How to Clean Golf Balls Before Selling (And Whether You Actually Need To)

You have a pile of used golf balls ready to sell, and they are caked with mud, grass stains, and pond scum. Your instinct says to clean them up first — presentation matters, right? We will walk through the best cleaning methods, the products you should absolutely avoid, and then answer the question that really matters: does cleaning your balls before selling them actually affect your payout?

What's the best way to clean golf balls before selling? The easiest method is soaking balls in a bucket of warm soapy water for 15-20 minutes, then scrubbing with a brush and drying. For larger collections, a pressure washer on a low setting is the fastest option. Note: cleaning is optional when selling to SellMyGolfBalls.com — we accept balls in any condition.

The Bucket Method: Simple and Effective

This is the go-to approach that collectors and resellers have used for decades. It works on any quantity from a dozen to a thousand.

What You Need

• A five-gallon bucket (or any large container)
• Warm water — not hot, not cold
• A few squirts of dish soap (Dawn or similar)
• A stiff-bristle brush (an old toothbrush works for small batches, a vegetable scrub brush for larger ones)
• A towel for drying

Step-by-Step

1. Fill the bucket with warm water and add dish soap. You want enough soap to create suds but you are not making a bubble bath — a few tablespoons per gallon is plenty.
2. Drop the balls in and let them soak for 15-30 minutes. This loosens dried mud, grass stains, and surface grime. For heavily soiled balls (pulled from ponds or muddy areas), soak for up to an hour.
3. Scrub each ball with the brush, paying attention to the dimples where dirt gets trapped. The dimple pattern is where most staining hides. A circular scrubbing motion works best.
4. Rinse each ball under clean running water to remove soap residue.
5. Dry the balls with a towel and then let them air dry completely before storing or packing. Residual moisture in a sealed bag or box can lead to mildew.

For large batches, work in groups of 30-50 balls at a time. Trying to scrub 500 balls in one sitting is a recipe for frustration. Spread it out over a few evenings if needed.

The Dishwasher Method

Yes, you can put golf balls in the dishwasher. It sounds odd, but it works surprisingly well for lightly soiled balls.

• Place the balls in the silverware basket or a mesh laundry bag on the top rack.
• Use low heat only. High heat can soften the urethane cover on premium balls and affect their performance characteristics. Select the lightest/shortest cycle your dishwasher offers.
• Use your normal dishwasher detergent — no need for anything special.
• Run the cycle and let the balls air dry afterward.

This method is best for balls that are dusty or lightly dirty rather than heavily stained. It will not remove deep grass stains or pond discoloration. It is also best for mid-range and distance balls rather than premium tour balls where the urethane cover is more sensitive to heat.

What NOT to Use

This section is more important than the cleaning methods themselves. Using the wrong products can permanently damage golf balls, destroying their value entirely.

Bleach

Bleach is the number one mistake people make. It seems logical — bleach whitens things. But bleach attacks the chemical bonds in both surlyn and urethane covers. It causes micro-cracking, yellowing over time (the opposite of what you wanted), and can make the ball feel tacky or sticky. A bleach-damaged ball is worth nothing to a reseller.

Abrasive Pads and Steel Wool

Scrubbing a golf ball with an SOS pad or steel wool will scratch the cover and damage the dimple edges. Those scratches change the aerodynamic properties of the ball and make it look worse than the dirt did. Use soft or medium bristle brushes only.

Acetone and Nail Polish Remover

Acetone dissolves plastics. Golf ball covers are plastic. The math does not work in your favor. Even brief contact with acetone can cloud the finish, remove printing, and weaken the cover material.

Pressure Washers

A pressure washer at close range can strip paint, remove logos, and damage the cover surface. If you insist on using a pressure washer, keep it at least three feet from the ball and use a wide fan tip — but honestly, just use the bucket method. It is safer and produces better results.

Magic Erasers

Magic Erasers (melamine foam) are a fine abrasive. They work by microscopically sanding the surface. On a golf ball this removes the gloss finish and can dull the cover. They are effective at removing scuffs but the tradeoff is not worth it.

Drying and Storage Tips

Proper drying is just as important as proper cleaning. Here are the key points:

• Air dry completely before packing. Spread balls on a towel in a well-ventilated area. In humid climates, this can take several hours.
• Never use a clothes dryer. The heat and tumbling will damage both the balls and your dryer.
• Store in breathable containers. Cardboard boxes, mesh bags, or open buckets are ideal. Avoid sealed plastic bags for long-term storage as trapped moisture promotes mildew and yellowing.
• Keep out of extreme heat. Do not store cleaned balls in a hot garage or car trunk during summer. Sustained temperatures above 120°F can affect the core and cover materials.

Does Cleaning Actually Increase Your Payout?

Here is the honest answer: when you sell to us, no. Cleaning does not affect the price we pay.

We process thousands of balls every week through an industrial cleaning and grading operation. Every ball that comes through our facility gets professionally cleaned, inspected, and graded regardless of how it arrives. We are evaluating the underlying condition of the ball — the cover integrity, the dimple pattern, discoloration that indicates structural degradation — not surface dirt. A muddy Pro V1 in mint condition underneath is worth exactly the same as a clean one.

That said, there are scenarios where cleaning makes sense:

• Selling on eBay or Facebook Marketplace: Individual buyers care about appearance. Clean balls photograph better and sell for higher prices in consumer-facing markets.
• Personal inventory assessment: You cannot accurately sort balls by condition if they are covered in mud. Cleaning helps you understand what you actually have.
• Identifying brands and models: A dirty ball might be hiding a Pro V1 logo or a TP5 stamp. Cleaning reveals what you are working with.

If you are selling to a direct buyer like us, save yourself the time and effort. Ship them dirty — we do not mind. Check out our how it works page for the full process, or visit our FAQ for more common questions.