Cleaning the Horseshoes by hand (2 Viewers)

[BGinGA]

I don't think I'll have any other chips.

Okay, this literally made me LOL.

I'll be asking for your current chip set count in three years and another five or six new casino ChipRoom releases, and I don't think anybody is gonna give me decent odds that your answer will be "one".

Been there, done that. I can think of at least four different sets that made me claim at the time, "I will never need another chip set after getting these." Meanwhile, I currently have about 30 sets, and that's after I've released over 10,000 chips back into the marketplace over the past year or two.

The only reason I haven't bought an ultrasonic unit is because I rarely buy chips anymore that aren't new or in mint condition. For the rare exceptions, I can now farm out the cleaning to those that do have one, thanks to their recent increase in popularity.

 

[SleepInPC]

Okay, this literally made me LOL.

I'll be asking for your current chip set count in three years and another five or six new casino ChipRoom releases, and I don't think anybody is gonna give me decent odds that your answer will be "one".

Been there, done that. I can think of at least four different sets that made me claim at the time, "I will never need another chip set after getting these." Meanwhile, I currently have about 30 sets, and that's after I've released over 10,000 chips back into the marketplace over the past year or two.

The only reason I haven't bought an ultrasonic unit is because I rarely buy chips anymore that aren't new or in mint condition. For the rare exceptions, I can now farm out the cleaning to those that do have one, thanks to their recent increase in popularity.

Haha, I should rephrase myself. I don't think I'll have any other chips within the next year. I definitely will have more chips haha. It's going to be a busy period in my life and I'll be moving and all.

 

[kwmatt]

My Horseshoes cleaned up real easy using the simple soak in warm soapy water, scrub (barely) with a nail brush, rinse in clean water and dry overnight method. I did some older casino chips I picked up in Vegas and those required a little more persuasion. I do hear good things about TSP as well though have not used it before.

 

[moose]

I can give you a tablespoon worth on Friday and you won't believe the difference. Just remind me.

 

[kwmatt]

Sounds good Moose. Your chips always look good.

 

[Esection]

TSP made all the difference (or a substitute - my hardware store only had something called 'Mex'). The gunk basically melted right off. Each chip only requires quick brushes on each side to get it to perfect.

Just finished cleaning 760 chips, think it took me around 9 hours.

 

[MD Mike]

I still swear that TSP and ultrasonic for theee specific chips is overkill

 

[ChipTalker]

I still swear that TSP and ultrasonic for theee specific chips is overkill

agreed, came great with dawn and warm water except the whites needed a little oxy as the filth seemed baked in.

 

[upNdown]

I still swear that TSP and ultrasonic for theee specific chips is overkill

I agreed with that before I tried the TSP on them. Yes, these are easy with Dawn. But they're even easier with the TSP.

 

[MD Mike]

I agreed with that before I tried the TSP on them. Yes, these are easy with Dawn. But they're even easier with the TSP.

Ultrasonic will always be faster though. I spent 4 hours cleaning four barrels of ones by hand today.

Then again, I enjoy a one on one time with the ones

 

[GoStumpy]

I got my horseshoes into play tonight and I noticed some red still on the $1's after 2 minutes in the ultrasonic with TSP... they get clean, but it doesn't remove ALL the red that came from the 5's... they're not as bright as I'd like.

Looks like I'll be cleaning them with Oxy by hand!

 

[ChipTalker]

I got my horseshoes into play tonight and I noticed some red still on the $1's after 2 minutes in the ultrasonic with TSP... they get clean, but it doesn't remove ALL the red that came from the 5's... they're not as bright as I'd like.

Looks like I'll be cleaning them with Oxy by hand!

Yes i had same issue. not sure if it is from the reds or just filth but it was stained with a brownish/red hue. 10 to 15 min in oxy followed by scrub fixed mine up.

 

[Meddler2]

Any texture left on the 1s and 5s?

 

[ChipTalker]

Any texture left on the 1s and 5s?

A lot on the ones ... only a few fives.

 

[GoStumpy]

I've accumulated almost a full barrel of near mint 5's

 

[ChipTalker]

I've accumulated almost a full barrel of near mint 5's

Me too i have some that are very square.

