Learning how to clean your skateboard’s grip tape is a great way to extend your board’s life and rejuvenate its grippiness.

We’ll cover the simplest way in this guide so that you can take all that dirt, mud, and grime and get it all off.

That way, your board’s fresh and ready for your next skating adventure. 

Tools

Cleaning your skateboard’s grip tape is thankfully a super simple job with the simple tools needed.

You need: 

1. A belt sander cleaner, a.k.a Grip Gum
2. A soft wire brush (or an old toothbrush)

If you don’t have some belt sander cleaner laying around, check out Prostik W1304 Abrasive Belt/Disk Cleaner. 

And if you’re in need of a quality soft wire brush, here’s one for you to consider. 

How to Clean Your Skateboard’s Grip Tape

1) Use Belt Sander Cleaner

First things first, take your belt sander cleaner and firmly rub the surface of your board. You want to treat the process like you’re erasing something on paper.

Just with a little more umph to it.

Cover the entirety of the board with close attention to the extra grimy spots. This technique should take care of most of the dirt, crud, and mud on your board.

2) Use a Soft Wire Brush

For a deeper clean of those remaining little dust particles, take a soft wire brush, or an old toothbrush, and give your board a good ol’ brushing. 

This should really put the icing on the cake, making your board look and feel new and grippy. 

Should I Use Water to Clean My Grip Tape?

It’s best to avoid using water on your grip tape. There are two main reasons: 1) Exposure to an excessive amount of water can eventually wear down the grip tape’s adhesive properties, and 2) You really don’t need it. 

How Often Should I Clean My Grip Tape?

As with most things, it depends. A simple answer is whenever you feel that your grip tape is too dirty or has noticeably lost some of its stickiness. 

Say, for example, you and some friends go skating in a new location that requires you to tread through a little dirt.

You get to your location, start skating, and you notice your tricks aren’t landing the way they normally do. 

After some time, you notice both your shoes and your board are covered in dirt. 

Well, given your ability to land those tricks before but not now, it’d be reasonable to assume your dirty shoes and board to be the culprit behind your missed tricks. 

And so, cleaning your board then would likely help improve your skating. 

How Often Should I Change My Grip Tape?

Either when your grip tape is too dirty to clean with the tools listed before, or when it’s too damaged from wear and whether to be useful to you.

Either way, you’ll have to make an executive decision about when that time is right for you.

Though simply riding and viewing your board should provide you with enough information to make that decision confidently. 

Also, instead of buying new grip tape, there is the option of buying a new deck or a fully complete board. It depends on what you’d like to spend your money on. 

Where Can I Find Good Grip Tape?

If you’re having trouble knowing what grip tape to use to replace your old one, or which grip tape to add to your new deck, check out the list below to learn about some quality options available now. 

Jessup Grip Tape

Jessup was the first company to introduce silicon carbide grip tape to the skating industry back in 1975.

Since then, they’ve been a massive influencer in the world of grip tape, having gripped over 25 million decks and created over 70 million feet of grip tape to date. 

Anyone looking for quality grip tape from a trustworthy brand should check out Jessup Grip Tape.

Their grip tape is easy to apply, has anti-bubble properties, and has a nice balance between how well it grips your shoes vs how fast it wears them down.

Additionally, Jessup sells their grip tape in a variety of colors, making them an excellent choice for skaters who’d like to personalize their boards more. 

Give them a look today if you need new grip tape. 

Grizzly Grip Tape

Grizzly Grip Tape was created by American skateboarding legend Torey Pudwill when he was just 12-years-old. 

Since launching in 2010, Grizzly Grip Tape has become an industry giant, same as Jessup.

Their grip tape features anti-bubble properties and perforations that make the application process all the easier.

It’s also light in terms of how much wear it causes your shoes, while still providing adequate grip for ollies and flip tricks. 

Check them out when you’re hunting for quality grip tape. 

Mob Grip Tape

Last on our list we have Mob Grip Tape. 

Similar to Jessup and Grizzly, Mob Grip Tape is easy to apply and designed so air bubbles are hard to form. 

However, what separates Mob from the rest of the crowd is the grit level, a feature most skaters enjoy as it helps them land their tricks easier.

So, if you’re someone looking for a grip tape that’s known to be extremely grippy, Mob Grip Tape is the way to go. 

Conclusion

And there you have it.

A practical way on how to clean your skateboard’s grip tape in no time flat; and, three suggestions on what grip tapes you should check if you’re in the market for some.

Now that you know what you need, go get your supplies and hop to it.

Soon you’ll be skating with either brand new, or like-brand-new grip tape. 

Safe travels.