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Have you ever thought that maybe your pool table felt looks and feels dirty? Maybe you have thought about washing it, but just don’t know where to start. Well, in this article, we will go over everything you need to know about washing your pool table felt.
So, can pool table felt be washed?
Suprisingly, pool table felt can be washed or cleaned as needed. You can’t remove it and put it in the washing machine but you can use a brush and cleaner to remove stains as needed.
If you want to know more about how to clean pool table felt, you will want to keep reading. You can also watch this short video to learn everything there is to know about cleaning pool table felt.
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Why is felt important when playing pool?
Pool is one of the most renowned games in the whole world. There are several important parts of a pool game. The pool table is one of the most important pieces. When looking at a pool table, you can see a cloth that is over the pool table. This is commonly referred to as pool table felt. This is important to the game of pool because it allows the object balls to travel smoothly over it’s surface without any disruption to the game. To keep a pool table in good condition, you should pay close attention to the pool table felt to ensure that it is in good working order, and is clean.
Pool table felt is made out of a combination of wool and nylon. A pool table felt that is good in quality will increase your passion for playing the pool game. It has special qualities. It is designed to be heat resistant, strong, and should have a perfect playing surface. It is hard to destroy which makes it extremely durable. Felt should be spill-resistant and should not wrinkle. Pool table felt should last for nearly three years even if it is used for four to six hours a day. However, pool table felt does actually become dirty. Due to its materials, it can hold onto dirt particles and bacteria. It should be cleaned thoroughly, despite the fact that it can be a tedious process.
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What should you not use on your pool table felt?
Pool table felt can get dirty, and should be cleaned. It is important to clean pool table felt because if there are dirty particles, it can cause issues with game playing. It can cause the object balls to not travel along the table properly. If you can visibly see dirt on the table, discoloration, or determine that your object balls are not traveling across the table correctly, it might be time to clean your pool table felt.
When starting to clean pool table felt, one thing to remember is that you should never use a vacuum directly on the pool table felt. If you vacuum the felt directly, it can cause runs, or even tears in the pool table felt. If you use the vacuum directly on the pool table felt, it can cause permanent damage that can end up being much more costly. You should also never use heat directly on the pool table felt as this can decrease the durability of the felt. Even just using a blow dryer to dry pool table felt can cause issues. Using heat on pool table felt can actually cause stains on the felt that can be hard, or even impossible to remove.
This is why it is important to use the proper tools when trying to wash your pool table felt. These tools can be found at almost any local pool store. There are two essential tools that you will need for this project. You will need a pool table brush, and pool table felt cleaner. A pool table brush should have soft bristles so it is gentle on the felt. It is important that you find these very specific items as it will help protect your felt from any undo damage.
The other tools that you may need to clean your pool table felt can be around the house. You will need water, a clean white absorbent towel, a regular vacuum cleaner or a handheld vacuum cleaner. In the second step, you should identify any visible stains.
You should first be sure to brush off the bumpers. You can brush these bumpers using a pool table broom. Be gentle so that you do not cause damage to your pool table felt. Next, you should start in the center of your pool table. You will want to brush the felt in quick and short strokes. Be careful to clean properly so you don’t need to redo the process later.
Brush the dirt into piles at the ends of the table so that you can vacuum that later. Next, you will want to attach an upholstery attachment to your vacuum. Vacuum all of the pockets, and the felt on the table to free it of crumbs, dust, and dirt.
Be careful not to snag the attachment on the felt and be gentle while using it. You could also use a hand vacuum, but again be careful not to cause any tears in the felt. Next, get one of your white absorbent towels and dampen it. Wring it out so it is not dripping water. Apply it to the felt table, by starting in a corner and slowly rubbing in short, and quick strokes again.
Brushing or rubbing in circular motions will only push the dirt around.. Dab harder on specific stains and work it out while being gentle to avoid being rough. You can also apply pool table cleaner to the towel and apply to small areas. Allow your pool table to completely dry before attempting to play on it.
Conclusion:
Pool table felt is an important piece of the structure of the table. This felt is comprised of wool and nylon percentages. This exact fabric allows the object balls to travel across it with the right amount of friction and smoothness. If the felt is too thin or too thick, it will vastly alter the ease of playing the game and can cause a disruption. This is why keeping your pool table felt clean is important. Pool table felt can become dirty, trap dust, that can lead to damage on the felt.
Although it might seem wise to vacuum the felt, be careful to avoid direct contact to the felt without an attachment. Also be careful to avoid heat. You will want to invest in a pool table specific brush, and pool felt cleaner. You will use the brush, begin in the center of the table, and using quick, short strokes brush the dirt particles towards the ends of the table in piles. Then, you will want to use an upholstery specific vacuum attachment and vacuum up the piles that you have made.
If you have stains on the felt, you can use a towel and put felt leaner on it and then gently dab the stained areas with that towel. You will want to make sure that your pool table felt has ample time to dry before attempting to play a game on it. This can take days, or even a week. If you do not wait until the felt is completely dry, it can cause damage to the felt which can be expensive to replace. One way to ensure that your pool table felt stays in prime condition is to utilize a pool table cover.