Have you ever experienced cleaning a ping pong paddle? I assume not.
As you’re concerned enough to search for how to clean a ping pong paddle, then I can surely understand how serious you are about this game. So, according to the determination of your seriousness, we should first explain why it is necessary to clean a ping pong table.
A ping pong paddle is actually what your ping pong game depends on. The ball you play with is pretty much the same. But a paddle matters the most because that’s the only thing that is in your hand throughout the whole game.
Why Cleaning Ping Pong Paddle is Important?
Now, before starting to explain why cleaning is important, there’s another thing that we have to let you know.
There are some people who buy replacements as soon as their ping pong paddle gets a bit weakened due to usage from time to time. But a simple cleaning can solve that in less money and time.
So, it’s really important to know about the cleaning stuff.
An Alternative of New One
It is easily noticeable that a shiny new ping pong paddle works better than a dirty old one. There must be a reason why something like that happens right? Some might say because of regular use causes the build to get tampered with.
But the real reason is, a new paddle is cleaner than an old paddle. That’s what actually makes the real difference.
When you clean a paddle it would look like a new one. The dirt will be gone, the rubber will be shiny as a new paddle. You can hardly differentiate a newly cleaned paddle from a new paddle.
Better Playing Experience
A new paddle’s rubber has more accuracy because of its clean surface. It has more springiness than a worn-out rubber of an old paddle. Dust and dirt put a dulling effect on the rubber surface of the paddle. Also, they harm the grip which makes it harder for anyone to aim for an accurate shot. So, what could be the solution to this rather than changing the paddle frequently?
Most of the people who are regularly changing their old paddles are changing it because it’s getting spotty and dirty. They are looking for a quality paddle.
I would say don’t change a paddle until it gets worsen. As a player, the paddle you are playing with that got dirty is connected with your playing style. After a certain period of time, a player gets connected with the instruments that he plays with.
So, when you got a new one, I need to put extra effort to be connected with it. But if you clean a paddle instead of getting a new one, you will be easy with it.
Time and Money Saving
It is obvious that getting a new paddle costs you extra money. What if you clean your blade by yourself and get a new vibe without spending money on the new one? You have to spend little money or even nothing to buy some cleaning ingredients.
A hardworking player spends all the time practicing and making himself better than before. As we all know, who difficult and time-consuming it is finding the best table tennis paddle. Most of the players haven’t at that time. So, they prefer cleaning ping pong paddle at home.
The answer is to keep the paddle clean using the techniques below. The explained techniques are easy and mostly cost-free. So, it makes you save money and quite a lot of time. Face it, when your paddle gets worn out, you wait for some days to buy a new one. Now you won’t have to wait till buying a new one.
Here are 3 methods explaining how to clean a ping pong paddle in details
How to Clean a Ping Pong Paddle with Water and Sponge?
The least expensive way of cleaning your paddle is this technique. All you have to do is soak a regular kitchen sponge in warm water and gently scrub the rubber surface of the paddle. This will soak the dust and make the dirt come off.
The caution here is that you don’t scrub the rubber too harshly. Otherwise, it will cause damage to the paddle. Just gently rub the surface and repeat the process till it looks clean and becomes tacky like before.
There are a lot of special sponges that are made just for scrubbing your ping pong paddle. Those are the best ones to do the work with. But in case you don’t want to spend a penny cleaning your paddle, it’s okay for you to use the regular kitchen sponge.
Buy a regular sponge and don’t use it to do anything else rather than cleaning. Do not use the same sponge to clean dishes and plates. Because there might be some soap left on the sponge and it will definitely cause the paddle to be harmed.
How to Clean a Ping Pong Paddle with Rubber Cleaner?
Sometimes the paddle might get dirtier and dustier than usual. In such a case, the sponge technique might now work. So, the next best technique is to apply rubber cleaning solutions. These solutions can be found in the form of sprays or foam.
What you have to do is apply the foam or the spray on the rubber surface and gently rub it all over the paddle surface to make sure that the dirt and dust come off to be scrubbed off. But there’s a caution in this too.
There are solutions that are used for hard rubbers that are not used in ping pong paddles. The ping pong paddle rubber is quite tacky and needs to be cared for smoothly. So, before buying a rubber cleaning solution, check if it is used for gentle cleaning or not. If it is for hard cleaning, you will end up destroying the rubber surface completely and you will make it completely unusable.
How to Clean a Ping Pong Paddle with Toothbrush?
If you have a paddle that requires deep cleaning, then you should use this method. Sometimes the dirt gets stuck into such places that you might have to scrub a bit harder to get it out. But with a toothbrush, all you have to do is soak it a little bit in normal water and gently brush the rubber surface. The bristles will do their magic and clean the places that are unreachable for the sponge.
The caution is to use a toothbrush that has very soft bristles. If the bristles are too hard, it will cause the rubber to get damaged. Thus making the paddle unsuitable to play with. So, remember this caution carefully.
The best part is that it’s not hard to find a toothbrush with soft bristles. So, there’s actually no problem using this method.
Remember at all times to let the paddle dry in the air. Never use any kind of cloth to dry up the damp paddle rubber surface. Because you cannot soak the damp part with anything. It’s better to let the paddle dry itself. Thus it will be better for the longevity of the paddle.
Final Words
So, that’s how you can prevent yourself from buying new paddles every now and then. If you don’t trust the methods, just apply any of them once and you will surely see the difference.
An old paddle will never give you the same type of playing reliability as a new one. But due to the frequency of changing the paddle, it’s hard for anyone to adjust the gameplay. Because every paddle is different from the other. Some might feel good at your hand, some might not.
You should always buy a paddle that is suitable for your hand, and after you buy one, if you want to change it again, it’ll be harder for you to find a paddle with the same type of comfort. So, knowing how to clean a ping pong paddle is the solution to your problems at gameplay. Apply it and see the results yourself.