White powder stains on the rubber

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I've recently returned to the fabulous sport of table tennis after an absence of 25 years and (like everyone else?) I'm a bit puzzled with the new plastic balls. I'm getting used to the slowness but I'm failing to understand the white powder that all balls seem to be covered with (so far I've tried Andro, Stiga, DHS and Double Fish).

I've googled but I still feel that some questions are unanswered.

I would really appreciate if someone could answer the following:
1) Does the stains on the rubber decrease the spin?

2) Is it possible to get rid of the powder? I've tried water + a damp cloth with no real success. The only thing that seem to remove it is using it during practise.

3) What is the powder? Plastic residue from the mold used to make the ball?
 
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I don't know what it is and it is really annoying. It is a more prominent feature of the balls that I generally like the best -- once the powder goes off.

I use a microfiber cloth to get as much off as I can before playing.
 
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ITTF made a quite interesting video 'How Table Tennis Balls are Made'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_oBgkMCSS8

I could not find this video, I heard balls are powdered when polishing them.
Washing by water is easy and recommended.
If there are lots of balls it is easy to wash in the washing machine with a towel for about five minutes.
 
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Wash them with the secret Lemon Juice and National tuner solution and you will have some great performing balls.

Naw, just a few spoons lemon juice and a drop or two of dish wash soap with a cup of water is a great solution to clean.

Still, you will get what is on the floor onto your rubber, but you will know it isn't the bad white powder stuff.
 
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One should scrape it off and collect them and use them later on in various ways... Sniff it, etc. You'd have much better chance to take on Der and Carl and the Goon's Squad after consuming it. One would have super hero abilities, albeit in very short duration. The more one consumes it, the longer and more powerful the effects. Could be added by inhaling good ole super glue and good ole booster. None of that voc free no smell nonsense.
 
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Interesting. I've never experienced white staines from the ball on the rubber.
Then you have never been playing with new balls out of the box before, they all leave that white stuff on your rubbers :D

I have always wondered what it is and why it is there as well. Thought there is a simple explanation, kind of surprising to me that no one knows the answer.

I remove the white stuff by breathing on my rubbers and rub them either on my sports trousers or with my hands.
 
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Wash them with the secret Lemon Juice and National tuner solution and you will have some great performing balls.

Naw, just a few spoons lemon juice and a drop or two of dish wash soap with a cup of water is a great solution to clean.

Still, you will get what is on the floor onto your rubber, but you will know it isn't the bad white powder stuff.

That worked like a charm together with a micro fibre cloth. Thanks.
 
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Just accidentally bumped into this vid of a brandnew gimmick by SoulSpin to get rid of that annoying stuff. Looks interesting to me. Probably need to try it out soon.
The vid is in German but i guess the pics talk for themselves.

Deutsch ist kein Problem :)

Looks cool but the 13€ shipping cost is a bit too much for trying out what potentially is a gimmick.
 
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Probably some kind of plastic mold release agent. The only problem is it doesn't release so well except onto table tennis rubber. I'll have to try Der Echte's top secret National lemon juice formula.
 
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Those white scurf on the ball will make the ball less spinny. It needs to be cleaned off before playing. Just do it !!!
 
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