 

[Dr. Matt]

I used the ultrasonic as well on the horseshoes and immediately after taking them out did a quick, 5 sec per side brush with a tooth brush and pretty much every $1 showed a noticeable improvement just getting that last tiny bit of residue out of the cross hatches and top hats. Ultrasonic still 100% worth it IMO, but for OCD person like me, they needed a little brush to get perfect.

 

[upNdown]

Okay, nothing personal, seriously.
I I read the phrase OCD here on this forum so so so much more often than I encounter it in real life. Has it just become slang for "quirky" or "fastidious" here on PFC? Or is there actually something about poker or poker chip collecting that attracts people who have OCD?

 

[Esection]

Okay, nothing personal, seriously.
I I read the phrase OCD here on this forum so so so much more often than I encounter it in real life. Has it just become slang for "quirky" or "fastidious" here on PFC? Or is there actually something about poker or poker chip collecting that attracts people who have OCD?

I actually think it is more to do with the collector personality. People who are passionate about collecting things tend to care about condition and be 'fastidious' in how they approach their hobby.

 

[DJ Mack]

In my case it's definitely more slangy than based upon any medical diagnosis. I like things neat and orderly but I'm also very pragmatic. My approach to the Horseshoe chips sums up my personality as a collector perfectly:

1. I like my racks to be complete and balanced. It would bug me to have a 600 count birdcage with 5 racks (not to mention be physically unbalanced), or an incomplete rack.

2. I realize accidents happen and damages occur so to prevent the problem in (1) I ordered spares. However, those spares were placed in a closed cardboard chip box marked Horseshoe Spares. It would bother me to have a rack with two and a third barrels full of mixed chips flopping all over on the shelf. Out of sight, out of mind.

3. I want my chips to be clean and look great. However with the exception of the sample set in the display case I also want to be able to use them. Hence I cleaned them until they were good enough but no further. Like a new car getting its first door ding, If I oxycleaned them to the point of perfection it would bug me to no end when one of my buddies went all in with his pizza fingers pushing the stacks. If they're already a bit dirty then a little more dirt isn't going to be noticed. On the other hand if they're pristine then you're going to see every, single, spot. Since they're casino used a bit of dirt adds to the authenticity.

Having said all that as @Esection said I think you'll see some OCD characteristics when it comes to people's collections and hobbies that definitely do not manifest themselves in other aspects of the person's life. My approach to most things in life is "that's good enough."

In any event whatever you call it, it's only a problem when it interferes with your ability to function in life. If someone is "OCD" about their chip collection but otherwise happy, healthy, productive, and not affecting those around them in a negative way then it really doesn't matter.

 

[Dr. Matt]

Okay, nothing personal, seriously.
I I read the phrase OCD here on this forum so so so much more often than I encounter it in real life. Has it just become slang for "quirky" or "fastidious" here on PFC? Or is there actually something about poker or poker chip collecting that attracts people who have OCD?

I was using the term in a general sense that people commonly interpret as "overly particular" or "extreme attention to detail" or even the need for things to be clean or organized. I don't actually have Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder, which is the diagnosis made by a psychiatrist based on certain behaviors and thought patterns.

As mentioned above, everyone falls somewhere on the spectrum, and it is only pathologic when it affects normal life. Certainly different hobbies attract different personality types, and I agree collecting as a hobby is attractive for a "detail-oriented" "particular" personality.

As I was scrubbing the chips to get that last tiny bit of barely noticeable gunk out of only the deepest grooves after having just washing 99% of it off with the ultrasonic, I couldn't help but wonder how many other people would go through the extra effort to do the same. And from what I've read and seen, quite a few people here would, which again leads to your original observation.

