MoRich Bowling Ball Cleaning (Updated Jul 2009)

CLEANING

First and foremost, we at MoRich strongly believe that preventative maintenance is the key to a cover's longevity.  Our recommendation is to clean your bowling equipment after every use (practice, league, or tournament session).  If a ball is used and then put away without cleaning, the oil and dirt will have a greater chance to be absorbed deeper into the coverstock. Whereas, if the ball is cleaned immediately after use, the oil and dirt is limited to the surface and/or just below.  We hear time and time again from people who have lost hook in their equipment and swear they clean it on a regular basis (often times they swear they clean it immediately after use).  Only when the question is asked (before and after bowling?) is the real problem brought to light.  Cleaning a ball just before use is almost a useless procedure.  Using any accepted cleaner and towel will only clean a very fine layer and the deeper trapped oil and dirt still remain. Please keep in mind that using dirty towels only transfer dirt and oil back to the ball so please keep your towels just as clean!  Even performing a quick sanding will get a little deeper, but won't remove the deeply rooted oil and dirt that was neglected from the beginning.

THE BEST METHOD

One of the more recent undertakings was to revisit the art of "baking" a bowling ball. The following was published in Bowling This Month and now becomes the official position of MoRich:

"The best way to effectively clean a MoRich Ball is by having the ball baked by a QUALIFIED professional using a special baking machine that utilizes a thermostatic control. The Revivor Oven, which continuously rotates and wipes the oil from ball’s surface as it is extracted, is also designed to accurately control the temperature at which the ball is heated (which we feel should never be higher than 130 degrees).

We have also found that if you have the cover sanded to 360 grit prior to having it PROFESSIONALLY baked, it will allow the oil to escape more efficiently because the pores of the ball have been opened. After the baking process has been completed, have the ball finished to the desired surface texture by the Pro Shop Operator.

If you choose not to seek the help of a qualified professional, we strongly advise that no other method of heating a bowling ball be used in order to extract oil from the cover, because controlling the rate at which the ball heats up cannot be controlled and cracking damage and/or core separation will result.

MoRich will not warranty any ball that has been damaged because it was baked or heated by any other device other than those specifically designed for this purpose and used by QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS."

A GOOD METHOD

In the event your Pro Shop does not have a Revivor Oven, your next best approach is to simply give it a "Hot Water Bath." Though the process is easy, don't rush the steps! So here we go...

1. Have the ball wet sanded to about 400-grit to open the cover's pores.
2. Fill a tub or bucket with hot tap water so that it just covers the submerged ball.
3. Dip the ball in the water and when you remove it notice how the water is being repelled by the oil.
4. Squirt about 2-3 teaspoons of Dawn dish detergent (the foamy version lathers and extracts dirt and grime the best) on the ball cover and literally massage it into the coverstock.
5. Place the ball back in the water and let it set for a few minutes.
6. Rub the surface while under water with a clean towel.
7. Remove the ball from the soapy water and rinse it with hot water.
8. Rinse the tub (or bucket) clean and refill it with hot water (no soap).
9. Place the ball back in the water and rub it again with a clean cloth.  You will probably notice that a soapy film will appear in the water.  This is residue that was trapped in the coverstock (much like the oil and dirt was) and the cloth is helping to remove it from the surface.
10. Repeat steps 5 through 9 until no soapy residue remains,  This make 2 or 3 times to achieve, depending upon the amount of soap that was used.  You don't want to use too much soap, but you need enough to cut through the oil and dirt.
11. After the soap has been completely removed from the coverstock, towel dry it, and allow the ball to further air dry at room temperature.
12. Have the ball wet sanded with 400-grit paper and then follow the steps to bring it back to its factory finish as described in our resurfacing section.

ANOTHER GOOD METHOD

If you're not comfortable with the "Hot Water Bath", then use any of the current USBC approved cleaners available in the market place. No matter which cleaner you choose to use (MoRich does not endorse any particular brand), we urge you to follow the directions that come with the product.  These companies specialize in cleaning products and have done extensive research in bringing their products to the marketplace. It's extremely important to use a clean cloth each application because the product will not only break down surface grime on the ball but also on the towel resulting in placing grime back on the ball!

NOT RECOMMENDED

We have received many inquires regarding the use of commercial cleaners such as 409, Simple-Green, and Windex, to list just a few, in cleaning our equipment.  Though these products are specially formulated for removing grease and oil components from surfaces, we DO NOT recommend them as a cleaning product for our equipment. 

REMEMBER

Keeping the surface clean and fresh (and this includes occasional resurfacing) provides for a longer lasting coverstock and gives you the edge when your competition is rolling sluggish equipment!

If you have any further questions about caring for and/or cleaning MoRich equipment, please contact our technical staff using our information link.