Acceptable/Non-Acceptable Ball Cleaners
Commercial Ball Cleaners | Solvents/Other Chemicals Solids/Abrasives
Specifications/Certifications Mainpage
As of April 3, 2007
Any cloth towel that is non-abrasive that doesn't modify the surface finish of the ball and contains no chemical additives will be acceptable for use during USBC certified competition.
Here is a list of acceptable and not acceptable ball cleaners and polishes. The determination of "acceptable use" is, the product must not soften the ball surface. Acceptable cleaners are products meant to clean the ball surface.
In the past few years, many new polishes, which are designed to change the surface roughness of a bowling ball (the same as abrasives such as sandpaper and Scotch Brite pads), have been introduced in the market-place. These products, which contain solids or abrasives, are normally thick (high viscosity), paste with the consistency of car polish. Since they change the surface roughness of the bowling ball, these products may only be used before or after certified competition. Products that were tested are listed on the last page of this correspondence.
USBC does not approve ball cleaning products, but does test them for acceptability. The attached list is representative only of those cleaners that were tested and does not include products in the marketplace that have not been analyzed.
Commercial Ball Cleaners
| Acceptable during certified competition |
Not acceptable at any time |
- 2EZ2 Strike Bowling Ball Cleaner - 2EZ2 Clean Products
- 2EZ2 Strike Bowling Ball Clean-N-Shine - 2EZ2 Clean Products
- Ace Ball Cleaner - Netmark Industries, Inc.
- Alley Catz - GT Graphics
- Alley Catz - Saber Tooth
- Atomic Ball Cleaner - Atomic Enterprises
- Awesome Ball Cleaner
- Ball Bite - Pro Packaging Inc.
- Ball Buff - Pro Packaging Inc.
- Ball Conditioner - Andrejs Sturis
- Ball Pre-Cleaner & Stripper - Grecian Attack
- Bean's Ball Oil Off Cleaner
- Bean's Pro Shop Instant Length ball cleaner
- Bean's Pro Shop Magic Dust Premium Bowling ball polish
- Beans' Pro Shop Secret Sauce Premium Bowling ball polish
- Best Shot - Earth Clean Systems
- Best Shot – Future Clean Inc.
- Blast – Mark Baker
- Bowl Plus SP101 Bowling ball cleaner
- Bowling Ball Cleaner - Forrest Enterprises, Inc.
- Bowlers Bowling Ball Wipe - Ivancik
- Bowler’s Choice – Bowler’s Choice of Michigan, Inc.
- Bowler's Edge Ball Cleaner - BTC
- Bowler's Edge Reactive Resin Cleaner - BTC
- Bowling Ball Spray Cleaner – Strata Products, Inc.
- Bowling Ball Speed Shine – Strata Products, Inc.
- Brand X - Brand X Distributor
- Captain Bob's X-12 Bowling Ball Cleaner
- Cherry Cleaner - Ballshield
- Clean Shot - Earth Clean Systems
- Clean Shot Reactive Ball Cleaner - Earth Clean Systems
- Cleaner/Rejuvenate - B.D.S.
- Control No. 24 – Neo Technologies
- Dan-Mor "Wipe 'n Strike" Bowling Ball cleaner wipes
- Dri-Wash 'n Guard - Enviro Tech Intrn'l
- Dry Wash Speed Shine - TWS Industries, Inc.
- Elite-Hydro Cleanser
- Extreme Clean - Lane Concepts
- Fiber Cleen - Fibers of Kalamazoo, Inc.
- High Performance Ball Cleaner #311 – Master Industries
- Hook-It - Neo Technologies
- Hook-It Plus (Liquid Sandpaper) - Neo Technologies
- Hy Hudson Ball Cleaner
- Hylite - David Greco
- Hy-Tek Reactive Ball Cleaner - Hy-Tek Products
- INX Products Reaction
- Jiffy I, Jiffy II, - J.F. Forsman
- Kegel Repel
- Knock Out - Rapid Tac Inc.
- Lance Ice Ball Polish/Cleaner - Rip the Rack Pro Shop
- Liquid Nitro - Neo Technologies
- Magiclean - TCB Products
- Mark's Home Brew - Marc Pope
- Mega Bite - Storm Products
- Moon Shine
- Storm Products
- Mox – E&L Distributing Inc.
