The best way to clean golf clubs: irons, woods, putters and grips

Step by step: the best way to clean golf clubs

1. 1

   Fill a bucket with warm soapy water

   Fill a bucket with warm tap water, deep enough to cover iron heads but not the hosels, and add a squirt of mild dish soap. Hot water is not needed and is harder on grips and ferrules. Lay an old towel on the ground to work on.

2. 2

   Dip the iron and wedge heads

   Stand the irons and wedges in the bucket heads-down for 3 to 5 minutes so dried dirt and grass soften. Keep the water below the ferrule, the small plastic ring where the head meets the shaft. Do not soak the whole club, and keep woods and putters out of the bucket.

3. 3

   Scrub the face and grooves

   Take one club out at a time and scrub the face, grooves, sole and back with a nylon brush. Run a tee or groove pick along each groove to push out packed dirt. Clean grooves grip the ball better, which matters most on wedges.

4. 4

   Rinse and dry each head right away

   Rinse the head with clean water or wipe it with a clean damp towel, then dry the head and the hosel thoroughly with a dry towel. Get into the cavity and the grooves, where water sits and causes rust spots on forged or carbon steel heads.

5. 5

   Wipe the woods, hybrids and putter

   Dip a towel in the soapy water, wring it out well, and wipe the driver, fairway woods, hybrids and putter. Use a soft brush on their grooves and sole. Never use a wire brush on painted crowns or putter faces, and dry them right away.

6. 6

   Wipe the shafts

   Run the damp towel down each shaft from grip to head, then dry it. On steel shafts, look for small rust spots and wipe them off early. On graphite shafts, just check for cracks or chips in the paint.

7. 7

   Wash the grips

   Scrub rubber grips with the soapy water and a soft brush or cloth, then wipe off the soap with a clean damp towel. Pat them dry and let them air dry fully before play. Wrapped or cord grips get the same treatment with a little more care around the tape edges.

8. 8

   Protect forged irons and put headcovers back on woods

   For forged or raw-finish irons, wipe a very thin coat of light oil on the heads and buff off the excess. Put headcovers back on the woods and putter, and let the bag sit open for an hour if it is damp inside.

How to clean each type of club

Only cast and forged irons and wedges should go in the bucket; woods, hybrids and putters get a wiped-on clean, and grips get their own scrub.

How to prevent and remove rust on golf clubs

Keep heads dry and lightly oiled to prevent rust; remove light surface rust with soapy water and a nylon brush, and leave deep pitting to a club repair shop.

Mizuno warns that poor care can lead to rust spots and blemishes, especially on its forged irons, and recommends removing headcovers from irons after play, keeping the cavity and grooves dry with a soft towel, applying a thin coat of lubricant oil to the club heads, and avoiding storage in extreme temperatures. A car trunk in summer or a damp garage is exactly the kind of storage to avoid.

Most game-improvement irons are cast stainless steel, which is easy to clean: the British Stainless Steel Association says soap or mild detergent with warm water, followed by a clear water rinse, is usually enough. The Specialty Steel Industry of North America warns against cleaning stainless steel with carbon steel wire brushes or steel wool, which can leave particles that rust. That is why a nylon brush is safer than the brass or steel wire side of many club brushes. For rust on other tools around the house, see our guide to removing rust from metal.

How to keep clubs clean during a round

Carry one damp towel and one dry towel, clean the face and grooves after every shot that hits dirt, and dry the clubs before they go back in the bag.

• Clip a damp microfiber towel to one side of the bag and a dry one to the other.
• Use a tee to clear packed grooves on wedges and short irons after shots from the rough or a bunker.
• Many courses have ball washers and club brushes near the tees; a quick brush keeps grass from drying on.
• After a wet round, take the clubs out at home, dry each head and grip, and leave the bag open overnight.

When cleaning is not enough: regripping and repair

Regrip when grips stay slick, shiny or cracked after a wash, and see a club fitter for loose heads, rattles or deep rust.

Washing restores some tack, but rubber hardens with age, heat and sun. If grips feel smooth even when clean, or you squeeze harder to hold the club, they are worn. A loose or rattling head, a ferrule that has slid up the shaft, or a cracked shaft needs a repair shop, not more cleaning.

Mistakes to avoid

• Soaking whole clubs, or letting water sit above the ferrule where the head is glued to the shaft.
• Scrubbing faces and painted crowns with a wire brush or steel wool.
• Putting clubs away wet, especially forged irons, which brings rust spots.
• Using hot water or harsh solvents on rubber grips.
• Leaving clubs in a hot car trunk or damp garage between rounds.