It would probably be too time-consuming to go over the whole ball with an eraser, so save this method for noticeable marks. A regular wash is more efficient to take care of overall grime.

It’s a good idea to do this in a place where some splattered water won’t matter—outdoors, or in the kitchen or the bathroom.

If the ball is really dirty, run the water directly over it to get rid of some of the surface dirt. That’ll save you some time and effort scrubbing it.

A bristle brush, like the kind you’d use for scrubbing dishes, works great for dirt that just won’t come off. An old toothbrush also works really well in a pinch and can get into the tiniest crevices on the surface of the ball. A toothbrush also works great for cleaning dirty seams!

Since the surface of a synthetic leather basketball is typically smoother than the surface of a rubber basketball, there aren’t a lot of nooks and crannies where dirt can hide. This is good news for cleaning—you won’t have to scrub as much!

Don’t use a cleaner that includes any conditioner or softener—you don’t want to soften the surface of your basketball, you just want to clean it.

Disinfectant wipes might reduce your ball’s performance over time, so try to use these sparingly unless you have a lot of fresh basketballs at your disposal.

To check if your ball is properly inflated, hold it over your head and drop it to the floor. If it bounces back up to chest height, you’re good to go. If it won’t bounce that high, it probably needs a little more air.

If you’ve got a lot of caked-on mud on your ball, you might need to haul out the big guns. A heavy-duty leather shampoo and plenty of water will loosen up that dirt. Never use conditioners or any product that claims it will “soften” leather. While you might want your leather jacket to be buttery soft, you want the leather on your basketball to stay hard.

If you got the ball wet at all, leave it out to air dry for at least 24 hours. Never use a hair dryer or other heated appliance to dry your leather basketball—it will crack and damage the leather.

To protect your leather ball, only use it indoors—never outside. [21] X Expert Source Ryan TremblayBasketball Coach Expert Interview. 13 November 2020.