Whether you are an avid golfer or a seasonal player, there are high chances that your golf clubs need some proper deep cleaning. Most people tend to invest a lot of time, attention, and money when buying a set of golf clubs. Do you want to give your dusty golf clubs a clean new look? Read our article on how to clean golf clubs for a step-by-step guide to up your golf game.
Now, a good set of golf clubs is a very good investment for golfers. But without proper maintenance and care, your golf clubs will not be able to keep up their optimum performance in the field. So, it is crucial to learn how to clean golf clubs properly.
Factors That Affect Cleaning The Golf Clubs
Many factors affect the neatness of your golf clubs. No matter the season or weather, your golf clubs will face the impact of dirt, dust, and debris when playing on the field. Grass, as well as dirt, can settle in your clubs’ grooves, impacting both its spin and control. This can also hurt the performance of your clubs, particularly on their irons and wedges.
Paying attention to the cleanliness of your golf clubs and keeping them clean will not only let you enjoy your clubs for a longer period but will also make you stand out from your fellow golfers with their shiny appearance.
Now the question comes this, how to clean golf clubs? There are multiple ways you can do it, and you will also find many sources online discussing this issue. But most of the information online is scattered and unorganized.
In this article, we have compiled all the data on how to clean golf clubs and made a comprehensive step-by-step guide to help make your job easy and smooth. Now let us dive into the details.
How To Clean Golf Clubs: Preparation
The first step in any task is preparation. There are three main parts to a golf club, the head, the shaft, and the grip. In this article, we will be discussing how to thoroughly clean each part separately.
There are mainly three ways you can clean your golf clubs. You can either get a golf club cleaning kit, get your clubs cleaned at modern driving ranges or do it at your home using at-home equipment and some very simple techniques.
Easiest Ways To Clean Your Golf Clubs
If you decide to clean your clubs using a golf club cleaning kit or through a driving range, you will need to spend a certain amount of money. Golf club cleaning kits are usually available at most golf pro stores. These kits are not that expensive and do the job pretty well. The next option is getting your golf clubs cleaned from vending machine-like appliances. You can find these devices at most modern driving ranges.
If you want to clean your golf clubs at your home, you will need around four to five things for the job. The most important thing you would need for cleaning your golf clubs at home is water. Next, you would need something to hold the water in, most people use a bucket but you can also do it in your kitchen or bathroom sink if that is more convenient for you. However, cleaning your clubs in a sink can have some adverse effects which we will discuss later.
Then you would need dish soap or a dishwashing detergent for removing the dirt. You have to make sure that your dishwashing agent is light or mild so it does not harm your golf clubs. After that, you will need a brush that has soft bristles in it. You can use a brush of any kind but one with plastic bristles is recommended, you can also use an old toothbrush for this part.
Lastly, you will need some towels to dry your golf clubs once they are out of water. You can also use an old t-shirt or any water-soaking fabric for this process.
What You Need
Here are the things you would need to clean your golf clubs at home:
- Water
- Bucket
- Mild Dish Soap
- Brush
- Towels
To thoroughly clean your golf clubs, you would need to follow different approaches for different parts of the golf club. In this article, we will discuss the methods of cleaning each part with a specific focus on each type of golf club. Let us get started.
How To Clean Golf Clubs: Cleaning Golf Club Heads
If you want to know how to clean golf clubs, the first and most important thing you would have to know about is cleaning your golf heads. There are six different types of golf club heads which are driver, fairway wood, hybrid, iron, wedge, and putter heads.
Some of these golf heads need to be cleaned differently than others due to their material. No matter which type of golf club you use, we will be discussing the different cleaning techniques for each one here.
Cleaning Iron And Wedge Golf Heads
When cleaning your iron or wedge golf club heads, you need to be careful at certain parts of the process. First, we will list down the process in six short chronological steps and then elaborate on it.
Steps At A Glance
- Get some lukewarm water in a bucket.
- Mix the dishwashing agent with the water to make a soapy solution.
- Dip your golf clubs in the mixture for a few minutes.
- Take your brush and scrub the head and grooves of the golf club.
- Wash the dirt off your golf clubs.
- Lastly, dry the club heads using a towel.
Cleaning The Golf Heads
Now we will discuss this process in detail.
Step 1
To clean your iron or wedge golf club head, you first need to warm up some water. Make sure the water is not too hot, keep it lukewarm for optimum results. Add it to your bucket in just the right amount to submerge your golf club heads.
Step 2
Then, add a small amount of dishwashing liquid or soap into the water and mix it nicely. The amount of dishwashing detergent or soap will vary according to the number of clubs you want to clean, but the amount should be somewhere around 2-3 teaspoons.
