How to Clean Your Cards and Chips at Home
After playing at home for a while, you’ll notice that your cards will start clumping together, which will make them harder to use. And the chips will become real sticky as well.
This is because the dirt and crud from your hands transfers on to the chips and cards. When it gets bad, these items will either need to be cleaned or replaced. Let’s start with the casino chips.
How to Clean Casino Chips at Home
Why should you clean your casino chips? By cleaning your chips you will increase the longevity of the item.
Grab a soft bristled toothbrush or a child’s toothbrush specifically used for cleaning only. If you don’t have one you can find one at any $1 store, grocery store, Walmart or Amazon. All Amazon links for this show are in the description above.
Next fill a small bowl with cool or cold water. Luke-warm is the hottest you want to go. Any hotter and you may damage the chips. Use a small dot of hand soap, dish soap or mild detergent. Gently scrub the chips. Don’t scrub too hard. Pat the chips dry or let them air dry nut make sure they are completely dry. Once the chip is completely dry it can be stored in their container. Don’t store them while they are still damp.
If your chips are old or have a hot stamp or an inlay then these are delicate and can be damaged easily. Chips that are old or valuable should be kept in a sealed display box in order to protect them from the elements.
Storing Casino Chips
How you store your chips also determines how dirty they get. You could store them in a rack on a blackjack table but it’s better to put them in a case or container instead of leaving them out in the open where dust and filth can easily get to it. You could also store them in a picture frame if they’re collectible. Vinyl flips and binders are also storage containers. Or you can place them in a rack container and store them in a security case as seen here.
The Amazon links to all of these items can be found in the description above. If you have a different method of cleaning the chips then tell us in the video comments section.
How to Clean Playing Cards at Home
Moving on to the playing cards. If you use your cards often, the oil and the grime from your hand will transfer on to the cards making them stick together in clumps. This gunk will lead to frustration when trying to riffle the deck.
If it’s one spot or one card in particular, gently wipe it down with a lightly damp cloth and then dry it immediately. Don’t stack up the deck or put the cards away while still damp.
The playing cards are made with a paper material and are vulnerable to warping. This is why you never want to wipe them down with a wet cloth. If you have plastic poker cards then you can wipe them down with a damp cloth, soap and water.
Again, always use cold water and never use hot water. Or you can mix some rubbing alcohol and water in a 50/50 mixture and lightly spray that on a rag before wiping down the cards. Do not use a paper towel and make sure to dry the cards asap.
In order to keep the cards clean for as long as possible, remember to wash your hands and make sure they are totally dry before using your cards. Don’t use lotion. Don’t eat finger food while playing. If you don’t want to clean your cards you can do what the casinos do and just buy a new deck of cards.
If that’s the route you want to go, I put a link to a new deck of cards in the description above.
How to Clean a Table Layout at Home
How many of us have bought a table layout to practice on and it end up getting dirty? Yes, I’m talking about you Pip. How do we clean our table layouts?
No worries. They’re made of cloth and we can clean them like we clean out clothes.
Toss them in the wash machine and wash on delicate with cold water. Make sure the water level is high enough that the fabric won’t tear. Tumble dry low or air dry. Don’t use bleach, harsh detergents or hot water. If you don’t think the layout will survive the wash machine then you can always take it to the dry cleaners. If you have any questions or suggestions, please put it in the video comments linked above and I’ll answer your questions the best I can.