Cleaning and maintaining a pool table isn’t hard or expensive. With a few bucks of supplies and about 15 minutes a week, you can keep yours in good shape with little effort. This guide walks through it step by step, from brushing the felt to caring for the rails and pockets.
Preventative Measures
The best way to keep your pool table clean is to stop the mess before it starts. Use coasters for drinks and keep food away from the playing surface, since spills and grease cause the stains that are hardest to remove. Brush the felt gently after a few games so debris never has a chance to build up.
When the table isn’t in use, throw a cover over it. A cover keeps dust and stray drinks off the felt, and it’s the cheapest insurance you’ll buy for an expensive table. If you don’t have one yet, our best pool table covers guide breaks down fitted options for every table size.
Ways Not To Clean
Never use a vacuum with a beater bar, household cleaners, or excessive water on your pool table felt. All three will damage or shrink the cloth.
A spilled drink sends most table owners into crisis mode, scrubbing fast and hard. That panic usually does more damage than the spill itself.
Proper vacuuming of the felt will be discussed in the following section, but you should NEVER use a full-size, carpet vacuum on your felt. This tool tugs at the felt, stretching it and leaving wrinkles. Wrinkles obviously mess with how the felt plays, but even without them, stretching thins out some spots more than others. That unevenness throws off how the balls roll and turns a relaxing game into a frustrating one. Keep it tight; keep it right.
Cleaning the Felt
While full-size vacuums are to certainly be avoided, small hand-vacuums are amazing tools for daily dusting maintenance. Once you’ve brushed the surface and loosened the dust from the fiber, use a small hand-vac to go over the surface, without dragging it along the felt. Try your best to keep the vacuum right above the felt and try to avoid much contact. Do not apply pressure to the felt; forcing embedded debris up through the felt can damage the felt over time. Keep the vacuum moving. Holding it over one area in an attempt to “get it all up” risks heat damage. (For the full yes-or-no on the question, see can you vacuum a pool table.)
Spills and Stains
Even with the most careful of circumstances, pool tables are always under threat from beverage spills. As with most messes, a timely response will substantially reduce potential damage; liquid can soak through the felt and soak into the wood below.
While timely response is best, we do not live in a perfect world and sometimes spills can occur without our knowledge, leaving stains. Stains should be treated with the same care as spills, blotting, not scrubbing, the target area.
Be sure to let the area air-dry after using a dry micro-fiber towel to absorb as much liquid as you can without scrubbing the area. Remember to avoid using light or heat based drying practices. Continue blotting the area with your vinegar and water mixture as many times as necessary to remove the stain. Tough stains may require several attempts but resorting to other methods risks permanently damaging the felt.
Cleaning the Rails and Pockets
The best way to remove dust from the pockets is with the hose extension from a vacuum or a shop-vac. Dust and debris that have accumulated in the pockets can get on the billiard balls and transfer dirt and grime to the felt during game play. Wiping the pockets down with a lightly dampened microfiber cloth keeps them clean between vacuumings, and the same cloth works on the rails, where hands and chalk leave residue over time.
Making Your Table Last
If your table has leather pockets, use an oil-based product bi-annually to keep them from hardening.
You can extend the life of your table and avoid costly repairs by keeping your beautiful, expensive billiards table maintained and clean. Whether using your pool table for personal enjoyment or to entertain guests, a well-maintained pool table will improve your experience and allow the game to function without frustrating or annoying interruption. Long live your table!
Worth checking out: If you’re shopping for a solid home table, take a look at the Barrington Billiards 7.5ft Table on Amazon.
FAQ
What tool should I use to clean pool table felt?
Use a small hand-vacuum or soft brush to remove dust. Never use a full-size carpet vacuum, which stretches and wrinkles the felt. Keep the vacuum above the felt and avoid applying pressure.
How do I remove a spill from a pool table?
Blot the spill immediately with a microfiber cloth. Don’t scrub. If needed, use a mixture of water and white vinegar, continuing to blot until the stain is gone.
Can I use household cleaners like Windex on my pool table?
No, avoid household cleaners. Stick to blotting with water, vinegar solutions, or specialized felt cleaners. Harsh chemicals can damage the felt permanently.
How often should I clean my pool table?
Brush the felt lightly after every few games. Do a more thorough cleaning weekly if you play regularly. Clean the rails and pockets as needed when you notice dust or debris.
What’s the best way to prevent pool table damage?
Use coasters for drinks, avoid eating near the table, keep it covered when not in use, and brush the felt gently after play. Regular maintenance prevents costly repairs.
Related Articles
For more on this topic, check out pool table felt guide, best felt color, how long felt lasts, refelting costs, and ironing pool table felt.
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