How to Clean Mold Off Pool Table Felt? (Full Explanation)

Owning a pool table can be a source of immense joy and entertainment, but maintaining it, especially the felt, can be a challenging task.

Mold on pool table felt not only looks unsightly, but can also inadvertently affect your gameplay.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the steps to effectively clean mold off your pool table felt, ensuring it remains in pristine condition.

Key Takeaways

Understand the Causes: Know why mold forms on pool table felt.
Preventive Measures: Learn how to prevent mold growth.
Cleaning Methods: Explore safe and effective ways to clean mold off the felt.

The Quick Answer

A big part of a pool table’s maintenance is knowing the optimal conditions it should be kept in.

Mold and mildew only grows in damp locations where the air is too moist.
You will commonly see it on ceilings, walls in kitchens and bathrooms with poor ventilation.
The growth also spreads across items like books, clothes and the pool table’s playing cloth.

Once it starts to grow on your table’s felt, it will continue to spread across the material until it is effectively removed.

How do you clean mold off pool table felt?

First need to brush the cloth, followed by vacuuming.

Then, directly on the mold and around the growth, use either:

Baking soda with straight vinegar or;
Table salt with lemon juice on the substance.

Either solution mixture will remove mold from the table’s felt, but it’s important to act as soon as possible.

Why Does Mold Grow on Pool Table Felt?

If mold is present on the playing cloth, then it is highly likely the pool table has been kept in substandard conditions.

Mold is a fungus, that grows in damp and humid environments, and can be spread by touch, but also through the air.

If your table is stored in moist conditions, mold molecules in the air will find any damp spots in the playing cloth and start to grow on the material.

Garages are common places to set up a pool table, but they are typically cold and damp.

Humidity is the measurement of water vapor in the air.
When temperatures are high, the surrounding air contains the ability to carry more molecules of water, causing dampness – a breeding ground for mold spores

If the fungus is growing on the playing cloth, it can potentially be transferred to your clothes, which can then spread to other parts of your home.

How Do You Remove Mold from Pool Table Felt?

When cleaning mold, it is important to kill it all off completely, or else it will continue to grow into unaffected areas of the cloth.

As soon as you notice mold on the cloth, it’s time to get to work immediately.

What You Will Need

Pool table brush
Vacuum with accessories
Baking soda
Straight vinegar
Lint free cloth

Now, let me break down the best home remedy to clean mold off pool table felt.

Step 1 – Brush

Before you start removing mold from pool table felt, you should begin by brushing the cloth.

This will gather any loose mold molecules in the cloth, while also loosening any firmer pieces in the material.

Step 2 – Vacuum

Once you have brushed the cloth, the next step is to vacuum, which lifts any remaining loose particles.

Handheld and lightweight vacuums, with low suction power, like for instance the budget friendly Eureka WhirlWind Bagless Canister Vacuum Cleaner, are the best for the longevity of pool table cloth.

Directions

Always brush and vacuum in straight lines with the nap
Be firm but gentle with your strokes
Never brush or vacuum side to side or circular motion

Step 3 – Apply a Home Remedy

The next step is to remove the mold stain, which you can do in one of two ways;

Apply Baking Soda and Straight Vinegar
Apply Table Salt and Lemon Juice to the Mold Stain

Using Baking Soda and Straight Vinegar

Using baking soda and straight vinegar to clean mold off pool table felt can be done as follows:

To begin, pour baking soda over the area of mold on the table’s felt.
Next, spray straight vinegar into the affected area. Leave to stand for 5–10 minutes.
Use a lint free towel and dab it in warm water.
Blot the area and clean the surface to remove the mold.
Blot as much moisture as possible.
Make sure to cover about an inch wider than the mold itself to kill it all off completely.
Don’t get carried away and soak it with vinegar, instead only lightly spray the area.
Replace with a clean towel as needed.

Using Table Salt and Lemon Juice

Using table salt and lemon juice to remove mold from pool table felt can be done in 6 steps.

Mix a tablespoon of table salt with a small amount of lemon juice.
Create a thick paste
Apply the mixed paste to the mold on the felt
leave to stand for 5–10 minutes
Dampen a lint free cloth in warm water and clean the remedy away
This should have cleaned the mold from the pool tables felt

What to Avoid When Cleaning Mold Off Pool Table Felt?

Household Cleaning Products – The harsh chemicals found in the products will cause the tiny fibers that make up the felt to damage beyond repair.
Bleach – Using bleach products will cause discolored bleach marks allover the material.
Boiling Hot Water – Extreme heat is very bad for the table’s material and cause it to relax and loosen. The heat from the water can also cause more wear and tear in the area of application.
Scrubbing the Mold – Scrubbing can send the substance deeper into the fibers, making it hard to clean. It can also affect the cloths texture, causing it to wear thin.

Depending on the extent of the damage and how long it has been left to grow, there are no guarantees of complete removal.

How to Prevent Mold Growing on Pool Table Felt?

How to clean mold off pool table felt — Image of mold growing over the top of pool table felt from reddit user – u/wesgregory69

Proper Ventilation

Keep the room where your pool table is located well-ventilated, as this reduces humidity levels, which are a primary cause of mold growth.

When moisture levels are high, it is often referred to as wet air because it notably feels wetter around you.

To prevent mold growing on a pool table, it’s important to control the levels of moisture in the air, and the humidity should remain constant 40-60% optimal levels.

Final Thoughts on How to Clean Mold Off Pool Table Felt?

There is no doubt that as soon as you notice mold growing, your best option is to clean it off instantly. Left to develop and spread, it can become a real problem and is harder to remove from pool table felt. The substance itself is toxic to health and only grows in moist, damp areas.

To prevent it from developing, you need to maintain a consistent climate and not let the air become humid. You can clean mold off felt with one of two effective home remedies that use baking soda, straight vinegar, table salt and lemon juice.