How To Clean A Soccer Ball – A Step By Step Guide

As a soccer player who practices regularly, it is crucial to know how to clean a soccer ball or football. But why is it so essential to keep the ball clean?

The answer is simple. If you spend a significant amount of time and money finding the best footballs for your practice sessions or official matches, you should also understand the cleaning process to maintain the ball’s longevity and prevent damage.

Let’s delve into the steps of how to clean a soccer ball or football.

Without further ado, cleaning a ball is a simple task. You need a spray bottle filled with water, a solution of soap or detergent, and two towel-like cloths.

First, use a dry cloth to clean the ball, removing any soil, grass, or tiny stone particles that may be stuck in the stitches. Be sure not to use needles or hooks that can damage the ball’s stitching or outer cover.

The second step involves spraying water on the ball to rinse it thoroughly so that any hard stains or dust can be removed later. Apply the soap to the ball, leaving it for 30 seconds, but no longer. Then, use the second wet cloth to wipe the ball’s entire surface clean.

Next, dry the ball before the playing session. Playing with a wet ball that has poor water resistance may damage the stitching and cause it to burst eventually. Hence, it is essential to take care of the wet ball in this regard.

If you are using a ball made of high-end materials or specifically designed for premium or official matches, there is no need to worry about the stitching. The latest balls come with good water-resistant features, allowing players to play on wet grounds and in rainy conditions, avoiding interruptions to the game.

Let’s summarize the above points in bullets to help you understand it quickly and easily.

• Get two pieces of towel-like cloths, one dry and the other wet.
• Get a spray bottle filled with water.
• Get a solution of soap or detergent.
• Use the dry cloth to wipe the outer cover of the ball and remove any dirt or tiny stone particles from the stitching.
• Rinse the ball thoroughly by spraying it with the spray bottle.
• Apply the soap or detergent solution and leave it for 30 seconds.
• Wipe the ball with the wet cloth.
• Dry the ball, and you are done.

Can you wash a soccer ball?

The answer to this question is simple: as mentioned earlier, soccer balls are designed with varying degrees of water absorption. The latest and premium balls are made with synthetic leathers, four linings between the bladder and cover, a latex bladder, and thermally bonded panels that make the ball both durable and water-resistant. As a result, the likelihood of the ball sustaining damage is greatly reduced.

On the other hand, regular or common soccer balls are not built as brilliantly as the premium ones. These are hand or machine stitched but not thermally bonded, which is why these types of balls are more likely to absorb an extra amount of water and may cause damage to the ball’s quality.

How Often Should You Wash A Soccer Ball?

Washing your soccer ball after every use is not recommended, regardless of its quality. Using water and soap or detergent to clean a soccer ball may cause damage to its quality, so it’s best to avoid cleaning it every day.

Instead, you can use a dry cloth to remove any loose dirt or soil particles and store the ball in a cupboard, inside a table, or on a carpet.

I recommend cleaning the ball with soap and water only when it’s very dirty and looks bad, but only once or at most twice a month. The more you wash the ball, the higher the chances of the stitching becoming loose and the ball’s quality deteriorating.

Concluding Remarks

We have provided a clear and easy-to-understand answer to the question of how to clean a soccer ball. We have covered all aspects of the cleaning process, leaving nothing behind.

In conclusion, before cleaning your soccer ball, it is important to know the construction of the ball you use. If you haven’t purchased a ball yet, we recommend that you read the buying guide and choose a ball that suits your needs. This way, you can enjoy playing with the ball without worrying about its quality during play or the cleaning process.