If you are reading this then I guess it’s finally time to give your precious cue some much-needed TLC.
The thing is most people will clean their cue occasionally, they might scuff their tip occasionally, they might even do some overdue care and maintenance… occasionally.
But, the one thing that seems to go unnoticed is the silent hero of the cue, your genuine Irish linen wrap.
I would say, after some time it might be best to simply replace the wrap on your cue.
Maybe get it re-wrapped at your local billiards store, or if you are feeling confident, attempt to do it at home.
Most places will charge about $40 to get your new Irish linen re-wrap done.
Although $40 isn’t a huge amount, it is the price of some cues and if you can prolong the life a little then I recommend doing so.
You will instantly feel the difference when you get a new one installed but you will also feel the difference if you simply give it a clean once in a while.
Showing your wrap some care from time to time will prolong its life and save you a few bucks in the meantime.
Consider this, If you do clean your wrap from time to time, it will not only improve your grip, be more hygienic and ultimately make you feel more comfortable taking your shot on, but you are probably more likely to look after your cue as a whole.
Perhaps after you have cleaned you’re Irish linen wrap, give your cue a full service, then maybe your table – scuff the tip, clean the shaft, check the joints, ferrule, etc.
After the cue, clean your table felt, rails…. Do you see what I’m saying? By looking after your equipment a little, it will go a long way in looking after you.
If you want to know how to clean Irish linen wrap on a pool cue and some handy tips and tricks to give your Irish linen wrap extra grip then you’re in the right place.
Improve the grip and protect the Irish linen
Personally, I feel you need to make sure the linen wrap is pressed, or even better yet, double pressed as this offers the best grip, unpressed Irish linen wrap is very slippery.
But even then, double pressed is sometimes still too slippery, even after some use, you just don’t feel comfortable cueing with it and it doesn’t provide the adequate grip needed. Irish linen is a great sweat absorber but sometimes lacks grip.
There is an old remedy for this, as strange as it sounds, a lot of players, including myself will rub wax paper sheets (Amazon link)on the linen.
Basically what you need to do is use some wax paper sheet on the Irish linen. Using the wax side of the sheet, rotate the butt while working the sheet along the linen threads.
I usually repeat the process a couple of times until the wax warms up a little and is applied to the linen wrap.
You should find that this will add a tackiness to the wrap grip
Additionally, this will give your linen wrap some extra protection.
How to clean Irish linen wrap on a pool cue
As mentioned, over time your linen wrap will absorb all the sweat, dirt, and oils from your hand. This will add to the linen’s grip but over time cause your wrap to become extremely dirty.
The good news is, its possible to clean the Irish linen wrap on a pool cue.
Simply follow my step-by-step guide on how to clean Irish linen wrap on a pool cue to revive your wrap!
What you will need to clean Irish linen wrap on a pool cue
- High percentage of rubbing alcohol (Amazon link), will help clean the linen from sweat and oil within the linen. Its recommended you use gloves
- Paper towels (Amazon link) are used to apply the alcohol to the wrap and then remove it.
- A small glass. this is used, if needed, to flatten out any fuzz created from rubbing the linen.
Avoid water if possible on your wrap. Use a high percentage of rubbing alcohol and some paper towels to clean your wrap with.
How to clean Irish linen wrap on a pool cue
- Add a little high percentage of rubbing alcohol onto some paper towels
- In a circular motion, rub the lightly soaked paper towel onto the Irish linen wrap.
- The circular motion should, as best possible, in line with the direction as the Irish linen threads.
- Wipe the whole wrap cue using this technique.
- Using a dry paper town, absorb any moisture from the wrap.
- If the linen becomes slightly fuzzy, you can simply use a small glass to rub the linen in a circular motion. Makes sure the circular motion with the glass on the linen is the opposite direction to the way you were doing it with rubbing alcohol.
Whenever your wrap gets dirty, be sure to give it a clean using this method. Just remember that it may lose some of its grip to start with but should return after some use.
What is Irish linen warp on a pool cue for
Irish linen is an extremely popular choice on pool cues as a wrap to help with gripping the cue.
The wrap is usually located on the butt of the cue, where you would hold with your stronger hand while briding with your weaker hand on the table.
The wrap has multiple purposes, one being to add to the grip, giving you a more comfortable feel and more accurate shot. Another is to absorb moisture causing the fibers of the Irish linen to expand slightly causing the wrap to gain more grip.
It’s quite normal for the wrap to be slippery when you first get it.
After some usage, you should gain some more grip.
The moisture absorbed into the linen will naturally come from the air and, a little more disgustingly, from all the sweat, oil, grease and other things on your hands as you hold the cue.
So as you can see, although it’s useful for the grip to gain this extra grip from your mucky hands, over time it can build up and I’m sure I don’t need to paint you a picture on how dirty they can get.
Hence the need to clean your Irish linen wrap.
Conclusion
If you are buying a pool cue or getting a new linen wrap installed, I would suggest you get a double pressed wrap as this holds a better grip in my opinion. Although the grip might not seem ideal to start with, over sometime after moisture has been absorbed into the wrap you should start to feel an improvement. For further enhancement, you can add wax to the linen wrap which should improve your grip.
If you have been looking and wondering how to clean Irish linen wrap on a pool cue then this guide should serve you well.
Follow the instructions and your wrap should look and feel better in no time.
Rob is an avid player and fan of all cue sports, particularly 8-ball, and snooker. He has competed in a few local 8-ball tournaments and although he is not a professional, he can compete with the best of them.
