How to clean your dartboard*

There will come a time when your dartboard begins to look dirty. If you play darts on a daily basis,
this will happen more quickly than someone who plays once a month. The more your darts are
hitting the dartboard and your hands come into contact with it, the dirtier it is going to
become.

There are some steps you can take to keep your dartboard looking fresh for as long as possible
before cleaning becomes necessary.

Rotate the dartboard on a regular basis. If you are playing 301 or 501 often, you will always
be aiming at the treble 20 and this can make that part of the dartboard become grubby. To
avoid having a part of the dartboard dirty, rotate the number ring and switch between the segments.

You should also wash your hands before playing darts. They may not come into contact with the dartboard very often but when they do, any dirt on your hands can be passed onto the
dartboard. This dirt can be difficult to remove but there are ways you can clean your dartboard if
absolutely necessary.

Putting water on the dartboard is not a good idea as it will be soaked up and can lead to bulging.
We have covered this in a previous article you can find here.

You can start cleaning your dartboard with a small, handheld vacuum cleaner. The
key here is not to set the vacuum cleaner's suction power at a high intensity. This can damage
the dartboard so always check the setting before you begin and make sure it is low.

Using a vacuum cleaner to clean the dartboard will eliminate the dirt particles that have sunk into the dartboard. While it may not absorb them all, it will do a much better job than anything else and you will see your dartboard become cleaner as you vacuum it.

After cleaning your dartboard with a vacuum cleaner, you may notice your darts stick into the board better the next time you play. This is because the surface friction has increased and it
allows the dart to land into the board easier.

If using a vacuum cleaner hasn't proved useful, you can try using liquid wood polish or white
petrol and a cloth. However, this is not recommended as applying too much of either can lead to
permanent dartboard damage. Only use these substances if you know what you are doing
and understand there is a risk if you get it wrong.

The other option is to use a clean, dry cloth to wipe the dartboard. This way, you will remove any dirt particles found on the fibers surface. 

updated May 2022*