How to Clean Skateboard Griptape?

How does it feel when the grip tape on your skateboard is brand new? Amazing, right? Just imagine jumping on your skateboard and getting that sticky feeling. I’m not saying the word sticky in a bad way. It’s that bonding feeling between your shoe and grip tape. But we both know this feeling won’t last long. Grip tape will get dirty, and you may ask, “how to clean skateboard griptape?”

Eventually, you’ll step on sand, mud, puddle, damp places, and your shoe bottom will get stuck with those things. And the next time you step on your skateboard, that grip tape will lose its traction. It won’t feel the same anymore.

But don’t you worry. You don’t need to peel off the entire grip tape and buy a new one. Of course, you can if you want, but a better and more cost-efficient way will be cleaning your grip tape and using it for the long term. I’ll teach you how to clean skateboard griptape in this detailed guide.

Things you will need

Before starting to clean your skateboard grip tape, you need to have a couple of things in your arsenal.

• A brush to remove all the dirt from the grip tape
• A microfiber cloth because why not
• A small piece of rubber

Preparation

These couple of things cost so little. Just imagine changing the grip tape every other week. That’s a hassle, right? Instead, keep these things in your closet or garage. Now every time you feel like your grip tape’s been a bit dirty, grab these things out and start cleaning. You will feel good after seeing that shiny board. Also, you saved some money that you can use to treat yourself.

But if you are like, Nah, I don’t want to work with these, you can always use an industry favorite skateboard grip tape cleaner. It is also very inexpensive and will do the work just fine. If you go and check the review section of the item, you can see that tons of people are satisfied with the product.

What To expect

Before you run along and start cleaning your skateboard grip tape, let me remind you of a couple of things. First, cleaning the grip tape will only make it sticky again. It won’t feel entirely new. It will undoubtedly last longer, and you can ride the skateboard better. You won’t have to replace the grip tape. But if this doesn’t satisfy you, you can always buy a brand new grip tape and attach that to your skateboard.

Grip tape gum

You can use grip gum to clean your skateboard grip tape. Just hold the grip tape tightly. Then rub the grip tape gum length-wise along with your skateboard. Use long, firm strokes. You will see that the dirt is slowly coming off the skateboard. You may take more time to clean some portion of your grip tape, which has more dirt than other areas.

Brass wire brush method

You can use a brass wire brush to clean your skateboard grip tape. But be careful with Brass Wire Brush. First, gently scrub dirt from the grip tape so it doesn’t ruin the grip tape. Next, you can use it to clean deeply embedded dirt from the board. Slowly and gently scrub with some circular movement, and you should be able to bring back some grip on your board.

Belt sander cleaning method

This is probably the best way to clean your grip tape, and it’s cost-efficient. You can buy a belt sander cleaner, which will do the job. Cut a slice of the cleaner or hold the entire cleaner and rub length-wise. You can wear gloves if you want. It will protect your hand and knuckles from the grip tape. Don’t use water while cleaning grip tape. Instead, keep your skateboard on a table and clean the grip tape.

How to prevent dirty grip tape

One thing you want to focus on is wearing clean shoes. You have to keep in mind that you’re the one stepping on your grip tape with those dirty shoes on. So the less dirt your shoe will have, the less dirt will get stuck in the grip tape. Try to clean the grip tape with a clean towel every once in a while.

The result after cleaning the grip tape

This is what you can expect after cleaning your grip tape. It does look shiny, doesn’t it?

Conclusion

Now you know how to clean skateboard griptape. Neat and clean grip tape will help you perform all the tricks you want to do. So please don’t wait for six months to clean it. Instead, you should clean the grip tape every now and then. If your grip tape is too dirty and you feel like cleaning it will be a waste of time, remove the grip tape and place a new one. Removing grip tape and setting a new one can be tricky. There’s another post specially written on that topic. You can check that here.

Some other skateboard posts that you may want to see;

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post, and now you’ll be able to clean your skateboard grip tape. Enjoy your ride. Go rock the skatepark with your clean skateboard.