Cleaning Plastic Cards...Best Way??

[Beesnuts]

I have a couple decks of KEM cards and they have become a little sticky and just dirty in general. Is just using a sponge, mild soap, and water the best way to clean them? I have used that method once before and I found it to be very time consuming. Is there an easier (faster) way to clean them, or do I just have to spend the time?

[grebe]

spend the time, and if they dont come clean....buy new ones. I have had limited results cleaning cards to my liking.

[pismeyer]

http://www.homepokertourney.com/cards.htm

Site explains storage and care for plastic playing cards.

Good Luck!

P [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Gonso]

Cold water and a soft towel/sponge works fine for me and I swear by KEMs, but here's the info from that site


[ QUOTE ]
Cleaning Plastic Playing Cards

Your cards will last longer if you keep them clean.
To wash your cards, use cold water, mild neutral soap and a soft cloth. Do not use hot water.

Clean only a few cards at a time.
Rub very lightly on both sides of the card and rinse quickly.

Dry thoroughly at once using a clean, soft cloth.
Spread your washed cards on a table and allow up to one hour on each side to dry. Avoid direct sunshine or artificial heating elements.

Occasionally wipe your plastic cards with a damp cloth and let dry thoroughly.

Never use detergent or alkaline soap.

Never wash cards in a washing machine unless you are a total f'n retard

Never put cards away damp, either from washing or perspiration.

Never store cards where they will be exposed to sunshine or any other source of heat.

Play on a clean felt table. Playing on poor quality or dirty surfaces will result in scratches which will allow dirt to accumulate on the cards.

[/ QUOTE ]

[pfapfap]

My understanding is we use felt because less dirt gets on the cards and it's dirt that scratches cards and makes them hard to use. Cleaning them once they're difficult to use won't do much because the damage is already done, right? I've only tried to wash a deck a few times, and it never seemed to do much good. I would think you'd need to clean the deck after every session to keep them in tip top for a long time. To me, that's a hell of a lot of time and energy. I'm happier just buying new setups every few months instead. Gives me an excuse to try a new brand or face type or whatever else.

Or maybe I'm wrong about all of this.

[bolgenmod]

One tip no one else has mentioned: after you have washed and dried the cards, put a LITTLE baby powder in a bag, drop in the deck, and shake them up (gently).

This also really helps if you live in a humid climate where the cards get sticky: sometimes I don't even need to clean them -- just shake them up, and they are ready to go.

[Beesnuts]

[ QUOTE ]
One tip no one else has mentioned: after you have washed and dried the cards, put a LITTLE baby powder in a bag, drop in the deck, and shake them up (gently).

This also really helps if you live in a humid climate where the cards get sticky: sometimes I don't even need to clean them -- just shake them up, and they are ready to go.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats an awesome idea, never thought about that, but I can see that making a big difference. I play with one guy who has really sweaty hands and he always has to have the deck he's dealing in his hands...aweful. Thanks for the advice