- Maz's Ball Klean - David Mahaz
- MX Bio Cleaner - Raymond Chemical Co.
- Oil B Gone - Pro-Tech Ind. Chem.
- Oil Magnet - Ballshield
- One Grand Products - Liquid Spray Ball Cleaner
- Orange Clean Multipurpose Degreaser - Orange Glo International
- Perfect Grip - Bowling Concepts
- Power House Energizer Cleaner - Ebonite
- Print Point Systems - Magic Bowling Wipes
- Proacta ShineTM and Proacta CleanTM - Storm Products, Inc.
- Pro-Action Ball Cleaner – Gary Rasanen
- Pro Bite Ball Cleaner - Pro Bite
- Pro Clean - Pro Bowling Products Inc.
- Pro-Cleaner - Distribution 2000 Inc.
- Pro Edge Products - Wipe-n-Strike
- Pro Finish Step 1 - Storm Products
- Pro Finish Step 2 - Storm Products
- Pro Finish Step 3 - Storm Products
- Pro-Grip - DBA Products
- Pro-Grip Reaction Ball Cleaner - Columbia
- Pro-Shot - Pro Bowling Products Inc.
- Protrac 19 - Proline Sports Products
- Quick Clean - LBL Enterprises LLC
- Qwik Strike Citrus Gel Bowling Ball Cleaner - BKP
- RD3 Formula II – Parklane Research Corp.
- Reacta Clean - Storm Products
- React-A-Foam - Perfection Products
- Reacta Shine - Storm Products
- Reactive Cleaner "R" - Innovative Bowling Products
- Redd Hott Ball Cleaner – Ronald Gales
- Reese Brothers Ball Clean
- Reflections – E&L Distributing Inc.
- Ren Boll - Scandinavian Sport Supply
- Renew-It - Neotac/New Technologies
- Rev-It Cleaner - Today's Solutions
- Revive - Kegel
- RIP's Motion Potion Ball Cleaner - Rip the Rack Pro Shop
- Row-Del Grime Solver
- Snap Back – Baldy Products
- Spray Master - Master Industries
- Spray Nine Multi-Purpose Cleaner
- Squeaky Clean Spray Cleaner - The Wax Shop
- Sta-Clean - The Pro Stop
- Strike Gold – A.J. Discount Proshop, Rip the Rack Pro Shop
- Strike Green – A.J. Discount Proshop, Rip the Rack Pro Shop
- Strike It Clean - Bowl Products, Inc.
- Strike King - Jim Roberts
- Strike-Mor Ball Cleaner - Strike-Mor Pro Shop
- Strike Zone - Felix Erickson Company
- Striking Ball Cleaner – Louis Cervin, NewKirk, OK
- Super Clean - Castrol
- Super Cleaner – Don Carter
- Sure-Shot Spray Cleaner - Future Clean Inc.
- Tacky & Clean - Andrejs Sturis
- The Good Stuff - BSE, Inc.
- Track Magic Clean N’ Dull - Advanced Polishing Products
- Track Magic Reaction Plus - Advanced Polishing Products
- Track-Power Wash
- U-Clean U-Score - Storm Products
- Ultimate Clean - McDonogh Co.
- Ultra Ball Cleaner - Ultimate Bowling Products Inc.
- U-Turn Reactive Ball Cleaner - Don Breeden
- Ultimate Clean Reactive Ball Cleaner - McDonogh Co.
- Urethane Cleaner "U" - Innovative Bowling Products
- X-Power - David Greco
- Xtra Clean - Storm Products
- Xtra Shine - Storm Products
- Zapp It - Zapp It Bowling Products
- Zapp-It Insta-Grip
- Zapp-It Distance
- Zap-It Polish & Spray Remover
|
- David Greco Cleaner
- Dull It - INX Corp.
