# I need to clean my dice **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 1, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-clean-my-dice/165797 "2003-04-01T21:24:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Daniel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Daniel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daniel)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-clean-my-dice/165797/1 "2003-04-01T21:24:01Z")
I have this pair of dice I carry around with me. Just something to futz with when I’m bored. I noticed today that there’s a lot of pocket lint caught in the indented dots on each side of both dice. I imagine a Q-tip would work to get that lint out. I don’t suppose anyone else has ever had to clean their dice? ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-clean-my-dice/165797/2 "2003-04-01T21:27:49Z")
Try soap and water and maybe an old toothbrush (or a new toothbrush of someone you don’t like :)) ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-clean-my-dice/165797/3 "2003-04-01T21:29:36Z")
Or a toothpick or paperclip. Let us know how it turns out. ---
**Author:** ![BioHazard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3bc359/32.png) [@BioHazard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BioHazard)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-clean-my-dice/165797/4 "2003-04-01T21:29:52Z")
I never had to clean my dice, I would usually forget them in a pants pocket, put the pants through the wash then bingo clean dice. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-clean-my-dice/165797/5 "2003-04-01T22:15:28Z")
Drop 'em into the silverware tray of your dishwasher with your next load of dishes, and they’ll come out sparkly and fresh. ---
**Author:** ![BioHazard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3bc359/32.png) [@BioHazard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BioHazard)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-clean-my-dice/165797/6 "2003-04-01T22:19:45Z")
Don’t forget to use Jet Dri so they don’t have those icky soap stains on them! ---
**Author:** ![Daniel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Daniel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daniel)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-clean-my-dice/165797/7 "2003-04-01T22:35:04Z")
The Q-tip didn’t work; it was too big. I’m going to try the toothbrush next. With any luck, it will make my dice whiter and shinier. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-clean-my-dice/165797/8 "2003-04-01T23:30:30Z")
I’d use soap and water; I’m fearful that rubbing alcohol, while effective, would erase the black dots (I’m assuming; you haven’t told us the model, whether it’s black dots, white dots, or other), which would neccesitate an emergency trip to the nearest hobby shop for a bottle of Testor’s Flat Black Enamel. Don’t use gloss, it’ll cause a vicious glare, slowing down tabulation considerably. ---
**Author:** ![Kallessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@Kallessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kallessa)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-clean-my-dice/165797/9 "2003-04-01T23:41:15Z")
Okay, just why do all of you know so much about cleaning dice? I don’t think this is a common occupation. I, for example, have lived over 40 years without cleaning any dice. Are you all involved in floating crap games? And **Joe K** , why would you _repair_ the dice by repainting them, instead of merely buying a new pair (or set or whatever). Methinks this is a pair of dice I would heisitate to use! ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-clean-my-dice/165797/10 "2003-04-02T00:45:48Z")
Well, that’s all right for _you_, Ms. Deep Pockets! Some of us have mouths to feed! [sub]Not I, personally, but others do, I know…[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-clean-my-dice/165797/11 "2003-04-02T01:31:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kallessa \* > Okay, just why do all of you know so much about cleaning dice? I don’t think this is a common occupation. I, for example, have lived over 40 years without cleaning any dice. Are you all involved in floating crap games? Apparently, you’ve never spilled a Coke into your dicebox during a marathon D&D session. Happens to me on a bi-monthly basis. > [@](#): > > And **Joe K** , why would you _repair_ the dice by repainting them, instead of merely buying a new pair (or set or whatever). Methinks this is a pair of dice I would heisitate to use! If I had to guess, I’d say that they’re his “lucky” dice. Or they’re made out of a rare/expensive/currently illegal substance. I’ve got a set of five ivory dice that are about seventy years old. I never use them for fear of losing or damaging them, and I’m not about to go out and buy new ivory dice, even if I knew where to find some. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-clean-my-dice/165797/12 "2003-04-02T02:47:27Z")
Proper RPGers keep their dice in a satin bag, nicely scented with perfume. The bag is then tucked neatly in the corral of the player’s dice roller when not in use. [sub]Yep, that’s me all right[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-clean-my-dice/165797/13 "2003-04-02T02:54:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kallessa \* > \*\*Are you all involved in floating crap games? > \*\* So…many…jokes…Must…choose…one… Well, sometimes. Usually they just sink and get flushed, though. …Collapses… ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-clean-my-dice/165797/14 "2003-04-02T02:57:30Z")
Windex does a good job getting off hand-smud. (You know, that brown, uh, smuddy stuff that gets on things.) ---
**Author:** ![Daniel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Daniel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daniel)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-clean-my-dice/165797/15 "2003-04-02T14:56:45Z")
The toothbrush was messy, but seems to be working. Still, I think I’ll try the washing machine trick next time I do laundry. These aren’t RPG dice or even lucky dice; they’re just the only pair of dice I own (six-sided, white w/ black dots), and I want to take good care of them. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-clean-my-dice/165797/16 "2003-04-02T15:02:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DeadlyAccurate \* > \*\*Proper RPGers keep their dice in a satin bag, nicely scented with perfume. \*\* I prefer Red Velour, _sans parfum_ thankyouverymuch. The knots on the end of the string are useful for hanging on the arm of the chair I’m sitting in-- thus making it immune from drink spillage. Oh, and the bag full of dice is useful 'cos that way you never lose 'em if the box your boardgame is in breaks. ---
**Author:** ![Sue\_Duhnym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@Sue\_Duhnym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sue_Duhnym)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-clean-my-dice/165797/17 "2003-04-02T17:07:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Daniel \* > The toothbrush was messy, but seems to be working. Still, I think I’ll try the washing machine trick next time I do laundry. I wouldn’t do that if I were you (she meant DISHwasher but I wouldn’t do that either). Most dishwashing liquids contain bleach and could damage them and a clothes washer is just an all around bad idea. I’d try jewelry cleaner…a sonic one if you have access to it or know someone that works in a jewelry store. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-clean-my-dice/165797/18 "2003-04-02T20:07:42Z")
Hey, **Sue,** there’ve been a couple people said to put them through the (clothes) washing machine, so nyah. My vote’s with them. 'course, the dice can come out of the pocket and get scratched up in the process, so maybe you want to put them into an old pillowcase and tie it shut, then put _that_ in the washing machine. Are the numbers painted on in these dice, or are they the older kind that you had to color yourself, or use differently-colored crayons to add the numbers? I wouldn’t wash those with anything else. What? ---
**Author:** ![Coil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Coil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coil)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-clean-my-dice/165797/19 "2003-04-02T20:10:15Z")
Dishwashers tend to be quite warm as well and if your dice are plastic … ---
**Author:** ![Rue\_DeDay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/41988e/32.png) [@Rue\_DeDay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rue_DeDay)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-clean-my-dice/165797/20 "2003-04-02T21:23:26Z")
The “spots” on dice are properly known as “pips”. That would be the extent of my dice-lore. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-clean-my-dice/165797.md?page=2)