Guide
How to clean golf clubs
Fill a bucket with warm water and a squeeze of dish soap, let the iron heads sit in it for a few minutes, scrub the face and grooves with a soft brush, rinse and dry them. Wipe the woods, the driver and the putter with a damp cloth instead of soaking them, and wash the grips with soap and water.
Irons and wedges
- Soak the heads only. Stand the irons in the bucket with the water below the ferrule, the plastic ring where the head meets the shaft. A few minutes loosens dried mud and grass.
- Scrub the face and grooves. A soft nylon brush or an old toothbrush, brushing along the grooves. A groove cleaner or a tee point clears what the brush misses.
- Rinse and dry. Rinse off the soap and dry each head and the shaft with a towel straight away, so water does not sit on the steel.
Clean grooves matter most on the wedges and short irons: dirt in the grooves takes away the grip on the ball that gives a pitch its spin. Skip wire brushes and scouring pads on chrome or painted finishes, which they scratch.
Driver, woods, hybrids and putter
Do not soak them. Wipe the head with a cloth dipped in warm, soapy water, use a soft brush on the face grooves, then wipe with clean water and dry. Keep water away from the crown's paint and any adjustable hosel or weight screws, and put the headcovers back on only when the heads are dry.
Grips
Golf Pride, the grip maker, advises washing grips between rounds with a soft brush, soap and water, then drying them thoroughly: in its words, moisture is the enemy of a grip that still feels new. It also says to wipe your hands with water and a clean towel during play, so dirt and oil from your hands do not build up on the grips, and to keep the clubs out of long sun and heat (Golf Pride on grip care).
Winn's polymer grips are the exception. Winn says to clean them with a soft towel and a little water, never a brush and soapy water, which can strip the tacky surface, and never to soak them (Winn's FAQ, read 15 Oct). Check which grips are on your clubs before you scrub.
A grip that stays slick after washing is worn out: how long golf clubs last gives Golf Pride's signs of wear, and how to regrip golf clubs the steps to replace it.
On the course
Carry a damp towel and a groove tool. Wipe the face before each shot from the fairway and after every shot from sand or wet grass; a clean face matters most on the shots where spin stops the ball.
Storing your clubs
Golf Pride's advice for the off-season is a cool, dry place away from sunlight and heat: a closet, a basement or a climate-controlled garage. Clean and dry the clubs first, empty the bag of drinks and snacks, and stand the bag where it cannot tip over. A car trunk in summer is the opposite of that: heat is hard on grips.
Questions golfers ask
How often should I clean my clubs?
Wipe the faces during every round, and give the irons and grips a wash every few rounds or whenever they look dirty. Golf Pride suggests cleaning grips between rounds.
Can I use vinegar or bleach?
Mild dish soap and warm water are enough for dirt and grass. Stronger chemicals can dull a finish or dry out a grip, so use them only if the maker of your clubs or grips says they are safe.
Should I clean rust off my wedges?
Some wedges are sold with a raw, unplated face made to rust; that rust is cosmetic, and the maker means it to be left. On a chrome club, rust spots are a sign the plating is worn through; dry the club after every wash to slow it down.