How to Clean and Maintain Pool Balls and Table Cloth Without Silicone Damage
Every shot transfers a microscopic trace of blue cue chalk and skin oil from the cue ball onto the object balls and down into the table cloth. Left uncleaned, dirty balls lose their anti-static properties—causing "kicks" or "skids" where the object ball jumps offline—and grind chalk paste deep into the weave of your felt.
Rule #1: Never Use Silicone Sprays, Furniture Polish, or Dish Soap on Billiard Balls
Per Saluc SA's official cleaning instructions, genuine billiard ball cleaners must be 100% silicone-free. Household furniture sprays and automotive waxes coat balls in a slick silicone film that ruins friction during cut shots and permanently contaminates table cloth.
Step 1: Post-Game Phenolic Ball Cleaning Protocol
- Shake your bottle of silicone-free Aramith Phenolic Billiard Ball Cleaner well.
- Apply a small drop directly onto the ball surface.
- Rub thoroughly using an Aramith Micro-Fiber Cloth—engineered with a "w" anchorage velvet structure, 3–4 mm fiber height, and 40,000 fibers/cm² density that absorbs 8x its weight in grease without shedding lint onto the ball.
- Buff the ball to a high-gloss luster with a dry section of the cloth or an electric rotary ball buffer. (Both the cleaner and microfiber cloth are also bundled inside the Aramith Tournament Value Pack 2-1/4" Set and the Aramith Standard Pool Table Accessory Kit.)
Step 2: Brushing the Playbed & Under-Rail Cushions
Never scrub a pool table brush back and forth in circles. Sweep chalk dust in straight, gentle strokes from the head of the table toward the foot, brushing under the cushion noses first with an under-rail brush and then sweeping the bed with a 10-1/2 inch horsehair or soft-bristle table brush. When finished, pull a Viper Heavy-Duty Fitted Billiard Table Cover over the rails so dust and sunlight never reach the cloth.