It’s that time of year when the mountains are blanketed in snow, and all you want to do is hit the slopes. But, if you’re like me and put your snowboard away for the summer, it’s probably time to clean it off before hitting the mountain. This article will discuss how to clean snowboard base. For your snowboarding experience to be enjoyable, it’s essential to ensure your board is well taken care of.
Many people don’t realize that your board could end up rusting without proper maintenance, which will cause it to lose speed. How you choose to clean the snowboard base depends on how much wax remains in the steel edge channels. If your board is older than one year, the wax might be caked-on, or you may have removed it yourself.
A Detailed Guide on How to Clean Snowboard Base
Method 1: Using Household Ingredients
Materials You’ll Need
- A bucket (Preferably a 5-gallon bucket)
- Warm water (Approximately 1/4 cup or more per foot)
- Liquid dish soap (This will act as the primary cleaning agent, around 2 Tablespoons should do)
- Wax Scraper (Or any other plastic scraper that could help clean out wax between fins and channels. Get creative if there happens to be something like Tupperware at home!)
- Lint-free cloths or paper towels. These are optional but recommended because they help quicken up the drying time of your base. You’ll need about three lint-free clothes but only use one at a time.
- A bowl of cold water. This is to wash off the dish soap from your base.
Steps
1) Fill the Bucket up with Warm Water. You will need at least a quarter cup or more per foot. It depends on how dirty your board is and how many times you’ve been using it throughout the season already. Of course, if it’s filthy, you’ll need more water to help dissolve the dirt.
2) Place your board in the bucket so that all of it is submerged underwater. Make sure there’s enough space between your board and the bottom of the bucket so that when you rotate your board in an up-and-down motion, water can still wash off any excess dirt or lint on top of your base.
3) Take some liquid dish soap (about 2 Tablespoons should do), drop it into the warm water where your board is submerged, and start working your magic!
4) Scrub away! Scrub clean every part of your snowboard base, including edges with a plastic scraper or anything else with a sharp edge (e.g., scissors).
5) Rinse your board and check for lint and dirt. Use a cloth or paper towel to wipe it away if you find any. You can also use a damp Lint-free cloth or paper towel to help clean hard-to-reach areas such as the edges where water doesn’t usually reach easily when your board is submerged in water alone.
6) Fill up a bowl with cold water and place your base into the bowl so that only half of it is submerged underwater. Next, get a clean, lint-free cloth or even a plain white paper towel and dip it into the cold water, then ring out all excess drops from the cloth before placing your snowboard base onto the moistened surface. This will help speed up the drying process and prevent water spots from forming.
7) Take a clean and damp paper towel or cloth and wipe the base completely dry. Ensure there’s no excess moisture on your board before moving forward because this could cause unwanted problems such as warping, rusting, and yellowing over time.
8) Place your snowboard near a fan or heater (not too close though, as these tools could cause cracking), leave it out for about an hour, then check if there is still moisture left between your board’s edges and channels after wiping your base dry with paper towels or cloths. If not, place your board somewhere safe until thoroughly dried. Leave it overnight if needed so that you won’t rush things and cause any unwanted problems due to haste.
After cleaning your snowboard base, leave it out for about an hour before bringing it back in the house so moisture doesn’t form between base channels when you get your board inside. This is a crucial method in how to clean snowboard base.
Method 2: Using Professional Snowboard Base Cleaner
Materials You’ll Need
- Snowboard Base Cleaner (You can buy this at most board shops). Price varies depending on the size of the bottle.
- A lint-free cloth
Steps
1) Shake up your snowboard base cleaner, then spray it onto a dry, clean surface that doesn’t have any wax or dirt on top of it.
2) Rub the base cleaner all over your snowboard with a dampened Lint-Free cloth until your entire base is covered in cleaner. Make sure not to let the cleaner drip into edge channels so you avoid pointless repairs later on.
3) Wait for about 10 minutes for the cleaner to soak into your board, then wipe away excess fluid using a lint-free cloth or paper towel. This process ensures even distribution of cleaner, so you won’t have any weird stains on your base when using a different type of wax in the future.
