How To Clean Golf Balls

How to clean golf balls

If you are a frequent golf player or simply a newbie to this sport, chances are you may have encountered dirty or stained golf balls. Golf balls are supposed to get dirty anyway. Therefore, it will be extremely helpful for frequent golf players to learn how to clean golf balls.

You can’t expect to master the art of golf while keeping golf balls clean and shiny at the same time, can you? For those who only play golf occasionally, dirty golf balls hardly pose any big problem. Just turn a blind eye on the stained balls and focus on practicing. However, for true golf players, it is crucial to keep your golf balls as clean as possible, because contaminated golf balls can result in inaccuracy in your spin or the flying range of the ball.

To your surprise, there is more than just one type of golf balls. The most common type is the two-piece golf ball. Two-piece balls consist of one solid rubber core covered with a plastic or urethane layer. The solid rubber core allows the ball to travel faster. Therefore this type of golf balls works best in long distance games. These balls are designed to fly straight, which makes them suitable balls for beginners.

Three-piece hybrid golf balls are similar to two-piece balls in design but with an extra mantle layer. These balls possess some of the characteristics of a two-piece golf ball as the added mantle can increase spin control, which makes them suitable for more experienced players.

Performance professional golf balls usually are more complicated in terms of design. Apart from the urethane cover, this type of golf balls is made with a double-core body. They are different from the other types and are most suitable for professional players as they enable golfers to produce highly precise shots.

As a matter of fact, golf balls get dirty very easily due to frequent contact with dirt from grass and soil. They can also get unwanted stain from permanent markers or mud. You can properly clean up your golf ball depending on your availability of resources in several ways. Below are some tips to clean your golf balls at home, which will come in handy for any golfer. These tips are put together from various guides on how to clean golf balls. Keep in mind that these tips apply to common types of golf balls only so please refrain from trying these tips on other types of sport balls.

How to get rid of mud or dirt marks

These are easy to handle with different techniques listed below. You can opt for the one that works for you or try the next technique if the first one fails to bring your desired results.

Technique 1

• First, prepare a good amount of warm water (depending on the number of golf balls you need to clean)


• Add some dishwashing liquid to the water


• Submerge the muddy balls in the water for about one hour


• Remove the balls from the water and wipe them with a dry towel

Technique 2

• Put dirty golf balls into the washing machine or dishwasher


• Soak them with water and washing detergent


• Turn on the machine and run them through the washing machine or dishwasher under a gentle cycle

Technique 3

• Rinse the dirty golf balls in warm soapy water


• Use toothbrush to scrape off the dirt if needed


• Air-dry or towel-dry the balls

How to get rid of felt-tipped marks or difficult-to-remove marks

These are a bit harder to clean and require more efforts. Keep scrolling down to know how to clean golf balls with stubborn dirt marks.

Technique 1

• Use a magic eraser if you only need to clean a small number of balls. Magic erasers can actually remove stains on golf balls such as Sharpie marks or other permanent marker.

Technique 2

• Soak dirty golf balls thoroughly in a mixture of warm water and white vinegar or bleach


• Let them sit for no more than two hours


• Rinse them with water and towel-dry the balls

Technique 3

For super hard to remove stains, the trick is use acetone-based nail polish remover. Apply the nail polish remover on the balls and scrub off the stains. Any stubborn felt-tipped marks shall be gone and your golf balls will be spotless again. However, overuse of nail polish remover may discolor the golf balls or ruin the cover, so do not attempt to use this method on the same ball over and over again.

These are some recommended tried-and-tested tips on how to clean golf balls. Just remember to replace used golf balls with new ones every once in a while and make use of these tips to clean them, and you will not have to worry about how dirty or muddy golf balls may ruin your game. Happy golf-ing!