How to Clean a Felt Pool Table Top
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditSomeone will always end up spilling something on the pool table at some stage during its lifetime! Pool table tops get dirty – drink spills, chalk marks and powder, dirt build-u, accidents with food, just to name a few possibilities. Regularly cleaning the felt top is important to help keep it looking great and to prolong its life.
Steps
- Remove all balls from the
pockets. Take this opportunity to give them a clean too by wiping them
with warm water and a soft cloth.
- Purchase a pool table brush.
This brush is suitable for using on felt table tops it consists of
bristles in two lengths, longer at the edges and shorter in the middle.
They are inexpensive; look for them online under pool [or billiard]
table brush" Use it after every playing session to remove dirt, dust,
chalk dust, and any other foreign contaminants that have appeared during
the games. Wipe or brush down the bumper railings first, then brush the
felt top; this allows the dirt on the railings to fall on the felt top
before you have gone to the effort of brushing it. Sweep all of the dirt
from the center of the table into the nearest pockets using straigh brush strokes.
Do not use circular motions as this will go against the weave of the felt,
causing it to rub up.
- Vacuum the pockets using a
thin, long nozzle connection on the cleaner. Repeat this process for each
hole.
- Polish the wooden areas
around the top, sides, and legs. Although this does not impact the felt
itself, it does help to remove possible contaminants located on the wood
that can migrate to the table top. Use your usual wood polish or oil;
citrus based wood polishing oil is suitable.
- Try a proprietary product. If
preferred, there are pool table cleaning products on the market. These
cleaners claim to penetrate the felt pile without dampening it and the
manufacturers of such products claim that sweeping just moves the chalk
around rather than removing it. Do your own research of such products and
ask at a specialist sports store.
- Clean spills immediately.
Only use warm water and an absorbent cloth. Soap will leave an unsightly
scum stain.
- Place the absorbent cloth
over the spill. Do not press, just let the cloth do the work.
- Blot the area with a dry
and clean uncolored cotton cloth. This will soak up any remaining liquid.
- Add warm water to the spill area and blot up again without rubbing. Felt responds poorly to rubbing; it shifts its shape, fluffs up, and it never looks the same again do not do it! Continue until the spill is cleaned.
Tips
- Encourage people to eat and
drink away from the pool table by providing high bar tables away from the
able, with stools.
- Encourage players to chalk
their cue stick away from the table to minimize the amount of chalk dust
falling on the felt.
- Purchase a pool table cover.
This should be in place when the table is not in use; it is the best
defense against dirt and other contaminants affecting the table top when
unused.
- Immediacy of cleaning is the
key to an effective clean of pool table tops fix spills as soon as they happen and
clean the table top every time the session of games is finished.
Warnings
- Avoid using soapy products
lest they leave a residue on the felt. Always prefer a clean, damp cloth
over any cleaning product when it comes to cleaning felt.
- Never let kids play on an
uncovered pool table and never let pets sit or walk on it. If you let this
happen, the table will get marked and damaged. Keep the cover on.
Things You will Need
- Pool table brush
- Vacuum cleaner with thin
nozzle attachment
- Pool table cleaning solution
(optional)
- Wood polish and polishing
cloth (or wood oil)
Sources and Citations
- Spill fix method based on Pool Table Cleaning
In 7 Steps For Good Play and Long Life
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a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the
original wikiHow article on How to Clean a Felt
Pool Table Top. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons
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