MoRich Bowling Ball Cleaning
CLEANING
As technology advances so does the industry. Mo continues to outpace
the industry in many sectors resulting in better equipment for your use, better
drilling techniques to better match you -- your equipment -- to the lanes you bowl
on, and how to care for your equipment.
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...
- Have the ball wet sanded to about 400-grit to open the cover's pores.
- Fill a tub or bucket with hot tap water so that it just covers the
submerged ball.
- Dip the ball in the water and when you remove it notice how the water
is being repelled by the oil.
- 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.
- Place the ball back in the water and let it set for a few minutes.
- Rub the surface while under water with a clean towel.
- Remove the ball from the soapy water and rinse it with hot water.
- Rinse the tub (or bucket) clean and refill it with hot water (no
soap).
- 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.
- 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.
- After the soap has been completely removed from the coverstock, towel
dry it, and allow the ball to further air dry at room temperature.
- 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 at mailto:customerservices@morichbowling.com.