One of the most annoying things you have to deal with in skateboarding is dirty griptape. It happens so easily and often that you may not even realize it until after your session.
Mud is one of the worst things to get on griptape. It sticks to your griptape, make your board look terrible and worst of all reduces your grip. With mud caked on your griptape your tricks are done for. In this article we will be showing you how to clean your griptape so you can get that sticky grip back.
Benefits of cleaning your griptape.
To be upfront with you none of the cleaning methods you will find on the internet will make your griptape look brand new. However by cleaning it yourself you can…
- Increase the “stickiness” of your tape
- Keep your griptape in great condition
- Remove the need for replacing your tape
- Improve the lifespan of your griptape
Items You’ll Need
There are a few different items you’ll need for effectively cleaning your griptape.
- – A piece of natural rubber.
- – Cloth to wipe. (Microfiber if available)
- – Soft wire brush
These items are inexpensive and a good idea to have if you would like to increase the lifespan of your griptape.
Cleaning traditional grip tape (Shortboard)
Step 1: Use rubber to clean grime.
The rubber can be purchased at most skate shops, however it is also available at your local arts and craft store. Most of the time it is cheaper at an arts and craft store. Once you have your rubber use it to clean off the surface grime on your deck. The rubber should remove most dirt, dust, and other debris. To use, firmly rub the rubber across all of your griptape.
Step 2: Soft wire brush
To get the deepest grime out of your deck you’ll need to hit up your local hardware store and grab a soft bristle wire brush. The brass bristle wire brushes work well , however as long as you get a soft bristle brush it will do less damage to your tape while getting the grime out. Once you have your brush in hand use it to brush your tape in small circles all over your board.
Step 3: Rubber again.
Once you given your board a good once-over with the wire brush and all that deep grime has come to the surface, it’s time to go back to your rubber. Go over your board once more with the natural rubber to remove the dirt that is left over and you are ready to ride!
This cleaning method is very effective for traditional skateboards (shortboards) and we hope that you found it useful. If you are considering getting custom griptape you should definitely clean it!
