Taking Care of Your Basketball

Individuals who own a home basketball court, know an important part of keeping your court in tip-top shape is keeping your equipment clean and ready to use – especially your basketball. Here are a few tips for caring for your basketball at home.

Sports Ball Shop, an online retailer for a variety of sports balls, says care of your basketball will be determined by what type of material it’s made of. For instance, “A basketball constructed with natural leather will be more expensive and should be cleaned gently using a small amount of specially designed leather cleaner.”

Natural leather balls should only be cleaned with leather cleaner to avoid removing natural oils and cracking. Sports Ball Shop recommends using shampoo if mud or stains are excessive because this will retain natural oils. After washing, keep in a well ventilated area away from direct sunlight.

Keeping your home basketball court ready for game time is just as important as taking care of your basketball. In addition to proper cleaning, Sports Ball Shop suggests keeping your basketball out of your car to avoid temperature extremes that may distort it.

After each use, properly clean and dry your basketball then store in a dry basketball bag when not in use. Additionally, ensure your ball is properly filled before each use.

Epic Sports, an online retailer of sport equipment, accessories and apparel, says, “Basketballs tend to lose a little air when left unused and through normal use over time. In order to bounce properly, basketballs need the right amount of air pressure.”

Much like your home basketball court manufacturer recommends proper care and maintenance, basketballs have specific care guidelines as well. Depending on the manufacturer of the ball, its material and size – pounds per square inch (PSI) recommendations will vary. Epic Sports writes, “In general, the ball when dropped should bounce back about two-thirds of the way up from which it was dropped, or it may have too little or too much air.”

The sport accessory and apparel retailer says most balls will indicate how full they need to be on the surface. For basketballs – anywhere from seven to nine PSI. In addition to proper fill requirement, Epic Sports says only use a ball pump (not an air compressor) for inflating your basketball.

Keeping your basketball properly cared for, filled and stored is as important as regularly caring for your home basketball court. Don’t let your game fall behind due to a lack of court or equipment maintenance. 

Nicole Donaldson is an athletics writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Sport Court. Follow on Twitter.