Cleaning Wood Handles
Wooden handles on sweep oars tend to accumulate oil and dirt over time. To clean and revitalize them, use a stiff bristled brush and scrub them with a solution of Ajax (or a similar cleanser) and water.
Grip Care
Proper care will extend the life of your grips, which can be replaced easily when they wear out. Refer to the cleaning methods below for the type of grips you have.
Cleaning Black Rubber and Blue Ribbed Grips
The black rubber and blue ribbed grips will age over time with exposure to sunlight. This may result in some of the surface layer of the grip material coming off on your hands as you row. To alleviate this problem, clean the grips periodically by scrubbing them with water and a non-abrasive pad.
Cleaning Blue Cellular Grips
Blue cellular grips need to be cleaned often to maintain their grip properties. If they feel slimy when wet, it is time to clean them. How often you need to clean your blue cellular grips depends on your rowing environment: warm, wet or dirty conditions necessitate more frequent cleaning.
To clean your grips:
- Scrub the grips with a nylon brush (the type used for cleaning vegetables or fingernails) and rubbing alcohol, or scrub them with a diluted solution of bleach and water (approximately 10 parts water to one part bleach). Do not soak grips in the bleach solution. Cleaning the grips with bleach provides the added benefit of disinfecting them.
- Rinse the grips well with fresh water.
Cleaning and Caring for Microfiber Suede Grips
We advise gently cleaning your Microfiber Suede grips on a regular basis to extend the life of the Microfiber Suede patches. The patches are wearing items, but under normal use can be expected to last 6–12 months. It is important to store them out of direct sunlight and in a dry location. To maintain the smooth surface finish, avoid using tape on your hands or wearing rings while rowing.
To clean your grips:
- Gently scrub the grips with a soft-bristled nylon brush and a solution of half water and half rubbing alcohol, or scrub them with a diluted solution of bleach and water (approximately 10 parts water to one part bleach). Scrubbing aggressively will damage the grip surface finish. Do not soak grips in either solution. Cleaning the grips with bleach or alcohol provides the added benefit of disinfecting them.
- Rinse the grips well with fresh water.
Cleaning Green Rubber and Orange Contoured Grips
These grips do not accumulate dirt as readily as the blue ribbed grips, but we still advise cleaning them occasionally. Use the method described for cleaning blue cellular grips.
Additional Information
- Grips are designed as a replaceable component part. Field life will vary depending on user care and maintenance, and rowing environment. Handles can also be replaced, but this involves more work.
- Be sure to wash your hands after applying sunscreen!