Step 3
Submerge your unclean club heads in soapy, warm water for about 5-10 minutes to allow the detergent to loosen the grime and allow it to be easily removed in the next step. If your iron or wedge clubs are too dirty and require a more thorough cleaning, you can soak them in water for 15-20 minutes.
Step 4
Next, you will have to dip your brush into the water and dish soap mixture and scrub your golf head with it. For this, we suggest finding a wedge cleaning tool or a kitchen brush, but an old toothbrush will also work fine.
Be sure to pay close attention to the grooves of your club at this stage because they will affect your golf performance otherwise. If necessary, you can also use a pointed toothpick or tee to clear out the grooves thoroughly.
Wedge and iron golf head performance is dependent on the grooves “grabbing” onto the golf ball’s surface. The edge of the grooves provides friction in your metal golf club, which starts this grabbing process. The grooves also function as rain gutters, directing water and debris away from the golf course. That is why it is very important to keep the grooves clean in an iron or wedge golf club.
Step 5
Once the dirt has been brushed off, run the club heads under some water while taking caution not to get water on the shaft or grips of your club. Lastly, apply a tiny amount of steel or chrome polish to your club heads and massage them in gently circular motions for a minute to restore their lustre and shine.
After all these steps, your iron or wedge golf club head should be looking as good as new, But if you still notice dirt on them, you should repeat the steps one more time and that should do the trick.
Cleaning Metal Wood Golf Heads
Wooden golf heads are significantly more delicate and tend to be older than those made of metal or other materials. This is why these golf heads cannot be submerged in water or scrubbed with a brush and require a different kind of cleaning approach. The Driver, Hybrid, Fairway, and Putter golf heads are all metal wood golf clubs. These golf club heads do not easily get dirty, but still, require maintenance to provide their best performance.
Steps at a Glance
The cleaning process for this type of golf head is fairly simple. Here are the steps that you would need to follow to clean your metal wood golf head.
- In a bowl or bucket of water, dip your golf club head.
- Clean the whole golf head using a soft brush.
- Dip the golf head in water one more time.
- Lastly, dry the golf heads with a towel.
Step 1
To clean a fairway golf head, you would first need to get some water in a bucket or bowl. Using lukewarm water would be the best choice in this step. Then add your dishwasher solution to the water and mix it properly. Again, 2 teaspoons of dishwasher soap should be enough for your golf clubs.
Step 2
Unlike the cleaning process of iron or wedge golf heads, wooden golf heads should not be submerged in water. This is because, in these golf clubs, the dishwasher soap’s corrosive characteristics tend to dull the original paint’s luster and gloss, as well as the club’s general condition.
Step 3
After the dip, clean your golf head with a soft brush to avoid any scratches on your golf head. After this, give your golf heads one final dip and then dry with a towel, and on the crown, try to use a new paper towel or cloth because streaks and smudges are fairly obvious in metal wood golf heads.
There is another way to clean metal wood golf heads. If you do not want to get into the hassle of dipping your metal wood golf heads, you can simply wet your towel or cloth in some water and wipe off the dirt from your golf heads. Although this technique is not as effective as the former one, it is still a good option to consider if you do not have much time on your hands to thoroughly clean your golf clubs.
How To Clean Golf Clubs: Cleaning Golf Club Shafts
Cleaning your golf heads is just the first part of cleaning your entire golf club. Now let us move on to the middle part of your golf club, the shaft.
After you’ve cleaned your golf club heads, you mustn’t forget about the golf club shafts. Golf club shafts are also susceptible to dirt and can hamper the performance of your golf club in the long run. Cleaning your golf club shaft is the easiest of the three. This fairly simple technique consists of three easy steps which we will elaborate on below.
- Wet a towel or cloth with water or a cleaning agent.
- Properly wipe the golf shaft with your wet towel.
- Dry it off using a dry towel.
So at first, you will need a damp towel or cloth for this cleaning process. You can quickly run your towel under some water or use a cleaning agent. If there is any sticky residue on your golf club shaft, using cleaning agents will help you remove it without any hassle. Then you have to properly wipe down your shaft with your wet towel.
Lastly, dry it clean using a dry towel. Make sure not to leave your golf shaft wet as it can deteriorate the condition of your golf club. And that is all you need to do to know this part of how to clean golf clubs.
How To Clean Golf Clubs: Cleaning Golf Club Grips
Grips are another very important part of golf clubs. And with improper care, grips can harm the expected service life of your golf club. Grips can get dirty quite easily from all the sweat on your hands. And rather than cleaning their golf grips, most people tend to change these pretty often.
But with a little care and proper cleanliness, your grips would not need to be changed for a long, long time. It is preferable to clean your golf club grips as frequently as possible, we suggest you clean it once after each game as it is very easy to clean your grips and it does not require much time either.
