In the world of snooker, happiness is… a clean and smooth playing snooker cue. You can’t play your best game of snooker with a dirty cue. You must know how to properly care for your equipment to ensure that they last a long time and operate well. It doesn’t matter whether you are an amateur or a professional, your cue should be cleaned after each snooker game. So, if you are new to the game of snooker, you undoubtedly wonder how to do the snooker cue cleaning. Well, we have compiled a list of things that you can follow to properly clean your snooker cues. For snooker cue maintenance, there is another guide available that one can follow.
Before diving into cleaning a snooker cue, one must learn how to choose a perfect snooker cue that’ll prove to be beneficial in the longer run.
How to Clean Your Snooker Cue
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Cleaning your snooker cue will help it remain in good shape while making it work smoother. Layers of residue can accumulate on your cue shaft which results in harming the cue over time. This residue can be due to the accumulation of dirt, oil or sweat from your hands, and other undesired greases. If the grime build-up is not removed, it causes the cue to become less smooth. If your next question is how to make your snooker cue smooth and not sticky. Then, we have a few tips that can help with your cue cleaning game.
How to Keep Your Snooker Cue Smooth and Not Sticky
Cleaning your cues is crucial because dirt or grease on the cues can affect the contact and sound while striking the cue ball. Snooker shaft cleaning is not a difficult or time-consuming process. You just have to follow a few steps and your cue will be as good as new. Dab a few drops of the liquid cue shaft cleaner on a towel or cloth. First, wipe the cue shaft by using the soaked cloth and then with a dry cloth or towel. After wiping the cue shaft, rub your palm along the cue shaft, to see if the cue is still sticky. In case, it is sticky then just simply repeat the whole process. After the cleaning process, use a cue shaft polish to give your cue a smoother finish and to regain the original color.
• Wiping and Drying the Snooker Cue Shaft
For the snooker cue cleaning, you will need to use a damp piece of cloth or wipes. Some people prefer to just use paper towels or old newspapers to clean their cue shafts. We don’t particularly recommend this method as it doesn’t remove anything other than the actual surface grit and crud from the cue shaft surface.
We prefer baby wipes over paper towels and newspapers because they are already damp. Simply wipe the ferrule down with a baby wipe or a slightly damp cloth. Rub the brass ferrule in circular motions while being cautious not to get the tip wet. After that, rub down the snooker shaft, clearing the shaft of all the accumulated dirt and filth.
Some players also use a microfiber cue towel for the snooker cue cleaning. You’ll notice right away that using microfiber feels a little different. Microfiber cue towels were specially made with the cleaning task in mind. You should make one end of the tower wet while leaving the other dry. Squeeze the damp side until no more droplets come out. Drag the towel along the shaft starting from the ferrule’s base and using the wet end until the shaft is completely clean.
You must now dry any water that is still on the cue after you have thoroughly cleaned everything. It’s crucial to keep your cue dry after snooker cue cleaning because any remaining moisture can harm it. With a dry cloth, remove any extra water from the cue. We recommend using a microfiber cloth or snooker cue cleaning cloth tool for this, but you could also use a face towel or a bar towel. Using a dry cloth, wipe the snooker cue up and down the shaft until it is completely dry. The cue will become smoother as a result of this cleaning and drying process for snooker cues. This process of cleaning and drying doesn’t take too long, hardly a minute or two will suffice.
• Finishing for A Snooker Cue
Do you apply oil to your cues? And how often do you oil a snooker cue? Oiling is another important step in maintaining and smoothening your cue and you should re-oil after at least 3-6 months. This is because the oil on your snooker cue will be worn away after snooker cue cleaning.
There is a disagreement over whether to use snooker cue oil or wax to maintain a snooker cue. Some claim that waxing makes the cue excessively sticky after some use and that snooker cue oil should be used instead of the wax. Ash wood, which is a touch darker than maple wood, is typically used to make snooker cues. Linseed oil can somewhat color your snooker cue, which is not an issue for a standard ash cue, but since the wood of a maple cue is a little lighter, it might slightly spoil the appearance.
It ultimately comes down to personal preference; you might even choose to grease and wax your cue. Many people are of the opinion that the best snooker oil currently available is raw linseed oil, with Danish oil being a close second. Although there are more options, these two seem to be the most popular in the snooker community. You can wax the butt of your snooker cue to make it shine and appear brand new again. Then you can oil the shaft to make it nice and smooth.
• Day-to-Day Cue Maintenance
Apart from the snooker shaft cleaning, there are some day-to-day care steps that you should follow regularly. These care steps are to maintain your cue’s appearance and quality and to make sure it can be used for a long time. We have compiled some do’s and don’ts that you can follow to better maintain your snooker cues.
- Keep your cues in good quality cases preferably the rigid box type, don’t leave your cues hanging in the open.
- You can put on gloves while playing to have as little of an impact on your cue as possible. Carry a glove with you because you never know when you’ll be playing in a hot or damp place. Gloves can prevent the sweat on your hands from getting on the cue.
- Do not leave your cues standing over or leaning against the wall as this can cause the cues to bend. Keep your cues lying down or store them properly in a cue rack.
- Do not store the cue and its case near any heat source like a radiator or under direct sunlight.
- Do not leave your cue in your car trunk as sudden variations in humidity and temperature are harmful to the cue.
- After your snooker or pool game, wipe the cue immediately. This is in order to prevent it from getting sticky as much as possible and to clean away the residue dirt.
- Avoid using sandpaper on a cue since this removes the protective sealer from the shaft. Sanding also causes the cue shaft to gradually deteriorate. In the case of Ash cues, the black grain is weaker than the light wood, which can cause the cue to become uneven.
- Apply oil to your cues after around 3-6 months. If the cue feels somewhat sticky after applying oil, you can wipe it with a damp cloth and dry it.
- For a jointed cue, you also need to clean the joint’s brass faces with a fine wire wool like the 00 and 0000 grade.
Some Frequently Asked Questions About Snooker Cue Cleaning
• How Often Should You Clean Your Snooker Cue?
The maintenance of the pool cue is particularly personalized. It mainly depends on the pool player’s preferences, how often you play, and the weather like humidity, temperature, etc. Ideally, you should clean your cues once a week or two.
• How to Make Your Snooker Cue Smooth and Not Sticky?
You can prevent your cue from sticking by taking certain actions. Make sure that your hands are clean and dry before grabbing the cue. Burnishing also helps against stickiness. You can lightly cover the shaft with talc or cue wax.
• What Is the Best Oil to Use on A Snooker Cue?
There are a variety of oils available, including Tung, linseed oil that has been boiled, raw linseed oil, and others. Danish oil is also considered a good oil. But Linseed oil is considered one of the best and most widely used oil for cues. While boiled linseed dries more quickly, others can take days to dry. The flax plant produces this natural oil, which provides a lot of advantages for wooden products. It can help shield the wood from water damage and guard against warping and cracking.
• Can You Wax A Snooker Cue?
A snooker cue can certainly be waxed, you can use a snooker cue wax or a similar substance. The wax can be a safety measure and keep your cue in a good shape. Be careful to follow the directions and avoid getting wax on the cue’s tip.
Final Thoughts
Care and maintenance of your playing equipment is always necessary. There are many different views on what is best for your snooker cue in the vast world of snooker. Some regularly wipe their cues, while some do it occasionally. Some simply wipe it off after playing, while others never do. But, at the end of the day, it all comes down to your own preferences. So, do some research and choose whatever seems the best for you and your cue!
