Keeping everything well maintained and clean in your game room is going to help ensure your pool table and equipment last a long time and give great play.
The easiest way to keep your game room maintained is making sure all of your accessories have a designated place for storage. This can be a seating bench with storage under the seat, cue racks on the wall or a cue stand in the corner or even the addition of Legacy's Perfect Drawer mounted to your table.
Once you have the designated "place" for everything, stay in the habit of putting things back when not in use.
Keeping the cloth on your pool table clean is another challenge. Dust, pet hair, crumbs, lint and debris seem to collect pretty quick on there; especially along the edges and under the rails and in the pockets. Invest in a good table felt brush to gently sweep all particles in a straight motion from the edges towards the center or from one end towards the other. Don't use circular motions. Some people use a hand held vacuum on their cloth but this invites the risk of stretching the felt which makes it loose on the table. If you keep your cloth maintained and cleaned on a regular basis, you can easily add a few years to how long it will go before needing replacement.
Another thing to keep in mind with your felt, when playing, make sure players aren't wearing any jewelry or watches that may snag on the felt and rip it or pull on it. And don't go too crazy with the chalk. Every time you chalk your tip, that adds more dust that works its way down through the cloth and, over time, wears down the felt.
For the woodwork and leather, avoid harsh chemical cleaners and stick to cleaners specifically designated for wood or leather. A leather cleaner with natural oils will help keep your leather supple and prolong the life of your pockets. Apply any cleaner as directed. Buff with a clean soft cotton cloth to remove any excess product.
Depending on how often you play, it's a good idea to clean the balls often. Clean balls and a clean table is going to prolong the life of all of your equipment and keep your shots accurate.
To clean your billiard balls, warm soapy water will do the trick. Simply use a damp cloth and wipe each ball to remove chalk and wear marks. Never use bleach or ammonia as your cleanser. Just a gentle, small amount of soap in warm water.
Another option is a cleaner specifically for your balls. Your local game room dealer can help you with a selection. Don't put damp balls on the felt during cleaning. Pool tables and moisture do not get along!
For those of you that have darts, keep your board dust and lint free and store all darts in a safe place where the tips and flights are protected. Replace flights when worn and tips when bent.
Keeping the room in general tidy will, in turn, make it easier to keep your game room equipment and accessories clean.
