How to Clean Golf Grips and Make Them Look and Feel New

Golf is a complicated game. From finding the proper golf grip to knowing what equipment is right for your game, there are lots of factors that contribute to having fun and playing well. One of the easiest ways to improve your game and have more fun is to learn how to clean golf club grips.

Oils and dirt build up on your grips over time, making them slick and difficult to hold on to. Cleaning your grips will help to keep the club from slipping in your hands. You're grip pressure will be more consistent and you will hit more solid shots. Keeping them clean might even make them last longer and save you money over time.

How Do You Clean Golf Grips

The first, and simplest method, is probably exactly what you would expect. 

You will need hot water, mild dish soap, a soft brush, and a towel. Mix the dish soap into the water, using enough that you have very soapy water with plenty of suds. Dip your scrub brush into the soapy water and just start scrubbing. We recommend scrubbing the grip well, rinsing it in your water, and scrubbing one more time to make sure all of the dirt and oil are gone. Rinse the grip off in clean water or a sink to remove any leftover soap, then wipe the grip dry with a towel or clean cloth. 

You want to make sure you don't put your clubs back into your golf bag while the grips are still wet. That is a recipe for mold and other problems. Let them air dry, preferable overnight, and enjoy your fresh grips in the morning!

Another option that we found worked well was rubbing alcohol. We discovered that rubbing alcohol works particularly well on grips with less texture - like the Golf Pride Tour Wrap - and not as well on corded grips or grips with more porous or textured rubber. We believe this to be due to the way dirt and grime are able to get below the surface on those more textured grips.

Just soak a rag with rubbing alcohol and and use a little elbow grease to work it into the grip. There is no need to dry the clean grips because the rubbing alcohol will evaporate leaving your grips clean and tacky.

Grip Cleaning Wipes

Another option is to use a grip cleaning wipes. There are a few good options on the market - such as Gripes from Lamkin Golf and Pro Play Club Grip Cleaning Wipes - that are specifically designed to restore your grips and give them a like-new feel. Cleaning wipes use special blends of cleaning and restoring materials that target sweat, grime, and even leftover sunscreen. They also restore that tacky feel your grips had when they came out of the package!

If you are in a pinch, you can also use baby wipes.

Windex

The advantage of Windex is the way it gets below the surface of your grips to break down any dirt and oil that is really in there. Spray the Windex on your grips, and let it sit for a few minutes. There is no scrubbing needed as the cleaner will work on its own. Once you have let the Windex sit for a little bit, rinse your grips thoroughly with warm water.

Be careful when using Windex on your grips. Windex is an ammonia based cleaner that will dry out rubber grips if it is not rinsed off completely. If there is any left on the grips when you set them out to dry, they will become hard, brittle, and in complete need of immediate replacement. We love the way Windex gives a golf grip a like-new feel, just be diligent about rinsing it off. 

Simple Green

The entire cleaning process with Simple Green is 4 steps:

1. Apply Simple Green foaming cleaner to your grips and let it rest for about 10 seconds.
2. Using a toothbrush or soft scrub brush, scrub your grips thoroughly.
3. Wipe your grips down using a damp towel, ensuring that you remove all of the Simple Green cleaner.
4. Use a dry towel to dry your grips as best as you can.

As with other cleaning methods, you want to leave all the clubs out to air dry, even if you feel like you've dried them well. That way, there is no risk of unwanted mold, mildew or rust on your shafts.

How To Clean Cord Grips

The best method for cleaning cord grips is to scrub them with a Brillo pad. The steel wool will grab the cord and really bring it out of the rubber. When you bring the cord back out of a grip, it revitalizes the traction and texture, giving you increased feel and security that the club it not going to move in your hands. A Brillo pad will have some of the same effect on cordless grips, scoring the rubber and adding texture to provide extra traction. This is the perfect option for you golfers with sweaty hands!

How Often Should You Clean Golf Grips?

You should clean your grips at least a few times every year. Grip maintenance is the key to the performance and longevity of your golf grips. If you are going to spend money on the best golf grips available, then proper maintenance should be part of your routine. People who are playing and practicing every day tend to need to wash their grips more frequently than those who only play once a week or less. You should clean your grips every time you clean your golf clubs. As a general rule of thumb, we recommend that you clean your grips at least once every 3 months.

