5 Tips on How to Clean and Maintain a Table Tennis Table

We all love a game of table tennis every now and then. Table tennis is a sport that requires discipline, practice, and a lot of attentiveness. It is a convenient and engaging sport that leaves you wanting more at the end of it all. But with great table tennis enthusiasm comes great table tennis responsibilities.

The game in itself does not have a lot of props and equipment as compared to other indoor games, but the only thing that really makes a major difference in the game is the table tennis table. Everyone likes a clean, smooth, and flawless table to have a good set or game on, but many people actually ignore the backbone of the game, i.e. the tt table.

A dusty and stained ping pong table can have a drastic effect on the game. This not only damages the ball but also can damage your paddle. Often, when a table tennis table is left unused and kept in storage for a long time, it gathers all sorts of webs, stains, and dust. If not looked after properly, the tt table can get damaged beyond repair.

Maintaining Indoor and Outdoor Tables

Though table tennis is primarily an indoor game, it is widely played outdoors as well. Most of the time it is hard to keep the huge table indoors, so people prefer keeping it outside. However, there are many different aspects that should be met for maintaining each table separately.

Indoor tables should always be stored or kept in a place where the temperature and humidity can be regulated. The indoor table should be kept at room temperature. Excess humidity can cause mold formation on the table, so it is always advisable to keep the room a little towards the dry spectrum.

Another huge issue about indoors is the cobwebs and dust. A genuine table tennis wrapping cover should do the trick to keep it smooth for a longer time.

Outdoor table tennis tables on the other hand are much more durable and are specifically manufactured to sustain wear and tear. But just like any other man-made commodity on this planet, the outdoor table should also be maintained and inspected every now and then.

Outside, the dust, sunlight, rain, humidity, and dense humans are a threat to the table, but with a water-resistant tt table cover and a little bit of vigilance, your outdoor table can serve you for a long time (pun intended).

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Here are a few tips on how to clean and maintain a table tennis table:

1. Buy A Good Table Cover 

Debris and dust are the biggest threats to your ping pong table. No one has the time to clean the table every day. So, a better idea here is to get your table a high-quality water and dust resistant cover. Most of the time these tt tables do not come with covers for protection. It is indeed an important accessory that helps to maintain the table in the long run and keeps the table stable for you so that you can play without any hindrances.

The whole point of the table cover is to keep the dust from settling in on your tt table. Once the dust settles, your table might be ruined. No matter if your table is indoors or outdoors, getting yourself a quality table cover is a good investment.

2. Simple Cleaning

Maintaining a ping pong table means to regularly clean it. The table should be spotless and stain free at all times. Too much dust and deposit can affect the quality of bounce and trajectory that the table can offer to the ball during a game, so giving your table a slight clean can prevent that from happening.

For a simple clean:

1. Wipe the surface of your table with a dry cloth or sponge to get the loose dust out of the way.
2. Then soak the sponge in warm water (after squeezing to remove excess water) and gently run the surface to get rid of the stains.
3. Once you have repeated the second step and gotten the table, legs, and all the nooks and corners of your table spotless, leave it to dry or use another dry sponge to wipe out excess water from the table.

3. Hard Cleaning

Ping pong tables are often abused only because they are conveniently large tables. Sometimes, the table accumulates stains that are stubborn. They do not seem to come off no matter what. Here, you can use hard cleaning. Repeat the same procedure for the soft cleaning, but instead of using warm water, you can use anything acidic.

Many clubs and indoor tables use vinegar and a warm mixture of diluted rubbing alcohol and any dishwashing normal acidic soap. Do not forget to rinse the table with warm water after cleaning it with the vinegar.

4. Avoid Overcleaning

Regularly cleaning your tt table is never a bad idea, but it is always good to not go overboard with it. Overcleaning can destroy the ping pong table, faster than dust and water. You have to remember that the tabletop is fragile and is engineered to keep the game fair from the hardware.

Vigorous rubbing (especially with acidic solutions) can destroy the integrity of the tabletop making it almost impossible to play. So always use as little water as possible and always remember to dry the table after.

5. Use Commercial Cleaners

Clubs usually have a lot of activities with table tennis regardless of whether it is being used for a game or not. Because it is used so much, the table is bound to gather dust, stains, and debris. During times like these, many clubs resort to keeping a cleaning spray for the table. These sprays are affordable and get rid of the stains in a matter of minutes.

These sprays like MyT Clean are manufactured specifically to maintain the tabletop as efficiently and flawlessly as possible, so even if you accidentally go overboard with the spray, the tabletop remains unaffected by it.

Conclusion

To sum it up, the table tennis table is always subjected to unwanted elements, regardless of where it is stored. The idea is to always maintain and clean it from time to time to avoid it from getting degraded and ruining a game. The table is a huge investment, so why not take care of it?

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