How to clean golf clubs the easy way
Let’s face it, most people don’t spend enough time cleaning their golf clubs. Go into any garage in suburban America, and chances are you’ll see a golf bag full of dirty clubs. Between dirt on the grip, smudges on the metal, and grass stains on the club head, most of these clubs will not be looking their best. The truth is that this chore is easier than it looks, and can significantly expand the life of your clubs. Learning how to clean golf clubs is one of the best things you can do to properly maintain your expensive golf equipment.
Things you need to clean a golf club
If you want clean golf clubs, you’re going to need to gather these basic cleaning supplies:
- Warm water
- Bucket
- Bar Keepers Friend (optional)
- Dishwashing soap
- A towel
- A scour pad or sponge
- Polish
- A cloth
While it’s possible to get clean golf clubs using only dishwashing soap, something like Bar Keepers Friend can take your clean to the next level. It works great on all metal surfaces to remove dirt and rust, so any metal club surface really benefits from this.
This is especially true for removing rust. In general, rush can be very stubborn when using soap. So getting something that specializes in removing it will help you get clean golf clubs.
How to clean golf clubs – by club type
Cleaning golf clubs differs depending on the type of club being cleaned. For cleaning purposes, clubs can be put into two groups:
- Golf Irons and Wedges
- Everything else (drivers, woods, putters, and hybrids)
The reasoning for this is that irons and wedges have metal heads, so they need to be treated and cleaned differently than the other clubs.
How to clean golf irons and wedges
Step 1 – Soak the golf clubs in soapy water
For this step, get out your bucket and fill it partially with warm water. Don’t make it too hot as that can loosen the joint (called a hosel) that connects the golf club head to the club shaft.
The water level should be low enough that you’re only soaking the golf club heads. If the water level goes above the hosel, it can seep into the club itself. This can cause rust spots and damage the shaft.
Next put a few teaspoons of dish soap into the water, and spray some more water in to make the soap foam up.
Finally, rest submerge your golf club heads in the water for about 10 – 15 minutes. This should be enough to loosen any dirt and grime on the club head.
Step 2 – thoroughly clean the club head
Now’s the time to bring out your toothbrush or scouring pad. You’re going to want to take your cleaning utensil and gently scrub the head of your golf club.
If you’re using Bar Keepers Friend, put a little on your club head. Then let it sit for a minute before you begin cleaning your golf clubs.
The main area of focus should be the grooves on the golf club face. These grooves can pick up a a lot of dirt on the golf course. Dirt in these grooves can hurt the performance of your clubs, so make sure that you thoroughly clean them.
When cleaning, make sure that your don’t scrub the golf club heads too hard. You want to gently remove dirt and rush, but not scratch you clubs.
Step 3 – Clean the golf club grips
In addition to cleaning the club heads, you’re also going to want to clean the golf club grips. Clean golf club grips last longer and also make a better point of contact when gripping.
For this task you’re going to want to use your toothbrush to scour off unwanted particles from the club head. After that, you can also take a damp cloth and rub it over the grip.
A golf club grip is made to feel tacky, so you don’t want to be abrasive at all with your scrubbing. This can wear off the coating on the golf grips, which will ruin the grip.
Step 4 – dry your golf clubs
This step is easy. Once your have your golf clubs clean, just take a dry towel and go over your clubs with it.
Step 5 (extra credit) – How to polish golf clubs
If you really want to see your golf clubs shine on the golf course, then you can apply a bit of chrome polish to the metal parts. This is by no means necessary to clean your golf clubs, but can add a nice finish to them.
For this, just take a bit of chrome polish and but it on a cloth. Then rub it gently in a circular motion on the head of your already clean golf clubs. Then take another part of the cloth and rub it gently to remove the polish.
How to clean drivers, putters, woods, and hybrids
Cleaning golf clubs is a little different for drivers, woods, and putters. The main difference is that you don’t soak the golf club heads for an extended period of time. Soap can be harsh on the club finish, so you don’t want it to wear off the paint on the heads of these clubs.
You also want to be even more careful to scrub your golf club heads gently. Any kind of abrasive brush or scrub pad can wear off or scratch the paint on these clubs. Take these steps when cleaning these other golf clubs:
Step 1 – Dip the club head
First, briefly dip the club head in soapy warm water. You don’t want to submerge the clubs for long, just long enough to get them wet.
Step 2 – Clean the club head
You want to take extra care with these clubs not to scratch the paint. Use a very soft brush when cleaning, or something like a soft cloth.
You will also want to get the grooves when cleaning the club face. However, it’s not as important to do this as it is for irons.
When you’re done, give the club head a quick wipe with a towel.
Step 3 – Clean the golf grip
Like or irons and wedges, you’re going to want to clean the grips of your drivers and woods. The same process applies.
Gently scrub your grip with a tooth brush, and make sure that you don’t take any of the finish off. Keep in mind that the finish is meant to have a tacky feel to stick to your hands, so don’t try to brush it off.
Cleaning the club shaft
If you want fully clean golf clubs, you’ll need to clean the shafts as well. Club shafts can collect dirt and dust just like the grip and head can, so they do need to occasionally be wiped down.
Cleaning golf club shafts is very easy. All you need to do is take a damp or slightly wet towel and wipe the shaft down. Make sure to avoid using too much water, because that water can get into the joint between the shaft and the golf head. This can lead to rusting and other issues.
Once, you’ve wiped your shafts down, dry them off with a dry towel. You should be good to go.
Removing rust from a golf club
While cleaning your clubs, you may notice that one or several of them has begin to rust. Thankfully, it is possible to remove rust and get your clubs looking new again.
Your approach to removing the rust will depend on how rusted the clubs are:
- Light rust: For light rust, try using a bit of steel wool to remove it. Lightly scrub the affected area until the rust is gone.
- Medium rust: For more serious rust, try soaking the club first for an hour or two in vinegar or lemon juice. The acidity can help remove any rust.
- Heavy rust: For heavy rust, you may need special rust removers. These rust removers tend to have harsher chemicals, but sometimes they are necessary if the rust is bad enough.
Storing your golf clubs properly
After you clean your golf clubs, you’re going to want to store them properly. First, make sure that your drivers and fairway woods have proper covers on their club heads. This will help protect them from outside elements.
When picking a proper storage area, make sure that the area doesn’t get too hot or humid. Over time this can damage and degrade your clubs.
Also make sure to keep them in an area that out of the way, and where they won’t get damaged. Places like a car trunk are a bad place for you to leave your clubs, they can get easily damaged if other items in the trunk.
Conclusion
Cleaning your clubs is an easy but often overlooked task that can make the most of your equipment. Clean golf clubs not only last longer, but also perform better on the golf course. Learning how to clean golf clubs is one of the easiest ways to maintain your expensive golf equipment. Following the steps outlined in this article should have your clubs clean very quickly.
FAQ
Golf clubs can be cleaned with dishwashing soap, but for metal golf heads your can also use Bar Keepers Friend metal polish.
Soak the heads in soapy water for 10 minutes, then use a soft brush or cleaning pad to detail the club head and remove all grit.
Once you’ve soaked the club heads and cleaned them with a soft brush, use a bit of polish to make them shine again.
Yes, dawn and most other dish soaps are golf club safe.