Bummed out, please help, possibly stained speedcloth (1 Viewer)

[mummel]

So I woke up to find two stains on my table I’m really bummed out. I’ve taken such good care of my baby for a long time now. This is the first time this has happened.....

I think they are whiskey stains (the game was a bit of a blur for everyone, big understatement).

What’s the best way to fix this? I haven’t tried water yet or anything. Is there some sort of cleaning agent that folks recommend for speed cloth? Should I go with water first?

Some thoughts:

1) could 90 proof alcohol damage the speed cloth coating? (It’s supposed to repel liquids)
2) if I clean the spots with a cleaning agent and they shine, won’t they stick out worse if the other parts of the table are not as clean.

Thanks folks. Appreciate the help.

 

[justsomedude]

Worst case... replace it? You can get a whole roll on Amazon for 30-40 bucks, depending on color.

Then all you’ll need is a staple gun to install it.

 

[BGinGA]

First thing I'd do is ensure that everything is dry -- blot with paper towels, if necessary, and let air dry. That may make it disappear altogether.

If not, remove the rail and get some Resolve carpet cleaner foam spray. Apply to the entire table (not just the stains), scrub it in gently using a soft brush, let dry, and vacuum off. That should take care of it.

If not, it's either live with it, or replace the cloth. Time for a new color?

 

[TxGoodfella]

Yep Resolve works wonders. I’m still amazed at the stains it pulls out of our carpet w 2 little ones running around.

 

[DoubleEagle]

I have cleaned mine in place with a soapy rag. Then I used another rag with clean water to wipe it down. I will dry in an hour or two. Worked very well. I have also removed speedcloth from a table and run it through our washing machine. Got it as clean as new and no ill effects on the cloth.

 

[mummel]

Thanks for the help. I had washed it down with water now and will let it dry. Hopefully some of it may go away.

Otherwise I’ll look into Resolve. Any reason I need to remove the rail (ie can resolve touch the rail material)? Or is it just for a clean finish? Thanks.

 

[BGinGA]

You want to be able to apply the cleaner evenly to all surfaces, and the rail will just get in the way.

 

[mummel]

You want to be able to apply the cleaner evenly to all surfaces, and the rail will just get in the way.

Ok thanks

 

[mummel]

BTW - how many games do you think speedcloth can take before it needs to be replaced. We’ve been playing once a month for ~2.5 years. This stuff looks brand new. You can see in the pics (stains aside of course). I would think this cloth could go another 5 years with how good it looks.

 

[BGinGA]

Depends on how hard your players are on the surface, whether or not you have a dedicated dealer (the dealer spot wears out faster), and how often you clean it (dirt is one of biggest causes of premature wear). I replaced one of mine after about 10 years of monthly games (so around 1500 hours of use), but mostly because I wanted to upgrade to gaming cloth. Only the dealer spot area was showing any kind of wear at all.

 

[APatHand]

Propane torch it after a solemn ceremony. It's an honorable end.

 

[mummel]

I have cleaned mine in place with a soapy rag. Then I used another rag with clean water to wipe it down. I will dry in an hour or two. Worked very well. I have also removed speedcloth from a table and run it through our washing machine. Got it as clean as new and no ill effects on the cloth.

BTW, an update. I washed the cloth down with a tiny amount of soap in water. It came out great, looks good as new. I suspect the cloth itself was faded out with dust and stuff on the surface, which made the darker spots look darker than they were because I had rub those while drying. Now the whole table is a nice, darker, richer color. Success. Thanks all.

 

[weak]

Now the whole table is a nice, darker, richer color. Success.

Pics or it didn't happen

But seriously, would be interested to see the difference…

but mostly because I wanted to upgrade to gaming cloth

What's gaming cloth?

 

[BGinGA]

What's gaming cloth?

Search on Chan gaming cloth and prepare to be amazed.

 

[justsomedude]

Search on Chan gaming cloth and prepare to be amazed.

Gaming Cloth

 

[RainmanTrail]

BTW - how many games do you think speedcloth can take before it needs to be replaced. We’ve been playing once a month for ~2.5 years. This stuff looks brand new. You can see in the pics (stains aside of course). I would think this cloth could go another 5 years with how good it looks.

The card rooms I worked in usually changed the felts every 3 or 4 years for tables that were in use full time about 20 hours per day. Other places keep them longer. So that's like 20,000+ hours of use at least.

But it also depends on the felt obviously...

The biggest degradation you'll usually notice first is that the "speed" aspect of the cloth typically goes away before you'll notice visual defects. The cards slide much slower when that happens. Which I actually prefer as a dealer. The air hockey effect of a new speed cloth sucks to deal on.

 

[mummel]

The card rooms I worked in usually changed the felts every 3 or 4 years for tables that were in use full time about 20 hours per day. Other places keep them longer. So that's like 20,000+ hours of use at least.

But it also depends on the felt obviously...

The biggest degradation you'll usually notice first is that the "speed" aspect of the cloth typically goes away before you'll notice visual defects. The cards slide much slower when that happens. Which I actually prefer as a dealer. The air hockey effect of a new speed cloth sucks to deal on.

I wonder if sunlight also comes into play with respect to degradation? Bottom line is, these felt are supposed to last YEARS. Good to know.