If you’ve left your skateboard collecting dust for a while or just looking to clean up your board, we have a detailed guide on the best way to clean the grip tape on your skateboard.
Instead of having to purchase new grip-tape, the best way to extend the life of your grip-tape is to clean the tape, this will keep it sticky and allow it stick onto the board. Replacing grip-tape is a long and obnoxious task, so keeping your grip-tape safe and in good condition is very important.
What will I need?
You will need 3 mains items to achieve a good clean of your board. Most skateboard shops will sell something called “Grip Gum” which is a great few dollar items that will allow you to clean a lot of the gunk off your board. This Item can be bought at your local skateboard shop or Here.
The other Item you will need is a Soft Wire Brush which is also a few dollar item which will help really clean off the dirt on your board, this can be bought at a local hardware store or Here.
The last item is just a common household item, a cloth will be needed as you will need to dry off the little bit of water used on your grip tape to make sure it doesn't soak into your deck.
How to clean the Grip Tape?
- 1Use your “Grip Gum” to scrape off as much dirt as you can off the grip tape to start to clean the board up. Make sure you firmly rub the Grip Gum across your grip tape to clear off the dirt or other things stuck to your grip tape.
- 2Many websites will say that step 2 can be completed with your normal toothbrush, but a normal toothbrush is really not strong enough to really clean your board and get all the gunk off your grip tape. So Step 2 is to grab a bowl of water and with your Soft Wire Brush just dip a tiny bit off the water onto the brush, getting it soaked and placing it onto your grip tape will wreck the actual deck of your board with water.
- 3Rub your brush over the grip tape carefully with the water to clean off all the gunk and dirt off the grip tape, which will help extend the life of your grip tape.
- 4Repeat Step 1 after you have completed Step 2-3. This will help get any lurking gunk off your grip tape. Make sure you dry the grip tape with the cloth so the water doesn’t start to sink into the board.
So There you go, if you were looking for the best ways to clean up your grip tape we hope you have achieved that goal. Obviously, this method won't take the grip tape back to the original cleanliness but it will definitely help the lifetime of the grip tape. If you're looking for more information, check out our Best Skateboards page!
