Alright, listen up, y’all. I’m gonna tell ya how to wash a tennis ball, plain and simple. No fancy talk, just good ol’ common sense, ya hear?
First off, why you wanna wash them fuzzy things anyway? Well, they get dirty, that’s why! All that dirt and grime from the court, the dog slobber, who knows what else! If you don’t clean ’em, they get heavy and don’t bounce right. Plus, they stink somethin’ awful, and nobody wants that!
Now, there are a few ways to do this, dependin’ on how much time and energy you got. Me, I like things easy, so I’ll start with the easiest way first.
The Bucket Method (Soaking):
This one’s for when you ain’t in no hurry. Just get yourself a bucket, or even the bathtub if you got a bunch of balls. Fill it up with warm water, not too hot, not too cold, just like you’d use for washin’ dishes. Then, squirt in a little bit of that dish soap, or laundry soap, whatever you got handy. Don’t need much, just a little dab will do ya.
Now, toss them tennis balls in the water and let ’em soak for a bit, maybe 10 or 15 minutes. You’ll see the dirt start comin’ off. Give ’em a stir now and then, make sure the water gets all around.
After they’ve soaked good, take ’em out one by one and scrub ’em a little. You can use an old rag, a sponge, even your hand if you don’t mind gettin’ dirty. Just rub ’em good, get all that grime off.
Once you’re done scrubbin’, rinse ’em off real good under the faucet. Make sure all the soap is gone, or they’ll be sticky and attract more dirt.
Then, just set ’em out somewhere to dry. Don’t put ’em in the sun, or they might get hard and crack. Just let ’em air dry, and they’ll be good as new…well, almost new.
The Washing Machine Method:
Okay, so if you got a bunch of balls and don’t wanna scrub ’em all by hand, you can use the washin’ machine. But listen up, you gotta be careful with this one, or you might mess up your machine or your balls.
- First thing, set the water temperature to low. You don’t want hot water, it might shrink them balls or somethin’.
- Next, put the spin cycle on low, or even turn it off altogether. You don’t need them things bangin’ around in there like crazy.
- Then, add a little bit of laundry soap. Again, don’t use too much, just a little will do.
- Now, toss them balls in the machine and let it run. Just a short cycle is all you need, maybe 10 or 15 minutes.
- Once the cycle is done, take ’em out and let ’em air dry, just like with the bucket method.
The Dryer Method (Fluffing):
Now, this one ain’t exactly for washin’, but it’s good for makin’ them balls fluffy again. You know, after they’ve been used a lot, they get kinda flat and hard. This will help with that, ya see.
And get this – you can even throw your pillows in with the tennis balls! It’s supposed to beat out the lumps and make them fluffy again, I tell ya! I ain’t tried it myself but that’s what they say.
Anyway, just toss them tennis balls in the dryer on low heat. Some folks say you can use higher heat but I ain’t risking it. Don’t want ‘em meltin’ or nothing. Let ‘em tumble around for a bit, maybe 15 or 20 minutes. The heat and the tumblin’ will help fluff ’em up, make ’em bounce better. Just don’t leave ’em in too long, or they might get too hot.
Other things to think about:
So, there you have it, three ways to wash a tennis ball. Now, here are a few more things to keep in mind:
- Don’t use bleach. Bleach will mess up the color and make the balls fall apart.
- Don’t use hot water, unless you’re careful with the dryer. Hot water can shrink them balls and make ’em hard.
- Don’t put ’em in the dishwasher. I know some folks do this, but I don’t think it’s a good idea. The heat and the detergent can damage the balls.
- Let ’em dry completely before you use them again. Wet tennis balls won’t bounce right and they’ll get dirty faster.
And that’s all there is to it! Nothin’ to it, right? Just a little bit of common sense and a little bit of elbow grease, and you can keep them tennis balls clean and bouncy for a long time. Now go on and get to it! Them balls ain’t gonna clean themselves!
