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If your basketball isn't as grippy as it was, you might need to clean it. Dirt and oils on the surface of your basketball can cause it to lose its natural grip. Fortunately, it's easy to clean a basketball, provided you use the right process for the type of ball you have. Washing your basketball on a regular basis will improve your ball's performance and help it last longer. Read on to learn the specific process to make your basketball like new again, whether it's made of rubber, synthetic leather, or natural leather.

Things You Should Know

  • Clean your basketball regularly to improve its performance and extend its useful life.
  • Use tap water and liquid dish soap to clean most basketballs.
  • Protect your basketball by storing it in a cool, dry place when you're not playing.
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Cleaning a Rubber Basketball

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Rubber basketballs are manufactured by every brand and are the cheapest basketballs on the market. If you paid less than $20 for your basketball, it was likely a rubber basketball.

  1. Since your basketball's made out of rubber, a basic rubber pencil eraser can get a lot of the marks and scuffs off of it with no problem. This tends to work best if your basketball is completely dry when you do it.
    • It would probably be too time-consuming to go over the whole ball with an eraser, so save this method for noticeable marks. A regular wash is more efficient to take care of overall grime.
  2. It might be easier to work if the sink or container is big enough to fit your ball completely, but don't worry if it isn't—you can still effectively wash your basketball. Swirl the dish soap around in the water until it's completely dissolved.
    • It's a good idea to do this in a place where some splattered water won't matter—outdoors, or in the kitchen or the bathroom.
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  3. You can also simply dunk the ball in the sink or container you've filled with water. Rubber basketballs are completely waterproof, so you won't harm yours by dunking it in the water and rolling it around. [1]
    • If the ball is really dirty, run the water directly over it to get rid of some of the surface dirt. That'll save you some time and effort scrubbing it.
  4. Squeeze the sponge a bit to get rid of excess water and lather the soap up, then start scrubbing your basketball. If you work panel by panel, you can easily track your progress around the ball.
  5. The good thing about rubber basketballs is that they're tougher than those made of synthetic leather or leather—if you need to scrub, go for it! You're not going to damage the ball just from scrubbing it.
    • A bristle brush, like the kind you'd use for scrubbing dishes, works great for dirt that just won't come off.
    • An old toothbrush also works really well in a pinch and can get into the tiniest crevices on the surface of the ball. A toothbrush also works great for cleaning dirty seams!
  6. The easiest way to do this is to just stick your basketball under the tap and spin it around until you've rinsed it off completely. You could also fill another bucket or container with clean water and rinse it off that way.
  7. Another good thing about rubber basketballs is that they tend to dry pretty quickly. A good toweling off should do the trick and then it's ready to play—although leaving it to air dry overnight or at least for a few hours won't hurt.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Cleaning a Synthetic Leather Basketball

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Synthetic or composite leather basketballs are mid-range in price (typically around $40). Popular brands include Wilson (which makes official basketballs for the NCAA Final Four) and Spalding. Nike and UnderArmour also make good synthetic leather basketballs.

  1. Spin the ball under the tap or wipe it down with a soft, wet cloth. This will get a lot of the surface dirt off the ball without getting it excessively wet.
  2. Fill a sink or container with water—you don't actually need a whole lot, since you're not going to put the ball into it. Swirl the soap around in the water until it's completely dissolved. [2]
  3. Wring out the excess liquid, then rub the cloth over the surface of the ball to clean it. You might want to lay a towel down where you're working so you can rotate the ball as you work and hold it in place easily.
    • Since the surface of a synthetic leather basketball is typically smoother than the surface of a rubber basketball, there aren't a lot of nooks and crannies where dirt can hide. This is good news for cleaning—you won't have to scrub as much!
  4. Use a synthetic leather cleaner for stubborn stains. If soap and water just aren't cutting it, a synthetic leather cleaner might do the trick. Follow the instructions on the bottle to apply the cleaner properly.
    • Don't use a cleaner that includes any conditioner or softener—you don't want to soften the surface of your basketball, you just want to clean it.
  5. Take another dry, clean cloth and wet it with cool water, then rub it over the surface of the ball to rinse off the residue. You can also spin the ball under the tap, just be careful not to get the ball too wet doing this. [3]
  6. Use a towel to pull excess moisture off the surface of the ball, then leave it out to dry. Make sure there's plenty of airflow around the ball—you might even set a fan to blow on it. Don't pack it away in a bag until it's completely dry. [4]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Cleaning a Natural Leather Basketball

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The Wilson Evolution and Spalding NBA official basketball are two of the most popular basketballs made from natural leather. Natural leather basketballs tend to be the most expensive and will likely set you back over $100.

