How to Clean Playing Cards

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.
• 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.

Storage of playing cards

Store your cards in a consistently cool and dry environment. It is best to place a cut card and small weight on top of decks of stored playing cards, this will help prevent warping or bowing. Do not leave your playing cards in a hot car or exposed to direct sunlight.

Bowing

Do not store Kem cards without placing a weight on top of the deck. Every single Kem card that I have ever owned has eventually bowed if I did not flatten the deck with a weight in between use. I love Kem cards, and they may still be the best playing card, but they will bow if you do not weigh them down.

Talcum powder

No mater how good your deck of cards, they will eventually accumulate dirt, grime, and oils and begin to stick together. Some players say that sprinkling talcum powder on the cards will take away some of the stickiness. I say it leaves you with a deck of cards that will be shedding talcum powder all over your table and hands, no matter how good you clean them. It does however, help make the cards less sticky.

Copyright © 2007 by HomePokerTourney.com