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How to Clean a Soccer Ball

By April 25, 2012June 24th, 2020Soccer Culture, Uncategorized

* Due to Coronavirus, this article was updated with disinfecting instructions. View updated post

Every now and again, someone will ask, “What is the best way to clean a soccer ball?” Good question. Balls can get pretty ugly after a while and if you play on a turf field, the artificial pitch can make things even worse. There are probably a dozen different ways to do this, but here’s what we do at our house:

  1. Begin by rinsing the ball with clean water. Try not to drench it, because the water can eat away at the seams over time. Use a rag and get rid of all the loose dirt.
  2. Once all the loose dirt is gone, we need to use a cleanser. Soap doesn’t always do the trick, so we take it up a notch. Grab some diluted Simple Green and spray the ball. We usually use a 50/50 mix: 50% Simple Green and 50% water. (We talked to some of the guys at Adidas and they tell us that 409 can make it happen as well.)
  3. Spray the diluted Simple Green on the ball and wait about 30 seconds. It will loosen the grime.
  4. Next, take a 3M Scotch-Brite pad and gently scrub each section of the ball . Make sure you take it easy around the decals. (Scotch-Brite tip from Coach Brent Kowalski)
  5. Rinse with a wet cloth, dry with a towel and call it good.