How To Make Golf Grips Tacky Again?

Everyone loves that new grip feeling in their hands, especially those extra tacky golf grips. You know it, the way the rubber clings to your hands and feels secure, no matter how much torque you try to put into it. Unfortunately, the nature of rubber is that it loses this quality over time. 

The first and easiest thing you can do is to simply clean your grips. Dirt, sweats, and other compounds play a major role in the way your grips become slick. Soap and water with a scrub brush will play a major role in restoring that tack that you know and love. 

Another important aspect of that feeling of tack and grip security is texture. As we discussed when talking about restoring your grips, using a Brillo pad or fine grit sandpaper to score the rubber and add texture will play a role in making your grips tacky again.

If you have done these things and are still looking for more tack, grip enhancers may be for you. There are a few on the market, but we prefer the Gorilla Gold Grip Enhancer. It is affordable, works incredibly well, and is super easy to use. Grip enhancers are even something you can keep in your golf bag for rainy or humid days, especially for those golfers that don't wear a glove.

How To Clean White Golf Grips

White grips are such a great look when they are freshly put onto your clubs. The problem is that every little bit of dirt and grime shows up and stands out. I have a L.A.B. DF3 putter with a white putter grip that gets very dirty in a short period of time. Here's how I clean that putter grip and get it back to looking like new.

First, as with any other grip, it is essential to scrub them with soap and water. We have found that Dawn dish soap is especially effective at cutting through dirt and oils. You should see a noticeable difference in the shade of white just by doing this step. 

A Mr. Clean Magic Eraser did a good job for us taking the remaining dirt off of a white grip. It takes a good scrub, but if you really want to bring out that white finish your grips had when they were brand new, you're going to have to put some effort into it.

At the end of the day, if you want to put white grips on your golf clubs you should remember that they are not going to stay bright and pure white for long. There are certainly ways to bring the white back out, but it is next to impossible to keep them looking like they just came out of the package. 

How To Clean Leather Golf Grips?

If you are a golfer who prefers the look and feel of a leather grip, it is important to remember that normal cleaning methods probably aren't going to work for you. Leather is much more sensitive to water than rubber, and will dry out quickly if you try to clean your leather grips with soap and water. 

Instead, you are going to want to find a leather cleaner and conditioner that will keep the grip looking new and fresh. We tried Blackrock Leather N Rich with the Roo from Grip Master, and here is what we found:

The Kangaroo leather of the Roo is already soft, tacky, and so enjoyable to use. Once it wore down and we used Blackrock to condition and restore it, the grip was as good as new! The leather conditioner cleaned and revitalized the leather, while the wax that is built into the conditioner restored the tack of the grip. You don't even need to let leather grips air dry. Once you have massaged in the conditioning lotion, you are done and ready for your next round of golf. 

Leather grips are more expensive than their rubber cousins. If you take care of them, they will last longer and perform every bit as well. A leather cleaner and conditioner like Blackrock Leather N Rich will do the trick and keep your grips looking and feeling incredible! 

How To Clean Winn Dri-Tac Golf Grips

The Winn Dri-Tac is a clear cut favorite here at Golf Gear Advisor. It also happens to be one of the only rubber grips that you cannot clean by scrubbing with soapy water. Part of what makes the Dri-Tac so soft and comfortable is the multi-layer construction. The outer layer is a thin rubber that does not respond well to abrasion. 

We learned the hard way that Winn Dri-Tacs do not respond well to aggressive scrubbing or cleaning. The top layer will lose its tack and even begin to peel off if you are not careful. 

In order to clean your Winn Dri-Tac grips, all you need are two towels - one damp and one dry. Use the damp towel to lightly wipe the grip, taking away surface dirt and oils. Once you have wiped down the whole grip, take your dry towel and pat off as much of the water as you can. Then, just like with every other grip, let them air dry for a bit.

Conclusion

Regardless of the grips you use, whether you interlock or overlap, or what kind of golfer you are, keeping your grips clean is an important part of the game. Not only will cleaning your grips help you play better golf, it will also keep your equipment in better condition and help it to last longer.

Understanding the needs of your type of grip, and then choosing a method of cleaning that works for you is key to restoring your grips to their original look and feel. Most grips respond well to soap and water, but there are plenty of other options. No matter what you decide to do, remember the order is wash, air dry, make more birdies, repeat!