After your bowling ball’s done the rounds a bit, you could be forgiven for giving it a quick wipe down with a towel or paper cloth and leaving it at that. However, bowling alleys aren’t the most sterile environments and the oil buildup that’s liable to amass upon the surface of your ball is a magnet for all manner of dirt and grime.
For this reason, you’re going to need to re-evaluate your cleaning strategy.
First and foremost, this is deeply unhygienic and you’ll inevitably be transferring these nasty germs onto yourself from handling and using your bowling ball for sustained periods.
Then, there’s the detrimental effect a dirty bowling ball is likely to have on your playing ability. It’ll hamper the coverstock’s reactivity with the lane, causing the ball to deviate off course and ruining your otherwise perfectly executed shot.
To combat this, it’s essential for any bowler who has a personal ball to invest in a proper cleaning agent. Not only can a good cleaning spray or kit keep dirt and excess oil at bay, but it can also prolong your ball’s lifespan and keep it in pristine playing condition.
In this article, we’re going to reel off some of the most effective bowling ball cleaners at the best value.
Contents
At A Glance: Our Top Picks for Best Bowling Ball Cleaners
If you’re in a hurry, you can jump straight into our top picks (these are the bowling ball cleaners that most people buy).
- Monster Tac Bowling Ball Cleaner Top Pick
- Lane Ghost Bowling Ball Cleaner Spray Kit Runner-up
- Vise Bowling Ball Cleaner Runner-up
Top 5 Best Bowling Ball Cleaners – Our Reviews:
1. Monster Tac Bowling Ball Cleaner
For many, the Monster Tac Ball Cleaner from Bowlingball.com is the go-to cleaning spray.
You only need a small spray to get impressive results and it does a commendable job of cutting through grease, oil, and dirt on all coverstock types and all areas of your bowling ball.
The shine you’ll achieve from this powerful cleaning agent will return a noticeable degree of freshness to your ball, keeping it looking, feeling, and performing like new.
This spray comes in volumes of both 4 ounces and 32 ounces, so you can keep one at hand for during plays and one to keep things ticking over back at your home display case.
Pros
- Gets great results on all ball types
- A good choice of sizes
- Recyclable packaging
Cons
- An intense aroma
2. Lane Ghost Bowling Ball Cleaner Spray Kit
The Lane Ghost cleaning kit is aptly named by nature of the vanishing act it performs on grease and oil.
The spray doesn’t contain any chemicals that are harmful to the material composition of bowling balls but it really does a number on dust, grease, and belt marks.
An added bonus is the inclusion of a cleaning cloth, meaning you won’t have to source one separately and spend more money.
The Lane Ghost is surprisingly good value too, especially for the results it delivers.
Pros
- Great value
- No harmful chemicals
- Effortlessly cuts through dirt and grease
Cons
- Some users have complained that the cleaning pad is too thin
3. Vise Bowling Ball Cleaner
As far as water-based cleaning products go, the Vise Bowling Ball Cleaner is by far one of the most effective.
It’s easy to be skeptical about the cleaning power of water-based agents, but the Vise cleaner comes highly recommended by its userbase as a product that gets great results without the use of powerful chemicals that cause wooziness or headaches.
If you’re worried about exposing your bowling ball (and yourself) to heavy-duty solvents, this USBC-approved cleaner could be the right call for you.
Pros
- Water-based
- Great results for a cleaner of its composition
- USBC approved
Cons
- May not be powerful enough for tougher cleaning jobs
4. Neo-Tac Hook It Bowling Ball Cleaner
Purpose-concocted with the express mission of restoring tac to all kinds of bowling balls, the Neo-Tac Hook It cleaning spray succeeds at exactly that.
This is a great, affordable option for bowlers looking to remove oil and dust from their equipment without damaging their ball’s surface.
The cleaner comes recommended especially for players who want to optimize their hooking ability by maintaining the ball’s grip.
It comes in a 6-ounce bottle, which is the perfect size to fit in your bag while lasting you a considerable amount of time.
Pros
- Great for restoring your ball’s hooking capacity
- Low cost
- Good size
Cons
- Some users have complained of a little too much hook where less may be desired
- Less appealing packaging than some of its competitors
5. Storm Reacta Foam Bowling Ball Cleaner
Coming from bowling mega-manufacturers, Storm, this foam cleaner provides a great deal of cleaning power with even the smallest application.
It’s designed to promote reactivity on your coverstock without damaging the materials, and the foamy liquid goes a long way in doing so.
You can wipe off the foam after applying and distribute it across the ball’s surface too, while still getting immediately noticeable results. This means you could potentially save yourself a few bucks in the long run by the amount of cleaning power you’ll get out of the 4-ounce bottle.
It’s small enough to sling in your bag and have with you to apply in between plays, meaning you can stay on top of keeping your ball in tip-top nick at all times.
Pros
- Good sized bottle
- Foamy liquid means you can get a lot more out of this cleaner than that of its competitors
- Promotes your ball’s lane reactivity
Cons
- Some users may be unsatisfied by the small volume
Wrap Up
A bowling ball never really performs as the manufacturer intended unless it’s properly maintained and the key to proper ball maintenance is cleanliness.
Each entry on this list brings a little something different to the table, though they all come highly recommended by the pros. The key thing to consider before buying is what can get your ball the best results without damaging the materials or causing irritation to you.