MATERIAL CARE
Store rackets correctly
Please handle your table tennis racket with care when you are not playing with it. Your racket performs at its best during your matches, so it should be well rested when not in use.
The table tennis wallet or a corresponding case is an integral part of the equipment and must not be missing. Both reliably protect your racket from environmental influences as well as thermal and mechanical stress. Wallets and cases don't cost much and we recommend buying one when you buy your racket (if you don't already have one). Wallets and cases are available in many colours and shapes and for one or more rackets. Please always store your table tennis racket in a wallet or case when you are not playing with it!
The components of your racket do not like to be exposed to changes in temperature and humidity. Therefore, please do not store your racket in the car, garage, attic or cellar. It is best to store your racket at room temperature.
Rubber protection films offer very good additional protection during storage. These useful helpers are available as self-adhesive, non-self-adhesive and as a bag. With a rubber protection film, your rubbers are also very well protected against moisture, atmospheric oxygen and heat and the durability of your rubber is extended.
Clean rackets properly
Please clean your racket regularly and whenever it is dirty. Cleaning will maintain the grip of your rubbers and prevent the grip from smelling. Grease affects the grip of your rubers, please avoid contact of your rubbers with your skin (transfer of skin grease) and do not check the grip with your hair (transfer of hair grease).
You can clean your racket after each use with distilled water and a lint-free sponge or cloth. We do not recommend using tap water for this cleaning. The hardness of tap water in Germany varies and it is therefore not possible to reliably prevent the build-up of limescale and other residues. Please clean only the rubbers surface and try to avoid that your blade comes into contact with water. We strongly advise against cleaning with running water from the tap because there is a risk that your blade will come into contact with too much water and begin to swell. You can apply water carefully and selectively with a so-called spray bottle.
If your rubbers are only very lightly soiled, cleaning with a very mild household all-purpose cleaner and room-warm distilled water is sufficient. Please make sure that you dry your rubber with a lint-free cloth after cleaning. You can briefly wipe your racket handle with a damp sponge or cloth and dry it immediately with a cloth.
You can always wipe the handle of your racket with a damp cloth (tap water or a disinfectant spray would work here) and dry it immediately afterwards. This keeps the grip clean and prevents odours from forming. Handle cleaning is not a widespread practice (because players do not usually hand over and lend out their playing equipment). Nevertheless, we would like to briefly address this topic because hygiene in particular has become more important in the last two years.
Material players like to use a pimple brush to clean their rubbers to keep the spaces between their rubbers free of dust and lint and to maintain the playing characteristics of their rubbers.
Simple, reliable and fast cleaning
If your racket needs a standard cleaning for normal to heavy soiling, we recommend our special table tennis cleaning products. With these products, cleaning becomes an efficient child's play. The GEWO HydroTec rubber care set offers simple and inexpensive cleaning and reliably preserves the grip of your rubbers. You apply the solvent-free and antistatic cleaner with the spray bottle and wipe off the excess cleaner with a sponge after a short time. It really couldn't be simpler, faster or more effective. At CONTRA you will find a wide range of cleaners in bottles, in spray bottles and in bottles with sponge heads, as well as a large selection of sponges.
Cleaning agents and materials are part of the standard equipment of a table tennis player. Cleaning your racket is quick and effective and will prolong the life of your racket and preserve the playing characteristics of your rubbers. With regular cleaning you ensure that you can play as usual and you contribute to the protection of the environment if you play your rubbers longer and mount new ones less often.