It is not only you who have been working hard and beating the heat during your basketball training. Take some time to appreciate your poor basketball that has been feeling the wrath of your adrenaline and has been thrashed all around the place; swished through the net, thrown at the backboard, and bounced million times.
If you want to get the most out of your basketball, then you should keep it clean. It is important to know how to clean a basketball because as a player, it will help you respect the sport.
Moreover, knowing how to clean a basketball will increase its longevity.
You will require the following materials for cleaning your basketball:
• A bucket full of warm water
• Liquid soap (bathing/dish)
• A clean dry rag or cloth
• A damp cloth
• Wood polish
• Natural leather cleaner
• Elbow grease
• Soft brush
Before we start, you should know that the basketballs are made of different materials. There are natural leather basketballs, there are synthetic leather basketballs and there are rubber basketballs. We will put light on every basketball and will tell you how to properly clean them.
CLEANING a Natural Leather Basketball-
If you own a tournament grade basketball like Spalding Official NBA Basketball or Wilson Evolution Game Ball, then you should know how to keep it clean.
You must know that nothing matches the satisfaction of a leather basketball cleaned with natural leather cleaner. There are several natural leather cleaners available on the market which you can avail.
• Take a proportionate amount of natural leather cleaner in a small bowl.
• Take a clean cloth and apply some leather cleaner on it.
• Gently rub the basketball surface to give it a nice polish.
• Once the basketball is cleaned from all the portions, use a clean cloth to wipe off the extra cleaner from its surface.
• In case, if your leather basketball is covered in mud and dust, then you should first rinse it with clean water and liquid soap.
• Never flatten or deflate your leather basketball when you are cleaning because deflating it would lead to creasing the leather. Make sure that your basketball is filled with proportionate air.
• Once you have cleaned it, place it in a dry and cool place for some time.
CLEANING a Synthetic Leather Basketball-
If you are a proud owner of synthetic leather basketballs like Wilson NCAA Wave Microfiber Composite Basketball or BGMX Basketball, then you must be using it mostly for indoor play.
The synthetic leather material provides the durability for taking the beating of outdoor surfaces.
Cleaning the synthetic leather basketballs is very easy.
• Take a bowl filled with the mixture of liquid soap and warm water.
• First, rinse the basketball with water to remove any hard dirt surrounding it.
• Use a clean cloth and apply the soap mixture to it.
• Gently rub the cloth all over the basketball’s surface until it becomes clean and non-sticky.
• In case, if there are small grits or dirt which seems impossible to get rid of, you can use some elbow grease as well.
• As these basketballs are mostly used outside, there is a chance of your synthetic leather basketball affecting with ingrained stains. In situations like a normal soap solution will not do the trick. It is recommended to use quality synthetic leather cleaner.
CLEANING a Rubber Basketball-
Rubber basketballs are highly common in every household. Rubber basketballs like Cosco Tournament Basketball, R500 Basketball and more are specially meant for the beginners. The rubber basketballs are more prone to attaining dirt and stain as these basketballs sport a textured surface.
Unlike other basketballs, rubber basketballs are easy to clean as it doesn’t require much of a care like leather or synthetic basketballs.
• Take a bucket full of warm water.
• Prepare a mixture of liquid soap and water.
• Using a damped cloth, scrub the basketball’s surface properly to make sure that the dirt hiding between its textured surfaces is removed.
• This time, you can go a little harsh on the basketball. You can rub the surface by applying some extra pressure.
• Now using a dry cloth and the soap mixture clean the basketball for stains.
• Rinse it off using warm water and remove the excess water from its surface using a dry rugged cloth.
THINGS to keep in mind while cleaning your basketball:
- Never pre-soak your basketball in detergent or water; it will lead to corrode the material it is made of.
- Dry it using a clean rugged cloth instead of using any other medium like dryers or other heated appliances.
- Avoid using strong detergents.
CARING for your basketball:
You must now have gotten the gist of how to clean a basketball but cleaning only will not do the trick. You will have to take a proper care of your basketball if you want it in for a longer run.
- Place your basketball in dry and cool place, away from direct sunlight.
- Use wood polish once a month to make your basketball appear new every time.
- If you are regular, then it is recommended to have a couple of basketballs so that you can use them in rotation. Because rest is must for a basketball.