While dirty golf clubs are a sign of constant improvement, knowing How to Clean Golf Clubs is equally important. Because when the dirt gets in the grooves, it reduces your control of the ball’s spin.

If you have a dirty golf club—rejoice!
Chances are, you’re out on the course and diligently doing your set of plays. Personally, I would rather bring back home a dirty club set than leaving it without any hint of dirt and mud.
Don’t know where to start?
In this article, I will be teaching you the know-how of how to clean golf clubs!
How to Clean Golf Clubs
Unlike the common fret that cleaning golf clubs are complicated, it most definitely is not. If you get used to it, you’ll find that it is actually a simple and essential process.
If you’re asking what is the best way to clean golf clubs, it would actually depend mainly on your preference. There are handy cleaning kits that you can buy in physical golf stores and online retailers.
However, I personally like doing it the DIY way. This way, you just need to find cleaning items you probably already have in your house. It’s easy, and you won’t need to spend any money.
How often should you clean golf clubs? Periodically cleaning your clubs can help prevent the build-up of dirt and helps avoid the possibility of rusting as well.
Furthermore, based on my experience, I know how often clean golf clubs help save a play.
“How can I clean my golf clubs?” First off, when I started cleaning my cubs, I first asked myself what can I use to clean my golf clubs. And there are actually only a few things that you need.
What to Clean Golf Clubs With
What can you use to clean golf clubs? Here’s a list of cleaning materials of what to clean golf clubs with:
- Bucket
- Dishwashing liquid
- Water
- An old toothbrush or soft-bristle brush
- Towel or cloth
- Steel polish
These are just simple materials what can I use to clean my golf clubs. You don’t have to worry about anything since you can easily buy or purchase this in the stores near you.
Let’s get on the nitty-gritty steps on how to clean golf clubs. We’ll have separate sections on how to clean each type of club as well as other parts.
How to Clean Golf Irons
- First, add dishwashing liquid along with warm water on your bucket. Mix it until you create mild foams. (Note: Don’t use hot water because it can damage your club’s plastic ferrule materials.)
- Place your irons inside the bucket with the clubheads fully submerged.
- Let it soak for a few minutes until you notice dirt loosening in the grooves.
How to Clean Woods and Metal Woods
Unlike with golf irons, it is not a good idea to soak woods and metal wood clubs underwater. It can damage the wood’s glossy finish.
Instead, here’s what you can do:
- Similar to what you do with irons, mix dishwashing liquid with water on a bucket until it creates mild foam.
- Instead of soaking, quickly dip it into the water and lift it out.
- Wipe the clubhead with a damp cloth and dry it with a dry cloth.
How to Clean Out the Grooves
This is the most crucial step when cleaning golf clubs. You have to intricately remove all formed dirt and debris left in the grooves.
Use the old toothbrush or soft-bristle brush to remove dirt in the grooves on the clubface. The trick for a complete cleaning is to drag the brush across the sole and over the back.
For woods and metal woods, immediately dry it off with a towel after brushing.
If the dirt has already hardened, you may need to soak it longer or use a stiffer brush. Note that using a wire-bristled brush can scratch and damage the surface of your clubs.
Rinsing Off and Drying the Clubhead and Shaft
After rinsing, use a towel or cloth to dry off the clubhead. You can also wipe down the shaft using a damp cloth to remove any dirt, but make sure to dry it off well after.
For rusts, applying vinegar does wonder in getting back the shine of your shaft. Apply vinegar on a cloth and use it to remove rust on the shaft.
Make sure to dry it thoroughly after.
How to Clean the Grip
Finally, you can’t forget the grips when cleaning your clubs. This part is most prone to sweat and dirt from your hands. As much as possible, try to clean the grip every after games.
Just use a damp cloth to wipe over the entire surface of the grip. Rinse it with water and then dry it off with a dry towel. I hope this answered your question on how do you clean golf clubs.
In the following sections, I will discuss the importance of knowing how to clean golf clubs and the ways to polish golf clubs.
Why You Should Clean Your Golf Clubs
It is impossible to keep your clubs clean and shiny all the time. With all the swinging that you do around the course, it will surely get grimy by the end of your play.