- Master Ball Cleaner - Master Industries
- Power Gel - Tech Line
- Strike Power - Veterans Products
- SS-25
- Ultra Clean - Tenth Frame
- Varsol
|
Solvents and Other Chemicals
| Acceptable during certified competition |
Not acceptable at any time |
- Rubbing Alcohol (Isopropyl)
- CV-88
- Jolt Detergent
- "Simple Green"
- "Windex" window cleaner
- Ammonia
|
- Other Alcohols (i.e. Denatured Ethyl Alcohol, etc.)
- Acetone (nail polish remover)
- "Armor-All"
- "Cutex" non-acetone (nail polish remover)
- WD-40
- Ethers, Esters and Ketone (MEK)
- Kerosene, Gasoline, other fuels
- Most commercial solvents (Xylol, lacquer thinner, mineral spirits, chloro-form, Methyl Hydrate)
|
Products Containing Solids or Abrasives
| NOTE: THESE PRODUCTS CONTAIN SOLIDS OR ABRASIVES AND, ALTHOUGH THEY MAY NOT ALTER THE SURFACE HARDNESS OF A BOWLING BALL, CANNOT BE USED DURING USBC CERTIFIED COMPETITION BECAUSE IT WOULD BE IN VIOLATION OF RULE 18. HOWEVER, THESE PRODUCTS ARE ALLOWED BEFORE OR AFTER LEAGUE AND/OR TOURNAMENT SESSIONS. |
- #1 Low % of Abrasives – Don Carter
- #2 Course – Don Carter
- #3 Medium – Don Carter
- #4 Fine – Don Carter
- 1-Step Reactive Resin Ball Cleaner - Ebonite Intrn'l
- 2-Step Reactive Resin Ball Cleaner - Ebonite Intrn'l
- 2001 Pro Roll Bowling Ball Polish - Hi-Temp Products Co.
- 3M Citrus Base Cleaner
- Ball Buff - Pro Packaging
- Ball Cleaner & Wax No.III - Grecian Attack
- Ball Cleaner & Polish - Pro Shops of America
- Ballshield 1000
- Ballshield Base Cut & Shine
- Bowling Ball Cream Cleaner – Strata Products, Inc.
- Brunswick Ball Polish - Brunswick
- Brunswick - Rough Buff
- Captain Bob's X-12 Bowling Ball Wipes
- Clean Right – Baldy Products
- Clean Shot – Future Clean Inc.
- Control-It - Neotac/Neo Technologies
- Cream Cleaner - The Wax Shop
- Degree - Columbia
- Delayed Reaction Ball Polish - Advanced Polishing Products
- Doc's Magic Bowling Ball Elixir
- Elite-Performance Polish
- Factory Finish High Gloss Polish - Brunswick
- Fast Work – Don Carter
- Finesse-it II - 3M
- Go Long – Don Carter
- Kegel Repel Ball Polish (Matte Finish)
- Kegel Repel Ball Polish (Medium Gloss)
- Kegel Repel Ball Polish (High Gloss)
- Khameleon - Neo Technologies
- Lane Ice - A.J. Discount Proshop Inc.
- Naturoll Finish Ball Polish – Life Time Solutions
- NeoTechnologies - 100% Natural
- One Grand Products, Inc. - Cream Ball Cleaner, Ball Polish
- Orange Power Spray & Wipe - Steel Fingers Bowling Products
- Perfect-it II - 3M
- Power House Extender Polish - Ebonite
- Power House Factory Finish Polish - Ebonite
- Power House Quick Sand - Ebonite
- Power House Particle Polish - Ebonite
- Reaction Control System Cleaner - Ebonite
- Reactivation - AMF
- Reactive Resin Finish Polish - Ebonite Intrn'l
- Repel Ball Polish - Kegel
- Restore-It - Neo Technologies
- Rev-It Polish - Today's Solutions
- Scotch Brite Scouring Pad
- Scrubbing Bubbles - Johnson & Johnson
- SD-20 – Spartan Chemical Co.
- Super Cherry - Ballshield
- Sure-Shot Polish - Future Clean Inc.
- Track-Clean-n-Tacky
- Ultimate Plus Polish Cleaner - Ultimate Bowling Products Inc.
- Zapp-It Soft Touch
- Zapp-It Resinator
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NOTE
"The manual application of any lane oil to a bowling ball by a bowler during certified competition is prohibited"
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