Best way to clean rubbers?

This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Active Member
Feb 2017
626
100
907
By rubbers on my killerspin blade are getting a bit dirty and I was wondering a different way to clean it other than using wipes/water. It would be greatly appreciated if any of you guys could give me any advice? ;)
There are several ways to clean it, you can use water or shave foam, or if they are greasy you can use liquid soap, after cleaning my rubbers stay very grippy and spinny. Always the way to clean needs to be soft, like caressing a girl, not as sanding an old wallpaint.

Enviado desde mi Moto G (4) mediante Tapatalk
 
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
Well-Known Member
Sep 2011
12,822
13,216
30,390
Read 27 reviews
Sometimes, in extreme environments, something other than wiping on shirt or with hand is needed.

Just about every TT company makes a rubber cleaning product that will work for 99% of situations.

Where that isn't cutting it, 50/50 Olive Oil Lemon Juice will do it. Rub it in with fingers deep, wait a tad, wipe it all down with clean cloth a few times... then try your regular product. Good as a jig ready to roll.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jirrex and Suga D

JHB

says Aged and infirm of purpose
I use Joola bat cleaner and a Butterfly two-sided sponge (firm one side, very soft on the other) after each session, wipe off any excess moisture with a Halfords chamois pad (sold for demisting car windows) then put protective foils over the clean rubber. Keeps them nice and grippy. If you never clean your rubbers you'll have a problem, especially if you frequently use new balls which will leave white powder all over the surfaces.
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Sep 2017
175
220
440
Just use a few drops of water and wipe the moisture away with the heel of your palm or use a TT rubber cleaning sponge as a squeegee to remove the water. Do this at a minimum at least once after finishing play, or more often if you are playing in a dusty floor or using new balls that are leaving powder residue on your sponge. If you haven't cleaned your sponge in a while (or never) you may need to get a TT rubber cleaning product from any TT shop. Don't use anything that has alcohol in it.
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Oct 2016
1,883
1,583
3,807
What have you done with the racket? haha :) I think water should be good enough to clean the racket. If that does not work, maybe they are too worn out and you need new rubbers.
 
  • Like
Reactions: UpSideDownCarl
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Jul 2018
282
115
879
Read 1 reviews
There are several ways to clean it, you can use water or shave foam, or if they are greasy you can use liquid soap, after cleaning my rubbers stay very grippy and spinny. Always the way to clean needs to be soft, like caressing a girl, not as sanding an old wallpaint.

Enviado desde mi Moto G (4) mediante Tapatalk

Wow, I've always just used some water and my hands. :p
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
May 2015
3,238
3,924
27,424
Read 5 reviews
For tacky rubbers i use a special cleaner for tacky rubbers called Reach rubber wash and for anything else i use the Revolution cleaning foam with a sponge after each play, in dusty conditions sometimes after each match.
After that I put on protection sheets and am quite satisified with the results so far.
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Aug 2017
1,069
505
2,458
There are several ways to clean it, you can use water or shave foam,Enviado desde mi Moto G (4) mediante Tapatalk

that's interesting. First time I hear about shaving foam...

It's not a rocket science. As it was said, 99 times of 100 a couple of water drops on a sponge does the job. Then not, buy some cleaner. There are lots of them. I use Donic spay. It lasts for ages.

20180418_131839.jpg

but I'm sure any cleaner will be good enough. Also buy a sponge. There are 2 types of them:

20190104_133438.jpg
20190104_133447.jpg

the former is dense foam sponge. It's small and I carry it in my racket case if I need to wipe my rubbers in the club. Latter is a chamois sponge. Bulky, so it stays at home and I use it if the rubbers get really dirty (for example If you played in some dusty environment or smth..).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jirrex
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Active Member
Feb 2017
626
100
907
that's interesting. First time I hear about shaving foam...

It's not a rocket science. As it was said, 99 times of 100 a couple of water drops on a sponge does the job. Then not, buy some cleaner. There are lots of them. I use Donic spay. It lasts for ages.