  1. If you're in the middle of a game and don't have time for a deep clean, wipe the surface of the ball with a disinfectant wipe . Then, wipe the ball down with a towel to quickly dry the surface. [5]
    • Disinfectant wipes might reduce your ball's performance over time, so try to use these sparingly unless you have a lot of fresh basketballs at your disposal.
  2. Always inflate a natural leather basketball before cleaning it to avoid creases and cracks in the leather. This also ensures that you're cleaning every surface of the ball.
    • To check if your ball is properly inflated, hold it over your head and drop it to the floor. If it bounces back up to chest height, you're good to go. If it won't bounce that high, it probably needs a little more air.
  3. This loosens up any dirt on the ball and gets rid of the top layer of surface dust. While it isn't a necessary step, it makes the rest of the process go a little more smoothly.
  4. Wet a clean cloth with leather cleaner . Pour a little leather cleaner onto your cloth, then wring it out to get rid of any excess moisture. Don't put the leather cleaner directly onto the basketball—you'll get it too wet and damage the leather. [6]
  5. Use the cloth to rub the cleaner into the surface, paying special attention to the seams, which attract a lot of the oil from your hands. Go panel by panel, cleaning the entire ball. Even if an area doesn't look especially dirty, it can probably use a general cleaning. [7]
    • If you've got a lot of caked-on mud on your ball, you might need to haul out the big guns. A heavy-duty leather shampoo and plenty of water will loosen up that dirt.
    • Never use conditioners or any product that claims it will "soften" leather. While you might want your leather jacket to be buttery soft, you want the leather on your basketball to stay hard.
  6. The dry cloth also pulls the moisture out of the surface of the ball so that it dries more quickly. Rub the cloth lightly in a circular motion to give your ball a good polish so it looks like new again. [8]
    • If you got the ball wet at all, leave it out to air dry for at least 24 hours. Never use a hair dryer or other heated appliance to dry your leather basketball—it will crack and damage the leather.
  7. Leather basketballs, in particular, are vulnerable to extreme temperatures and moisture. Ideally, keep your basketball in a vented basketball bag in a climate-controlled area. [9]
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    How do you care for a leather basketball?
    Ryan Tremblay
    Basketball Coach
    Ryan Tremblay is a Basketball Coach and the Owner of National Sports ID and STACK Basketball. With over 30 years of experience, Ryan specializes in basketball coaching, social media marketing, and website design. Ryan created the National Sports ID as a platform to verify the age/grade of youth athletes and STACK Basketball to inspire young athletes to grow into mature individuals and basketball players. Ryan was a First Team All-Decade basketball player in Bergen County and finished in the top 20 all-time leading scorers in the county’s history with 1,730 points. He went on to Caldwell University on a basketball scholarship where he was part of three championship teams. Ryan was a two-time All-Metropolitan, All-State, and All-Conference point guard and the all-time three-point leader in the school’s history, landing him in the Caldwell University Athletic Hall of Fame.
    Basketball Coach
    Expert Answer
    The most important thing is to never use a leather ball outside. If you're playing outdoors, use an indoor-outdoor ball, which is made of composite leather.
  • Question
    How do you sanitize a basketball?
    Ryan Tremblay
    Basketball Coach
    Ryan Tremblay is a Basketball Coach and the Owner of National Sports ID and STACK Basketball. With over 30 years of experience, Ryan specializes in basketball coaching, social media marketing, and website design. Ryan created the National Sports ID as a platform to verify the age/grade of youth athletes and STACK Basketball to inspire young athletes to grow into mature individuals and basketball players. Ryan was a First Team All-Decade basketball player in Bergen County and finished in the top 20 all-time leading scorers in the county’s history with 1,730 points. He went on to Caldwell University on a basketball scholarship where he was part of three championship teams. Ryan was a two-time All-Metropolitan, All-State, and All-Conference point guard and the all-time three-point leader in the school’s history, landing him in the Caldwell University Athletic Hall of Fame.
    Basketball Coach
    Expert Answer
    In my facility, we put them in a bin, then spray them with a disinfectant spray. Then, we wipe them down with towels.
  • Question
    Can I clean my leather basketball without using leather cleaner?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    You can clean a leather basketball with warm water and dish soap. Just use a cloth both to apply the soapy water and to rinse the soapy water off the ball—don't dunk it directly in water or run water over it. Leave it out to dry for at least 48 hours after washing it.
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      Things You'll Need

      Cleaning a Rubber Basketball

      • Tap water
      • Liquid dish soap
      • Clean, soft cloths or towels
      • Sponge, scrub brush, or old toothbrush

      Cleaning a Synthetic Leather Basketball

      • Tap water
      • Liquid dish soap
      • Clean, soft cloths
      • Synthetic leather cleaner (optional)

      Cleaning a Leather Basketball

      • Clean, soft cloths
      • Leather cleaner
      • Leather shampoo (optional)

      Tips

      • For a quick way to sanitize a basketball after a game, put the ball in a bin and spray it with a disinfectant spray. [11]
      • You can use the dish soap and water method to clean a natural leather ball as well. Just don't use a scrub brush on a natural leather ball, the bristles will scratch and damage the leather.
      • The average basketball can last up to 5 years with proper care. If you play a lot, you'll need to replace it more often, though. For example, the NBA doesn't use a basketball for more than 4 games. If your ball isn't bouncing back after a cleaning, it might be time to retire it.
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      Warnings

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      1. Ryan Tremblay. Basketball Coach. Expert Interview. 13 November 2020.
      2. Ryan Tremblay. Basketball Coach. Expert Interview. 13 November 2020.

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