To prolong the life of the felt on your pool table, you should brush after every session. Doing so keeps chalk from settling and damaging the fabric. In fact, if untreated, it can change the table’s roughness and alter the cue ball’s path.
Likewise, you should cover your table after games to protect it from sunlight, dust, and other debris. Regular maintenance will be easier and less abrasive because of it. Rigorous cleaning, like brushing too hard or vacuuming, can stretch fabric and produce ripples. Worse, it can lead to thinning and ripping.
Using the Right Brush for the Job
You shouldn’t use just any brush to clean a pool table. Billiards brushes come in a particular form for sweeping rails and pockets. They sport two sets of bristles: long around the top and bottom perimeter and short in the middle.
Stiffer brushes, commonly made of Nylon, work well on rough surfaces. Nylon corrects and smoothens imperfections the best. However, for high-end tables with sensitive felt, you should buy a horse hair billiards brush.
Learning the Proper Brushing Technique
When brushing your table, always start with the railings. This stops dusk and chalk from falling onto an already clean a table. For the flat top, sweep from the inside out into the pockets. Use a straight, delicate motion to avoid rubbing and pulling on the felt.
Once all the dust enters the pocket, you can lightly vacuum it up. Afterwards, you may want to treat the leather and wipe the balls for next game. All such steps take only a few minutes to perform and add years to your table!