Steps at a Glance
The steps you need to follow to clean your golf club grips are:
- Fill a bucket or your sink with lukewarm water.
- Add your detergent to the water and mix to create plenty of soap suds.
- Wet a towel with the soapy mixture and rub it into the grip.
- Dry the grip with another towel.
- Keep your grips outside to air dry until completely dry.
Step 1
So, getting into the details, to clean your golf club grips, you would first need lukewarm water. Fill up a bucket halfway with the water and add a sprinkle of dishwashing detergent. You can also do this in your kitchen sink or bathroom sink. Mix the detergent well with the water to make a nice lather and plenty of soap suds.
Step 2
Now use a towel to grab some soap suds. Then gently rub it on your golf club grip. This process helps to remove any dirt, mud, or other undesired particles on your golf club grip. After this, rinse your golf club grip over some lukewarm water.
Step 3
At this stage, if your water is too hot, it will likely loosen the glue beneath your grip and will do you more harm than good. So, it is very important to be careful about this. And at the end, use a towel to dry your golf grip.
That is all you need to do to give your golf grips a good cleanup.
How To Clean Golf Clubs: Dealing With Rust
Dealing with rust over golf clubs is a pretty common problem for many golfers. If you are seeing rust on your golf clubs’ heads or shafts, no need to get worried about it. You can easily get rid of rust at home with a little extra effort.
There are three most common ways of dealing with rust. These are:
- Using vinegar or other types of acid
- Through steel wood
- By rust removers
Using Vinegar
Vinegar is the most used solution for dealing with rust. In this method, you can use lemon juice, vinegar, or a mixture of both. First, you have to leave the rusty parts of your golf clubs in the acidic solution for a few hours to get the rust loosened from the steel. Next, you can use a brush to scrub away the loose parts of rust in your club.
After this, just give your clubs a rinse and dry them off with some towels or cloth. Other than vinegar or lemon juice, you can also opt for phosphoric acid, which is known as a great cleaning agent. Other types of acid which are used for cleaning can also be used here. But before using those, do check whether they are harmful to your clubs or not.
And if you have none of these acids at your disposal, a simple soapy mixture can also do the trick, it just might require a bit more time and effort while scrubbing.
Steel Wool
Steel wood can be used to treat mild or surface-level rust. For this, all you need to do is gently rub the rust-infested area of your golf club with steel wood. But when doing this, remember to be gentle or you might scratch your precious golf sticks.
Rust Removers
Rust removers can be an option for dealing with your golf club rust. But these tend to be filled with harmful chemicals. So definitely check the ingredients and manual before using these on your golf clubs.
Surface rust isn’t a big deal, but if it’s left to fester for too long, it can soon eat away at a shaft’s integrity. So be sure to take care of your golf clubs before they can even start to rust.
How To Clean Golf Clubs: Maintenance
Now that we have talked about all the areas and ways of cleaning your golf club, maintaining your golf clubs is something to touch on. Properly maintaining your golf clubs will help prevent rusting and dirt buildup on your clubs. There are a few simple techniques you can follow to increase the longevity of your golf clubs.
Store Your Clubs Properly
First, you should properly store your golf clubs. You should keep your clubs in a dry, climate-controlled environment away from humidity and direct heat. Keeping your clubs in a damp spot will severely damage them in the long run. Make sure you use a sturdy bag when taking them out for a game.
Use A Cover
When storing your golf bag for an extended period, cover it with a rain cover for further protection. This can help avoid bumps and scrapes on your clubs. It also contributes to the reduction of dust accumulation throughout long periods of storage.
Also, storing golf clubs in the back of your car is never a good idea as it might damage your clubs. Your garage or basement would be the most perfect spot for storing such a precious thing.
Clean The Clubs
Lightly clean your golf clubs after every use. Once you go home from the game, if you see any mud, dampness, dirt, or other contaminants on them, clean them right there and let them dry fully before using them again.
Keep An Eye On Them
Lastly, always check your clubs for loss of sheen, breaks, dents, cracks, scratches, and other indicators of wear and tear, on the grips, shafts, grooves, and clubheads of your golf stick. Take immediate action when you do notice any such thing. This will help minimize the damage and save your clubs for a longer period.
Final Words
The overall process of cleaning golf clubs is pretty simple. You just need to make minor changes in the process according to the type of golf club you use. We hope this article helped you learn all about the tips and tricks of how to clean golf clubs.
Be sure to implement these techniques and give your golf clubs the care that they need. Now you can impress your fellow golfers with your shiny new clubs at your next match, and if you see anyone else wondering how to clean golf clubs, send them our way!
