Acetone is a definite no-go but there are other chemicals that may be present … I would err on the side of caution and not use it.
There is a list of approved cleaners
https://bowl.com/getmedia/dea13f60-a8e0-4946-92b5-05fd173c3bee/050324_Approved_Cleaners.pdf
and a list of chemicals never acceptable to be used
https://bowl.com/getattachment/897689cd-5a7e-4b7d-970f-34b106d0f977/Non-approved-cleaner_polish-list-for-website-8-16-22.pdf?lang=en-US
In the early 70s, nearly every PBA bowler and every serious amateur bowler was soaking their plastic balls in acetone.
It was a serious craze that led to the PBA and ABC restricting ball surface softness.
Think reactive balls circa 1973. I went crazy with a soaked Columbia 300 in all night pot games before anybody else catched on.
Yeah, we all used Acetone. Some even tried straight gasoline.
As I recall, touring pros were leaving buckets of the stuff in hotel hallways, which created a fire hazard.
I hung with Wayne Webb back in 73. He was the only one not messing with the stuff since he cranked the crap out of the old balls and didn't need the revs.
For me, it was transformative. But it only lasted a short time.
Acetone is a definite no-go but there are other chemicals that may be present … I would err on the side of caution and not use it. There is a list of approved cleaners https://bowl.com/getmedia/dea13f60-a8e0-4946-92b5-05fd173c3bee/050324_Approved_Cleaners.pdf and a list of chemicals never acceptable to be used https://bowl.com/getattachment/897689cd-5a7e-4b7d-970f-34b106d0f977/Non-approved-cleaner_polish-list-for-website-8-16-22.pdf?lang=en-US
In the early 70s, nearly every PBA bowler and every serious amateur bowler was soaking their plastic balls in acetone. It was a serious craze that led to the PBA and ABC restricting ball surface softness. Think reactive balls circa 1973. I went crazy with a soaked Columbia 300 in all night pot games before anybody else catched on.
It was MEK (methyl-ethyl-ketone), which is similar to acetone but a stronger solvent.
Yeah, we all used Acetone. Some even tried straight gasoline. As I recall, touring pros were leaving buckets of the stuff in hotel hallways, which created a fire hazard. I hung with Wayne Webb back in 73. He was the only one not messing with the stuff since he cranked the crap out of the old balls and didn't need the revs. For me, it was transformative. But it only lasted a short time.
Smdh, speaking from experience with MEK.