 

[luckbox]

I've seen people recommending overnight soaks, recently. Seems a little extreme to me. But I guess you'd know right away if it caused any problems, huh?

yea probably doesnt need it that long, but it would force me to clean them the next day fearing the soak would do some damage....i have soaked thousands of chips overnight with a most harsh liquid, Resolve Carpet cleaner with Oxy, cut 50/50 with water, which was my go to favorite without any negative result....

some Outpost casino chips had some water get under the label which dried without damage after an extra day or two.

now i just go with dishsoap, overnight soak, and a brush which works fine...

plus i cut back on buying alot of chips that need cleaning over the past few years, but the horseshoe chips got me goin again

 

[GoStumpy]

With the Oxy-clean solution I just put a few Tbsp in a bowl of water, put 10 chips in, and immediately start taking one out, scrub each side in my palm, put in another bowl of clean water to rinse, finish the 10, then rub them dry, put on a towel, put another 10 in the solution, etc...

 

[Esection]

I found I didn't need to soak more than 3-5 mins.

I would do 40-60 chips at a time, dump them in the bath i made in a large tupperware container (4 cups warm water, 1 tsp of TSP and 1 tsp of Dawn).

With a gloved hand, agitate the chips around gently. Then start pulling them out 1 by 1, brush on each side, then place in a cold bath to get rid of any soapy residue.

I'd do batches of 10, remove from the cold water, then dry off.

Laid them out on a table on a paper towel to dry. After each batch of 40-60, flip the previous batch.

Worked great!

 

[Esection]

Also I'd change the water after every 120 chips or if I was switching denoms.

Not as fast as ultrasonics but was able to clean about 100chips per hour with this method.

 

[intjester]

Clearly this method works and the results will be as good as you care to make them.
The ultrasonic method costs around $150 and is obviously a lot quicker.
Either way, your chips will thank you.

A $25 ultrasonic that holds 2 cups of solution can still do a barrel at a time as long as you stir them. Hand cleaning is like mowing the lawn with a pair of scissors.

 

[WillAndrew]

Okay, nothing personal, seriously.
I I read the phrase OCD here on this forum so so so much more often than I encounter it in real life. Has it just become slang for "quirky" or "fastidious" here on PFC? Or is there actually something about poker or poker chip collecting that attracts people who have OCD?

The term has become slang everywhere. You've got it right. The desire to complete patterns is just a normal function of the human brain, in the same way that well-adjusted people have the instinctual desire to present themselves in a pleasing or impressive manner even though it's expensive and time consuming to keep tidy.

Diagnosed OCD is a crippling dysfunction of the brain, and how it associates things, that usually has very little to do with the way we use the term everyday.
...Anyway, nice chips

 

[RussB42]

I use Dental Tool Picks to get the nasty stuff out of the Hat & Canes, as well around the edges..

I guess I would be classified as "OCD" !!!!

 

[Marius L]

I got mine clean and nice looking by hand washing them with warm water and regular dish soap. I did maybe a hundred an hour for the whites, and a bit more for the others.

They all cleaned up really nicely. I dropped about 40 at a time into a bowl of warm water and soap, and let them soak for a few minutes before starting to pick them up one by one and giving them a quick wipe on both sides with a sponge. I then placed the wiped-down ones into another bowl of water to rinse of the soap. After finishing the 40 chips I took them all out of the rinsing water and placed them on a towel. I found that having water as warm as possible was helpful. At the point we're I could barely keep my hands in it the gunk cleaned up very easily. Not sure about the degrees as I just got it from the tap.

I added some warm water to the bowl inbetween every batch to keep it warm, and changed the water entirely after a few batches and between denoms.

The whole thing was a bit of a hassle but not too bad, and with some wsop and other tv shows on my laptop I finished 800 chips over two nights.

 

[btbmason]

The first rack I bought was not cleaned yet, and in an effort to save money I went with hand cleaning. Luckily the racks I have purchased since were already cleaned by others, but if I need to clean more in the future I'll do it this way again.

It took me about an hour for 104 chips. I soaked 20 chips at a time for 5 minutes (warm water and Dawn Ultra) pulled 7 out in a stack and went over the sides with a brush, then brushed the faces one at a time. After cleaning I put them in a small container of water to rinse off excess soap from brushing, then laid them out to dry.

I got a small bottle of Dawn Ultra and a brush for $1 each from Dollar Tree. Luckily my time is worthless, so no lost money there!