View attachment 18175

but I'm sure any cleaner will be good enough. Also buy a sponge. There are 2 types of them:

View attachment 18176
View attachment 18177

the former is dense foam sponge. It's small and I carry it in my racket case if I need to wipe my rubbers in the club. Latter is a chamois sponge. Bulky, so it stays at home and I use it if the rubbers get really dirty (for example If you played in some dusty environment or smth..).
If you see the cleaner and shaving foam are closer than you imagine, if one does not have the cleaning accesories, then tears of water drop, is not big deal

Enviado desde mi Moto G (4) mediante Tapatalk
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Jun 2016
257
291
2,385
A while ago I used demineralized water, but lately I'm using Tibhar VOC Free Belag Reiniger. I have the feeling that it does a slightly better job than just water and for some reason it lets it spread on the rubber more easily. I bought a 1 liter bottle a while ago, and that will last for a very long time. I also bought spray bottles on Aliexpress for just a few cents each, it is more convenient to spread it that way. I filled some bottles for friends / people at the club (you don't want to know how some people treat their rackets xD), I won't run out of cleaner anytime soon anyways ;).

As a sponge I use the Yasaka Fukuda cleaning sponge, it's a nice compact sponge that really does its job well.

After everything is cleaned and dried, I use rubber protectors made from transparant sheets. I found out that the somewhat thinner sheets (+/- 150 micron) work best, it's possible to get rid of most of the air bubbles trapped between the protector and the rubber. Before I used much thicker and stiffer protectors, which cause a lot more air to be trapped. I stored my racket with Mark V rubbers with those thicker protectors, and when I checked on it a few months afterwards, I saw that there's all kind of oxidation marks on the rubbers where air has been trapped.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Suga D
This user has no status.
I think everyone has already hit all the major points (cleaning sponges, hand, cleaning fluids, water, etc.) I think it's worth mentioning that you should try to get as little liquid on the blade as possible when cleaning the rubbers. Blades are mostly wood, too much moisture can cause them to warp and adversely affect playing characteristics. So don't use too much liquid, only use a few drops at a time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jbvttcc
This user has no status.
While I don't have any question about cleaning methodologies, what do people think about rubber protection sheet? I've heard people recommending against them because dust could stick to them and you use the dusty side to cover your rubber.

I personally don't use rubber protection sheet and just always store my blade in a bat case. Have never really had any issues.
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Jun 2016
257
291
2,385
While I don't have any question about cleaning methodologies, what do people think about rubber protection sheet? I've heard people recommending against them because dust could stick to them and you use the dusty side to cover your rubber.

I personally don't use rubber protection sheet and just always store my blade in a bat case. Have never really had any issues.

I think dust really shouldn't be a concern if you clean the protection sheets before you actually put them on the rubbers. At least that's what I always do. Protection sheets provide a good protection against dust and oxidation, so I guess it really wouldn't hurt using them.

Although it might be more necessary for tacky rubbers in order to keep them tacky as long as possible.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Suga D
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
Dec 2010
16,146
17,686
54,748
Read 11 reviews
Many ways to clean. I think there were more than enough good answers. Some quite entertaining answers too.

But I am wondering if Lula is onto something.

Can you show a photo of your rubbers? It may be that the rubbers are not dirty but worn. And cleaner won't change that.
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Aug 2017
1,069
505
2,458
While I don't have any question about cleaning methodologies, what do people think about rubber protection sheet? I've heard people recommending against them because dust could stick to them and you use the dusty side to cover your rubber.

I personally don't use rubber protection sheet and just always store my blade in a bat case. Have never really had any issues.

You should use them on tacky Chinese style rubbers.

On grippy euro/japan style rubbers they are not that important, but won't hurt either. Although I personally don't use it on my BH

Another thought to consider is that if you use aluminium box style case where the blade is planted into the foam they shouldn't be as useful as if in a regular fabric case, because in the former the rubbers don't touch or rub with fabric and on later they are brushing against the inner lining of the case.
 
Top