What gets handled by everyone at a poker table, gets tossed back and forth and passed hand to hand? You guessed it, poker chips. That’s when they tend to pick up body oils from players hands and also food particles and beverages that are always present at a poker game. Just imagine the change in appearance poker chips will begin to take on when exposed to all these conditions. Eventually, all the food particles and body oils turn your poker chips into a chip that no one wants to even pick up.

It’s time for a cleaning when your poker chips begin to look a little offensive. Below I’ve listed a few guidelines to follow when cleaning your poker chips without causing any damage to them. Of course, it’s your preference on how you clean them. Vintage chips do not apply to these guidelines. When cleaning vintage chips you need to seek out a qualified professional.

Even though the cleaning supplies you can use might seem limitless, when it comes to poker chips we can considerably narrow it down. There are three important properties a cleanser must have before you even consider using it. Be sure to make a wise choice because you don’t want to cause any damage to your poker chips.

The cleanser needs to pass the following three crucial tests.

Removes Built Up Grime: Must be able to remove built up food particles and body oils.

Keeps Ink Intact: The absolute last thing you need would be to remove the ink from your poker chips. Get a cleanser that’s not so harsh that it would dissolve the ink.

Leaves Your Chips Hydrated: This might sound strange but poker chips need a certain level of moisture in them or they will become brittle. To keep from dissolving the ink and leaving your chips dry don’t use agents such as rubbing alcohol.

Armor All Multi-Purpose Cleaner, Sterling Magic and dishwashing detergent are some cleaners used to clean poker chips by veteran poker players. When using Armor All, you want to be sure it’s the multi-purpose cleaner and not any of the other Armor All products. The other Armor All products will damage your chips. Quick ‘n’ Brite is another popular cleaner you can use.

When using any of the above mentioned cleaners properly, your poker chips will come clean without any harmful side effects.

A very soft cotton towel and/or a baby’s soft bristled toothbrush are always best to use when cleaning your poker chips.. You want to make sure you take extra care to protect the center design of the chip. Keep your thumb over the center of the chip and use the toothbrush to go around the outer edges. Make sure you rinse your chips in a bowl of water and then dry them with the cotton towel.

When you’re done cleaning, dip your poker chips in baby oil to restore their luster and give them that extra shine.