You may not ask the question, “Does cleaning golf clubs help?” while you’re at the moment of play. But after a bad game, you might want to start considering why you should clean your golf clubs.
So does cleaning golf clubs help?
As I explained above, it definitely does. I can attest that it helps improve your game performance. I learned it the hard way that dirt build-up affects both my spin and control, especially with irons and wedges.
So, yes, there are a lot of reasons why you should clean your golf clubs.
To round up, here are the advantages of why you should clean your golf clubs:
- Helps your game performance at its peak.
- Helps keep it last for long-time use.
- Saves you time and money from choosing and buying a new club.
- Keeps you ready for instances of spontaneous gamings.
Part of the cleaning process is knowledge of proper storage. So does cleaning golf clubs help? Yes. But along with this, properly storing your golf clubs also helps big time.
Importance of Proper Storage
Don’t ever forget about storage! Correctly keeping your clubs safely in-between round smoothes your movements on the course.
Once you understand why you should clean your golf clubs, proper storage follows.
Overlooking the importance of proper storage is just as bad as getting the wrong answer on your initial question, “Does cleaning golf clubs help?”
If you just place and keep your clubs anywhere, it can risk dents and damage.
Here some of the most crucial do’s and don’ts in storing your golf clubs:
DOs
- Store your clubs in an area free from humidity and moisture.
- You can also try placing a headcover over your golf bag. This minimizes dust collection and further help with preventing dents and scratches.
DONTs
- Don’t store your golf clubs in the car trunk or garage for extended periods. It can result in moisture and humidity build-up that can rust golf clubs. As it is possible for the bag to slide around the trunk, it can leave dents and scratches to your clubs.
- Don’t keep your golf bag in an area exposed to extreme heat or cold. It can lead to potential problems on the grips and clubheads.
Does cleaning golf clubs help?
The next time you ask yourself why you should clean your golf clubs, think of it as an investment. The condition of your club can profoundly affect your game.
With adequate cleaning and know-hows on proper storage, you will get a satisfying return.
How to Polish Golf Clubs
The final step of how do you clean golf clubs is knowing how to polish golf clubs. For me, this is one of the most crucial steps on how to clean golf clubs.
It is a standard of my club maintenance.
Aside from keeping its appearance good as new, I found that it also protects my clubs from dirt and water.
In other words, if you know how to polish golf clubs, it would save you time when you’re cleaning them. You won’t have to worry about hardened debris that is hard to brush off.
A clean and polished club assures you that there is no element that’s affecting your play.
Here are the materials for polishing your golf club:
- Bucket
- Water
- Dishwashing liquid
- Towel or cloth
- Metal polish
Here are the steps on how to polish golf clubs:
- Fill a bucket with dishwashing liquid and warm water. Do the proper steps on how to clean golf clubs.
- Make sure that you have cleaned the clubs thoroughly before proceeding with the polishing.
- Apply a metal polish on the clubs and wipe it using a soft towel or cloth. You can also spray the polish or wipe the shafts using it to help against rust.
- Wait a few minutes before wiping the polish off.
- Place the clubs back in the golf bag after polishing to maintain it.
Note that most metal polish is also available in spray form. You can also use a window cleaner if there is no available metal polish.
For the best outcome, be thorough with each club to ensure that it will shine effortlessly after the process.
While it may be hard to restore them to its original shine, there are ways to maintain it in its best condition. You can follow the steps I’ve mentioned on how to polish golf clubs and do it periodically.
Also, remember to always clean your clubs after every round. As much as you can, try to keep it clean on and off the course.
It will help you maintain your clubs more efficiently and more effectively. Of course, knowing how to polish golf clubs can also help you play with ease and more accuracy.
Clean Golf Clubs Makes for a Better Performance
Don’t be afraid of making your clubs dirty.
Remember, you bought your clubs to use it and to improve your game continually. But also, know when is the time to clean it.
Once you learn how to clean golf clubs, who knows, like me, you may even find it a relaxing routine. While it can be a tedious process, I hope that reading this article has helped you realize its value.
It takes time to get your clubs all dirty again.
So, go on and get dirty on the course. And once it’s time to clean up, do what you need to do.
Last Updated on May 23, 2023 by Paul Roger Steinberg