Cleaning a leather grip?

bcart1991 · 01-23-2013, 09:26 AM

Previous owner of a racquet obviously put a replacement grip over the original leather. The leather looks to be in good condition under all the residue.

How can I get the residue off without ruining the leather? I always use an overgrip, but would still like to keep the leather in good shape if I can.

I have a decent complement of cleaning products at the house, just wondering if anyone had good/bad/ugly experiences with anything specific.

The offender:

stoo · 01-24-2013, 09:39 AM

For under $10, get yourself a TW Leather replacement grip and save youself the hassle.

bcart1991 · 01-24-2013, 10:10 AM

I hit it last night with some soap/water and a scrubber sponge. It still looks exactly like the pic above. Luckily I have an extra leather replacement grip in the parts bin (I think). Now where'd I put that staple gun...

mad dog1 · 01-24-2013, 10:22 AM

i've been able to remove OG residue w/ shoe polish (cream color) and alot of elbow grease. i took a soft cloth and rubbed the shoe polish into the exposed leather grip and started scrubbing. took some time, but i was trying to salvage a Head Genuine Calfskin grip so it was worth it.

soap and water won't do it. be careful with the scrubber sponge as it will scuff the smooth leather surface.

goran_ace · 01-24-2013, 10:24 AM

Yeah that looks pretty bad. Probably not worth the effort to try to clean it up consdering how little a brand new leather grip would cost you.

Relinquis · 01-24-2013, 07:30 PM

i think you should get a new leather grip. this doesn't look like it will ever be 100%.

Fearsome Forehand · 01-24-2013, 09:59 PM

Isopropyl (aka rubbing) alcohol, maybe ever Windex (which has alcohol in it.) Use a generous amount and leave it on for awhile, it might dissolve the residual glue.

Very hot water might work as well as it will melt/soften the glue.

For that matter, you could try heating up the glue with a blow dryer and see if the residual grip will peel off.

As a last resort, you could try WD40. It will dissolve the glue but it will probably take some of the color off the leather grip.

Worst case, buy another grip. No biggie.

It should be a crime to put a replacement grip over a nice leather grip IMHO.

bcart1991 · 01-25-2013, 06:13 AM

Had not thought about the hair dryer/glue approach, might be worth a shot. Gonna go ahead and replace it first, then try cleaning it later (I have 2 young kids, who am I kidding...).

Funny thing is, that's a 5/8 grip, so the guy must have been 6'5"+ to need a replacement grip OVER one already that large.

01-23-2013, 09:26 AM	#1
bcart1991 Semi-Pro Join Date: May 2010 Location: Douglasville, GA Posts: 748	Cleaning a leather grip? Previous owner of a racquet obviously put a replacement grip over the original leather. The leather looks to be in good condition under all the residue. How can I get the residue off without ruining the leather? I always use an overgrip, but would still like to keep the leather in good shape if I can. I have a decent complement of cleaning products at the house, just wondering if anyone had good/bad/ugly experiences with anything specific. The offender: __________________ Kotter USTA/WGTA 4.0

01-24-2013, 09:39 AM	#2
stoo Rookie Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 339	For under $10, get yourself a TW Leather replacement grip and save youself the hassle. __________________ Give me a ping Vasily, one ping only please.

01-24-2013, 10:10 AM	#3
bcart1991 Semi-Pro Join Date: May 2010 Location: Douglasville, GA Posts: 748	I hit it last night with some soap/water and a scrubber sponge. It still looks exactly like the pic above. Luckily I have an extra leather replacement grip in the parts bin (I think). Now where'd I put that staple gun... __________________ Kotter USTA/WGTA 4.0

01-24-2013, 07:30 PM	#6
Relinquis Hall Of Fame Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: On the courts; hard & clay ... Posts: 4,319	i think you should get a new leather grip. this doesn't look like it will ever be 100%. __________________ Disclaimer: I'm NOT a coach... Real tennis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDqnkLJ9BtM

01-24-2013, 09:59 PM	#7
Fearsome Forehand Professional Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: USA Posts: 1,020	Isopropyl (aka rubbing) alcohol, maybe ever Windex (which has alcohol in it.) Use a generous amount and leave it on for awhile, it might dissolve the residual glue. Very hot water might work as well as it will melt/soften the glue. For that matter, you could try heating up the glue with a blow dryer and see if the residual grip will peel off. As a last resort, you could try WD40. It will dissolve the glue but it will probably take some of the color off the leather grip. Worst case, buy another grip. No biggie. It should be a crime to put a replacement grip over a nice leather grip IMHO. Last edited by Fearsome Forehand : 01-24-2013 at 10:23 PM.