4) Let the board air dry for about 30 minutes before bringing it back inside. You don’t want excess moisture forming between your board’s channels when it comes into contact with colder temperatures outside. If you hurry, blow-dry your snowboard base away from heat sources such as blowers, fans, and heaters for about 15 minutes, then let it sit out for another 10 minutes before bringing it inside to prevent warping or cracking to haste. After cleaning your snowboard base, leave it out for about an hour before getting it back in the house, so moisture doesn’t form between base channels when you bring your board inside.
Method 3: Clean Snowboard Base With Sea Foam
Materials You’ll Need
- Seafoam spray. Price varies depending on the size of the bottle. It can be found at most board shops or ski shops.
- A lint-free cloth
Instructions
1) Shake up your seafoam spray, then spray it onto a dry, clean surface that doesn’t have any wax or dirt on top of it.
2) Spray the seafoam all over your snowboard’s base, then let it sit for 15 minutes before wiping away excess fluid using a lint-free cloth or paper towel. Make sure not to allow the cleaner to drip into edge channels so you avoid pointless repairs later on.
3) After letting your board sit for 15 minutes, take a dry cloth and wipe away excess seafoam, then let it air dry for about 30 minutes. You don’t want excess moisture forming between your board’s channels when it comes into contact with colder temperatures outside. If you hurry, blow-dry your snowboard base away from heat sources such as blowers, fans, and heaters for about 15 minutes, then let it sit out for another 10 minutes before bringing it inside to prevent warping or cracking to haste.
After cleaning your snowboard base, leave it out for about an hour before bringing it back in the house so moisture doesn’t form between base channels when you get your board inside.
Method 4: Clean Snowboard Base With Toothpaste
Materials You’ll Need
- Toothpaste (preferably non-gel paste, gel paste dries too quickly)
- A lint-free cloth
Instructions
1) Spread a small amount of toothpaste all over your snowboard’s base, then spread it evenly across the entire surface by rubbing the board in circular motions.
2) Let your board air dry for about 10 minutes, then wipe away excess fluid using a clean, lint-free cloth or paper towel. Make sure not to let the cleaner drip into edge channels, so you avoid pointless repairs later on.
3) After letting your board sit for 10 minutes, take a wet cloth and wipe away excess toothpaste residue off your snowboard’s base, then let it sit for another 10 minutes, so the cleaner has time to work. You don’t want excess moisture forming between your board’s channels when it comes into contact with colder temperatures outside. If you hurry, blow-dry your snowboard away from heat sources such as blowers, fans, and heaters for about 15 minutes, then let it sit out for another 10 minutes before bringing it inside to prevent warping or cracking due to haste.
Method 5: Clean Snowboard Base With WD-40
Materials You’ll Need
- WD-40 spray (make sure it doesn’t have any additional additives such as lubricants included, those will clog up your board’s pores and ruin the effectiveness of the cleaner)
- A lint-free cloth or paper towel.
Instructions
1) Shake up your WD-40, then spray it onto a dry, clean surface that doesn’t have any wax or dirt on top of it.
2) Spray the WD-40 all over your snowboard’s base, then let it sit for 10 minutes before wiping away excess fluid using a lint-free cloth or paper towel. Make sure not to allow the cleaner to drip into edge channels, so you avoid repairs later on.
3) After letting your board sit for 10 minutes, take a dry cloth and wipe away excess WD-40, then let it air dry for about 30 minutes. You don’t want excess moisture forming between your board’s channels when it comes into contact with colder temperatures outside. If you hurry, blow-dry your snowboard away from heat sources such as blowers, fans, and heaters for about 15 minutes, then let it sit out for another 10 minutes before bringing it inside to prevent warping or cracking due to haste.
You Can Check It Out To Should You Wax Your Snowboard
Conclusion
So, there you have it, everything you need to know about cleaning your snowboard base and keeping it performing at its best all season long. By following these simple methods on how to clean snowboard base, you can avoid having to take your board in for a professional tune-up, saving yourself both time and money. So, have fun out there on the slopes!
You may also read: How to Dry Snowboard Boots
