How to Chalk off & Remove Stains From Billiard Table Felt

Our pool/snooker table cloth remains at the table unlike cues and pool balls, yet it can get dirty and when it gets dirty it impacts the play significantly. The cleaner your table felt is the more you’ll enjoy playing on it.

But then, people are quite skeptical about how they can clean a pool table felt? Is it even possible?

It’s been asked quite a few times “what can I use to clean the pool table felt?” by billiards players. The thing is, a snooker table felt is vulnerable to different types of direct particles, it could be a stain from any liquid, wax, glue, or particles on pool balls.

So in this article, I’m going to share multiple ways to clean stains, dust and chalk off the table.

How To Clean Your Pool Table Felt?

There are more than one ways to do it. I’m going to share each of them separately to avoid any clutter in your mind.

Cleaning Table Felt With Brush & Vacuum

This is one of the effective ways to clean chalk off the table. It’s a typical pool table cleaning brush that has soft bristles. Don’t use abrasive brushes on your pool tables because it’s a delicate object and can be easily damaged.

Here are some tips for cleaning your pool table felt with a brush and vacuum.

1. If your pool table is regularly used, use this brush once in a week to clean your table.
2. Be gentle when brushing it. Use quick and forward stokes.
3. Don’t do it in circular motions, dust would only move around the table.
4. Brush the debris towards the edge of the table.
5. And once the dirt has been gathered at one edge, use handheld vacuum or standard vacuum with a hose attachment to suck it.
6. Make sure your vacuum is not too powerful, otherwise it might pull at the fiber felt and cause problems for you.

Cleaning With Water & Damped Towel

Pool and snooker table felts are vulnerable to stains. No matter how hard you try to avoid them, but they can’t be avoided forever. So better be prepared to deal with them to protect your table.

The below mentioned tips will tell you how to get stains and glue out of the billiard table felt in different circumstances.

1. Don’t leave the stain for too long. Immediately place a dry towel (preferably white) on the spill.
2. Don’t press down because the stain can further be spread to other parts of the felt.
3. Keep replacing the towels so they absorb as much of it as possible.
4. If the stain was caused by other than water, you can use a water dampened towel over it. Gently dab the towel at the stained spot.
5. If the stain doesn’t remove, you can also use vinegar.
6. Keep the ratio of water and vinegar 50/50. Repeat the same process of dabbing at the stain, this time with a solution of water and vinegar.
7. And if the stain still remains at its place, you can use a cleaning product. But I advise you to use a cleaner that is specifically made for cleaning pool/snooker table felt.

People often ask can you use carpet cleaner on the pool and snooker table to remove stains, the answer is no.

Because they can damage your table felt, remember, your billiard table felt is made of material that’s far more delicate than a carpet.

So no carpet cleaner or random liquids used for cleaning purposes.

Handwashing Pool/Snooker Table Felt To Remove Coke

This may sound weird but people tend to eat and drink a lot when they are playing pool or snooker. And this often results in coke stains on the pool table.

So how do you get coke out of the pool table?

The damp cloth method, which is mentioned at the top is best for it. However, if you want to hand wash your pool table felt so everything from glue, chalk and stains can be removed, it’s not a bad option.

The process of handwashing billiard table felt is the same as machine washing.

However, here, you put your table felt in a tub of cold water with detergent in it. You can also add a dab of lemon juice in it which is useful for removing stains. Allow the felt to soak in it completely.

When it’s submerged in water, massage the felt gently. After a few minutes, you can take it out and leave it to dry until it is ready to be used again.

Can You Machine Wash Your Pool Table Felt?

Yes, there is no harm in washing your pool table felt in the washing machine, but it must be done the right way.

No need to rush. You must put the right amount of water in the machine and once the table felt has been submerged properly and then taken out, you must let it dry completely before putting it back on the table.

Here’s the step by step guide to wash your pool table felt in washing machine:

1. Put some cold water in your washing machine.
2. Put only such an amount of water that you can submerge the felt in it. No over filling. The reason why machine should not be filled to the top is because excessive water can distort the shape of your felt.
3. You can also add a fabric softening cleanser in it. But do it before submerging your felt in water.
4. After one complete cycle, take out your pool/snooker table felt and leave it to dry.
5. Once it has dried completely, you can put it back on the table.

Just like overfilling your washing machine can distort your cloth’s shape, throwing your felt in the dryer for quick work can also shrink the fabric or cause piling. So keep the drying process natural.

Quick Clean Pool Table Cleaner

Another way to clean your billiard table felt is to use Quick Clean Pool Table Cleaner. It’s a brushless, dry foam cleaner which takes little effort when you are cleaning your pool table cloth, and little time, less than 60 seconds.

All you have to do is spray it on the table and wipe off the dust. No other form of cleaning, vacuum, washing machine, or hand washing required.

Take Care Of Your Billiard Table Felt

You might have heard of some other methods for taking chalk off the billiard table, but taking precaution is the best of them. Don’t let debris or any kind of dust settle on your pool/snooker table felt.

Here are some of the tips for this purpose:

1. Don’t chalk cue over the top of the table. This is one of the practices that cause dust over the table felt. And yes, when you are hosting guests, ask them to do the same in a gentle tone so that they comply without getting offended.
2. And keep your table covered when not in use. Most of us have pets at home and they find our pool table felts comfy. By covering it, not only will you stop pets from getting over it but other dust particles would also be kept out.
3. In case you don’t have a table cover, you can use a clean sheet, tarp or blanket to cover your table.
4. Avoid clutter. Anything that’s not part of your pool accessories shouldn’t be kept on the table. No drinks, no food, no cigars.
5. Keep a stool near your table where you or other players can keep an ashtray, or their food while playing.
6. When drinking water or smoking, get away from the table.

Takeaway

Billiard table felts are delicate clothes. If not handled with care, they can be easily damaged. And stains, chalks, dust remain their constant companions regardless of the fact how much we take care of them. However, by knowing the right cleaning methods to wash them we can not only regularly keep them clean but also increase their lifespan.