Would there be any problems if i used baby powder? since the oil on your hands gets on the shaft, i figured baby powder would smoothen it a bit, is this correct or would it mess up my stick? and what house hold products can i use to clean my cue? i've used alcohol preps to clean the tip of my cue and the ferrule, is there any problem with this method? any suggestions would help! thanks.

Since your ferrule is most likely plastic, there shouldn't be any problem with using an alcohol prep to clean it. If you're chalking properly, the ferrule should stay clean. If you're getting a blue ring along the middle of the ferrule, it's an indication of improper chalking. Be sure not to get any alcohol on the leather tip or the wood shaft. As far as keeping your shaft smooth, there are products on the market specifically designed for this purpose. Don't risk damage to your cue by using anything that you would just find around the house. There is very fine grit sandpaper that you can use to smooth the shaft. I believe it's marketed under the name, "Q-wiz". There is also a good product called "cue silk". A couple of drops rubbed into the shaft will make it feel more smooth. These products can be found at any billiards supply store. Any kind of powder that you use will end up making a mess, on your cue, your hands, and the table. Cone chalk and baby powder should be outlawed. You may want to just keep a towel handy to wipe your hands off if they get sweaty. If you continue to have problems, you might want to consider wearing a glove. Some people just seem to sweat excessively and this is a good way to keep it off of the cue. Doingitright44 makes a good point. Regular cleaning of your cue will take care of a lot of these issues. For general cleaning, just a damp cloth quickly followed by a dry cloth will usually do the trick for cleaning your cue. M.D.-BCA Instructor/Referee.

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