Clean golf clubs allows for better shots on the golf course. An easy way to keep your clubs in pristine condition can be found with this DIY Golf Club Washer.
Clean Golf Clubs Equals No Excuses
There comes a time when you look down at your golf clubs and realize they don’t quite look like they did when they were new. While I’m not going to promise your 5 year old irons will look anything close to new, having clean clubs can be a benefit on the golf course. You’ll get more backspin with your irons because the grooves will be clean. So let’s see what can be done to keep your clubs clean after every round with a DIY Golf Club Washer.
For those of us with an indoor golf simulator, there is a benefit to having clean golf clubs as well. Either a dirty golf ball or dirty clubs will cause marks to show up on the impact screen. Eventually with dirt mark after dirt mark the impact screen does not look so great anymore and you end up having to outlay some good money for another one.
For whatever reason, many of the courses I’ve played lately have decided to forgo the golf club washer. Not sure why. But we have a couple of options to help keep our clubs clean. Actually, there are probably many including buying one from Caddy Splash.
And if you are like some of the golfers I see at my local course with their own golf cart (golf car) then look into having one of these put on your vehicle called Club Clean which works well for both golf clubs and golf balls.
But you’ve come here to figure out a good way to clean your golf clubs with maybe some things you have lying around the house.
DIY Golf Club Washer Irons Only
- Bucket or Kitchen Sink
- Liquid Dish Soap
- Soft Bristled Brush
In lieu of using a bucket, this can be done in the kitchen sink. Caveat though. My wife would kill me if she saw me cleaning my golf clubs in the kitchen sink. I would fear scratching the sink. For demonstration purposes only and ummm errrr because my wife is out of the house, I might just have to give it a try. Ask for forgiveness later. Actually, I was very very careful.
Whether using a bucket or kitchen sink, add a good amount of liquid dish soap so that when water is added it will suds up nicely. Now add hot water to the sink or bucket but only to the point where it doesn’t reach the ferrules of the irons. We are going to be soaking the iron clubhead for 5 minutes in hot water and don’t want to loosen the glue of the ferrules. It doesn’t have to be boiling water but the water is about as hot as I can get it out of the sink.
Use a Soft Bristled Brush
Take out the soft bristled brush and get it wet in the soapy water. I mentioned the Caddy Splash above but Frogger Golf Brush Pro is another great bristle brush which also includes a groove cleaner. Scrub the face of each iron, making special attention to remove any debris which might be stuck in the grooves. If the bristles are soft enough, don’t worry about going both horizontal and vertical on the clubhead.
Truth be told, after 5 minutes of hot water and sudsy soap, any dirt should no longer be caked on the iron and should easily be removed. If you have a deep cavity back iron, make sure that is clean as well. I recommend cleaning the grooves as well either with a tee. If you happen to have a golf brush, sometimes they (like the Frogger Golf Brush Pro) include a groove cleaner.
Once the irons have been soaked and brushed, rinse them off with water. When all is said and done, don’t forget to dry off your golf clubs (irons). No use in going through this exercise and finding your clubs start to rust because you are not drying them off.
One last Pro Tip: If your irons are still looking a little worse for wear, find some Bar Keepers Friend at your local hardware store or Walmart. Make a paste with the Bar Keepers Friend and some water. Now either grab that same brush or a toothbrush and scrub the clubs. Let the paste you made sit on the clubs for a minute or so. Then rinse with water and use a towel to dry. Please note. I have never tried this with any of my black clubs or wedges so I cannot personally recommend the use of Bar Keepers Friend with black head irons.
DIY Golf Club Washer Drivers and Hybrids
Notice I didn’t mention anything about hybrids, woods, drivers, and putters? I used to have a friend (well he is still my friend) who would soak all his clubs in a bucket of sudsy water after a round. Something happened (might have been some alcohol involved) and he forgot about his clubs overnight. The irons were perfectly fine but his driver somehow took on some water. There went a $300 driver.
So cleaning a driver, woods, hybrids and putters will be done by hand. Just grab a damp cloth and slightly rub. Then get the club wet once again and use a soft bristle brush if necessary. Should not require much more than this if you clean your driver, woods, hybrids, and putters on a regular basis. I noticed that same friend of mine pull out a 30 year old Ping putter to use this year on the golf course. Made me go out to the golf cave and find my 45 year old Ping B61 putter. I might just have to put it in play.
Take pride in keeping your golf clubs clean and they can last for many years. Then, if you are like most who enjoy this hobby, they can fetch more dollars at the 2nd hand store when you are out to buy new clubs. Otherwise, it is great to pull out an old golf club from time to time and compare then to the clubs you currently carry in your bag. So keep your golf clubs clean and they should serve you well for many years to come.