How to Clean Golf Balls At Home: The Best Way to Do It

How to Clean Golf Balls At Home

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Last Updated on March 29, 2021

Are you hoping to find the best way to clean golf balls? Wondering how to clean golf balls easily and effortlessly?

Once golf balls have been used quite a bit, they may not look as shiny and new as they once did. If you want to bring your dirty golf balls back into great shape, you’ll be happy to learn that it’s not too difficult.

You can actually reuse golf balls for a long time, so it’s well worth learning how to clean them properly. If you want to clean golf balls at home, here’s how you can do it.

First Things First: Gather Your Tools

Cleaning Sponge

The first thing you’ll want to do before cleaning your golf balls is to make sure you have a few tools ready for the job. Here are a few tools you’ll want to have ready:

  • a light golf ball cleaning solution (dish soap or dishwashing liquid)
  • a cleaning solution for hard cases (either undiluted bleach, ammonia, or vinegar)
  • a utility bucket
  • a scrubbing tool (sponge or bristle brush)
  • a towel

Once you have these things together, you can being with the cleaning process.

Methods For Cleaning Golf Balls

While there are other ways to clean golf balls, we’ll start with the most basic method for cleaning golf balls in bulk. Here’s what you need to know.

1. Start With Cleaner and a Bucket

Once you’ve chosen a cleaning solution and have your utility bucket ready to use, you’ll want to get started.

Add warm water to the bucket, leaving enough room for any balls you’ll be cleaning. Then, add some of your cleaning solution. You may want to start off with just a small amount and add more if you find that it’s not enough. Stir it up until it has been mixed well.

2. Add Your Golf Balls and Let Them Soak

Once you’ve mixed up your cleaning solution with warm water, you can then add any golf balls you’ll be cleaning to the bucket.

It’s best to let the balls soak for at least 30 minutes before proceeding to the next step. By letting the balls sit in the cleaning solution for a while, many of the stains will start to disappear.

3. Scrub It Good

Depending on how dirty and grimy your golf balls were, you may need to do a bit of scrubbing as well. You’ll want to check each ball to see how much more work needs to be done.

A sponge might work well for some golf balls, but you may want to use a bristle brush or toothbrush for some of the tougher cases. Be careful during this stage, and try not to use a wire brush or a type of brush that will be too hard on the golf balls.

4. Soak Again

Once you’ve scrubbed your golf balls to your liking, you’ll then want to clean your bucket.

Then, you’ll want to refill it with warm water along with a 1/2 cup of bleach. You can then let the balls soak for another 30 minutes. Once done you should rinse the golf balls off and get ready for the final step.

5. Dry Them Off With a Towel

Once you’ve done all of the scrubbing and bleaching necessary to get your golf balls looking great, you’ll then need to dry them off.

Be sure to take your towel and use it to eliminate any extra moisture that the balls have. You can then proceed to use the balls afterward, but you may want to let them lay out on a towel for a bit to ensure they’re good and dry.

An Alternative: Use Your Dishwasher

While the above method works pretty well, there is an even simpler option for cleaning golf balls. You may want to try to use a dishwasher to clean your golf balls.

To do this, you’ll want to add the golf balls to the top rack of your dishwasher and run your dishwasher just like you would when washing your dishes.

Keep in mind, however, that while this can be a quick and painless way to wash golf balls, it’s also not the most thorough. This may not work well for golf balls that are heavily soiled or need a bit more TLC.

Final Thoughts

When you’re trying to give your golf balls a quick refresh, make sure that you’re using the tips listed above. The method above is a great option if you want to wash your golf balls and reuse them again and again.