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Even though cleaning your bat might not be a priority, its always good to wipe some dirt out of your bats every once in a while. Truth is, you do not need to clean to bat to perfection, and having some marks is okay; some would say it gives the bat some personality.
However, in case you’re interested in cleaning your bat, you probably want to know how to do it without damaging it. There are different methods to safely clean softball bats—some use soap and water, others special sponges or liquids. In the end, you can use any method you like, the only thing you should always take into account is to be very careful when cleaning, especially when trying to remove hard stains since scrubbing with harsh sponges is probably going to damage the paint of your bat. In this article, we would go through some of the most common methods to clean your softball bats so keep on reading.
How to clean a Demarini softball bat?
In case you are wondering how to clean your Demarini softball bat, here we present you the 2 most common methods to clean your bat. Both of them are really good, however, most manufacturers recommend the first method, even though it might not always be the most useful one for removing harsh stains and marks. Something to keep in mind is to be really careful when scrubbing, especially if you want to preserve the color and graphics and protect the outer materials of the bat. You can easily damage the paint job of your bat, that’s why its better to avoid using strong liquids, dissolvent oils, or soaps to clean your bat, as they might cause discoloration.
Another important tip is to not put your bat underwater. In order words, do not soak it and also do not expose it to excessive heat. Even though bats are very resistant, there is still the possibility that you might damage your bat, take into account your bat might already have some use, so better remain on the safe side and protect it.
Even though there are methods to clean your bat, there isn’t a really a way to keep your bat clean, that’s just impossible, your bat is gonna get marks and stains, for sure. Also, having a clean bat doesn’t do any difference to your game, all you can do is to take good care of your bat to improve its durability. Hence, you need to store your bat properly, protect it from unnecessary strong impacts, avoid using it in temperatures below 60°F (16°C) and also avoid cleaning your cleats with it, especially metal ones.
Method 1: soap and water
Most manufacturers recommend this method and it is the simplest one of all. This one consists simply of using some soap and warm water with a softer rag to remove the dirt. This is indeed, a very gentle method, and it can be very useful to remove soft stains, and to wipe out the excess dust of the bat, but it definitely falls short for certain stains and ball marks. Take into account this method is not going to leave you with the cleanest bat, but it can sometimes be enough.
By using this method is very unlikely that you cause any harm to the bat. However, removing some marks and stains might take lots of work, and you’ll probably find yourself scrubbing harshly in the same area for a long time, this can totally damage the paint job. In case you find yourself fighting with some stubborn stains that soap and warm water cannot fight we suggest you try other methods and see if they work best for you.
Method 2:
In contrast to soap and water, you can use some more specialized products, which you can buy in sport stores. These products are made to be used on the bats without causing much harm and removing the stains. However, we know that is probably not the most comfortable option since finding those products can be really complicated, hence, some natural products might be the solution.
In case you want to remove some dirty adhesive from your bat, olive oil might be the perfect solution, rub some olive oil on your bat, leave it there for some minutes, and softly scrub the adhesive away. Another good natural method is warm water and lemon juice, you can use this mix and gently scrub with this solution, this will help you to remove stains. If the lemon juice does not convince you, you can still try a solution of vinegar/water (75/25) which you can spray on the bat, leave it there for half almost a minute, and then gently scrub it.
Lastly, in case you are facing a very problematic stain, or some sort of adhesive that will not come out, you can use some rubbing alcohol in the spot. However, this last option has the highest change to damage the paint job of your bat.
back to menu ↑How to clean a composite softball bat?
There is a secret that comes in handy when cleaning softball bats and it’s probably the best way to clean bat. Many agree that the best thing to use if you want to remove marks and stains is the Magic Eraser. This cleaning tool has proven to be the most helpful one to clean bats, saving you tons of effort and allowing you to avoid harsh scrubbing. The magic eraser is a well-known cleaning tool that usually works really well to clean stained surfaces like walls or sneakers; it also works really well on bats. In case you are wondering this is how it works, this sponge looking tool is made of a foam that resembles extremely fine sandpaper. Hence, why it works so well at removing those marks, but also why you should not overdo it.
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How to use the Magic Eraser
In order to clean your bat with the Magic Eraser, you should first wet the Magic Eraser a bit; this makes it work better on the bat surface. Then you will proceed to gently scrub over the stains, be careful not to do it for more than 10-15 seconds in the same place as it might damage the paint job. You can also help yourself by using paper towels or a damp cloth and pass it over the surfaces that you cleaned with the eraser before. Lastly, you can make sure the bat is dry using some paper towels.
If you want to preserve your composite bat in the best shape as possible, it is recommended that you limit it to individual use and also that you are especially mindful of the storage. Regarding the storage, you have to be especially careful with temperatures, and not store it a place that is too cold or too hot. In general, taking good care of your bat will improve its durability, that way you’ll have your composite bat for longer and in great shape.
