert Interview
  6. ↑ https://www.bowlingball.com/BowlVersity/how-to-properly-clean-your-bowling-ball

About This Article

Chad McLean Co-authored by: Chad McLean Certified Bowling Coach This article was co-authored by Chad McLean. Chad McLean is a professional bowler, a bowling ball designer, and the Technical Director at Storm Products based in Brigham City, Utah. He started playing at just three years old, and developed a passion for bowling that carried through high school into his adult life. After bowling for nearly his entire life, during college Chad managed a pro shop at a local bowling alley where he learned through hands-on experience all about fitting hands, drilling balls, and the science of bowling ball manufacturing. He’s internationally recognized as one of the most sought-after ball drillers and technical coaches in the world. He has worked for 10 years at Storm Products and oversees ball development for multiple brands, shipping bowling balls worldwide. Chad has multiple 300 games and 800 series and has been inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records seven times for bowling-related feats, most recently for the “Tallest Stack of Bowling Balls” with 11 balls broken at Storm headquarters. He currently holds the record for the “Most Strikes in 60 Seconds” at 12 strikes and the “Most Bowling Balls Held Simultaneously” with 16 balls. He also travels globally to teach bowling, conduct seminars, and educate others on the technical aspects of the sport. This article has been viewed 199,905 times. 66 votes - 88% Co-authors: 14 Updated: February 19, 2026 Views: 199,905 Categories: Bowling Article SummaryX

To clean a bowling ball, start by dampening a rag with a little rubbing alcohol and then wiping down the ball with it. Then, take a dry towel and wipe down the ball again to dry it off. Try to do this after each time you bowl so that oil doesn't build up and make the ball harder to clean. To deep clean the ball and remove oil build up, start by covering the finger holes on the ball with waterproof tape. Then, submerge the ball in a bucket of hot water and let it soak for 20 minutes. Finally, remove the ball and dry it off with a clean towel. To learn how to clean a bowling ball using an oil extraction machine, scroll down! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Reader Success Stories

  • Jesse Montross

    Jesse Montross

    Jun 7, 2017

    "I do a lot of bowling. I use Storm cleaning on my towel. It works very good."
More reader stories Hide reader stories Share your story

Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Chad McLean Co-authored by: Chad McLean Certified Bowling Coach Co-authors: 14 Updated: February 19, 2026 Views: 199,905 88% of readers found this article helpful. 66 votes - 88% Click a star to add your vote Jesse Montross

Jesse Montross

Jun 7, 2017

"I do a lot of bowling. I use Storm cleaning on my towel. It works very good." Jules Fierke

Jules Fierke

Jul 30, 2017

"Never knew how to do it at home, now I do. " Rated this article: Betty Smith

Betty Smith

Aug 25, 2017

"Very easy step-by-step instructions." Collin Pribula

Collin Pribula

Jun 16, 2017

"It's awesome and very handy." Rated this article: Terry Stewart

Terry Stewart

Jan 22, 2017

"Basics are the best. " Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

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