| KEY TAKEAWAYS Clean the playfield whenever it looks grimy or dusty, and straight away after any liquid spill, so the air holes in the bed do not clog. Always clean the playfield with the motor running. Steel playfields: a spirit-based cleaner or a furniture foam cleaner. Methacrylate playfields: a damp cloth and simple soap, and no chemical cleaners. Never use abrasive cleaners or furniture polish. Switch off and unplug the table before you lift the top frame or vacuum the fan. Many online guides give one method for every table. SAM’s factory advice depends on the playfield. |
How to clean an air hockey table depends on its playfield. With the motor running, use a spirit-based cleaner or a furniture foam cleaner on steel, or a damp cloth and simple soap on methacrylate. Never use abrasive cleaners or furniture polish.
The cleaning advice below comes from the SAM factory, passed on by Liam Barrett, our Operations Manager, with tips from our own team. It applies to all air hockey tables, not just SAM ones. What changes from table to table is the playfield material, and that decides the cleaner, so check it first.
The factory advice covers two playfield materials, steel and methacrylate, and each one needs a different cleaner. The wrong cleaner can spoil the smooth surface the puck needs to glide freely, and on methacrylate it eats away at the material and weakens it. Air hockey beds are expensive to replace, so check before you start.
The product page for your table usually lists the playfield. The SAM Black Track, for example, has a polished steel bed, while the SAM Fast Track Evo II and the SAM Slalom Evo II both have methacrylate playfields. If you are not sure which you have, call us on 024 7646 1234.
| Playfield | SAM tables with it | Clean with | Motor | Never use |
| Steel | SAM Black Track and the SAM Fast Track | A spirit-based cleaner or a furniture foam cleaner | Running | Abrasive cleaners or furniture polish |
| Methacrylate | SAM Fast Track Evo II, SAM Slalom Evo II, SAM Black Ice II, SAM Yukon Evo, SAM Double Evo Four Player, SAM Baby Slalom Evo, SAM Baby Evo, SAM Fast Soccer and the SAM Baby Evo Hello Kitty Edition | A damp cloth and simple soap | Running | Abrasive cleaners, chemical cleaners, or furniture polish |
That last rule is the one to remember. Chemicals can react with the methacrylate and weaken the structure of the playfield, which makes it more likely to be damaged or to crack.
SAM’s factory gives three reasons to keep the playfield clean.
The puck stays quick. A clean playfield helps keep the puck travelling quickly and smoothly, and that is what gives you a fast, exciting game.
The air holes stay open. Regular cleaning stops the air holes in the bed from becoming clogged, and so does cleaning up promptly after any liquid spill. Once a hole is blocked it is more difficult to clear, so keeping the holes open is far easier than unblocking them later.
It looks better. A clean machine is more attractive to your customers, which counts on any table in a pub, club or arcade.
Expert insight from Liam Barrett, SAM Leisure
“To keep your SAM air hockey table performing at its best, regular cleaning of the playfield is recommended. Not only is a clean machine more attractive to your customers but it also helps to keep the puck travelling quickly and smoothly across the playfield for the fastest and most exciting game.”
Search for air hockey cleaning tips and you will find advice that often contradicts itself. Many online guides give one method for every table, while SAM’s factory advice depends on the playfield. Here is what you will read elsewhere, set against what the factory says.
What you will read elsewhere: wipe the playfield with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol on a cloth.
What SAM’s factory says: isopropyl alcohol goes against the factory’s recommendations. On methacrylate, use no chemical cleaners at all, only a damp cloth and simple soap. On steel, the factory lists a spirit-based cleaner or a furniture foam cleaner.
What you will read elsewhere: spray glass or window cleaner on a cloth and wipe the surface, sometimes with a note to choose a formula without ammonia.
What SAM’s factory says: glass or window cleaner goes against the factory’s recommendations. It is not on the factory list for either playfield, and on methacrylate the factory rules out chemical cleaners of any kind.
What you will read elsewhere: guides disagree. Some recommend furniture polish to help the puck glide, while others warn against it.
What SAM’s factory says: do not use furniture polish on an air hockey playfield. Furniture foam cleaner, the option for steel playfields above, is a cleaner rather than a polish, and the factory lists it for steel playfields only.
What you will read elsewhere: some guides warn against abrasive pads.
What SAM’s factory says: the factory agrees. No abrasive cleaners on a steel or a methacrylate playfield.
What you will read elsewhere: some guides tell you to make sure the table is unplugged before you clean the surface. Others say to switch it on first.
What SAM’s factory says: clean both steel and methacrylate playfields with the motor running.
This is the mistake we see most often. With the motor off, dirt can be pushed into the air holes, and any cleaning solution can drop into the air chamber and block them. Either way, the table will not play nearly as well. Save unplugging for the jobs underneath the playfield, such as the spill traps and the fan, covered below.
These habits keep the playfield clean and the air holes clear between cleans.
SAM Evo II tables, including the Fast Track Evo II and the Slalom Evo II, let you reach the playfield from below. Switch the table off and unplug it from the mains first. The risk of a shock from the parts inside is low, but unplugging removes it completely. Then lift the top frame on its hinge, and the spill traps underneath the bed can be cleared and cleaned.
Now and again, with the table unplugged, vacuum the dust out of the fan blades. On a fully enclosed table, such as a SAM, the space inside the table can get quite dusty too. Vacuuming it out is good housekeeping, because it stops that dust going through the motor. Never open the table or work inside it while it is in use.
Cleaning the playfield is one part of looking after a coin-operated table. SAM’s own Air Hockey Service Checklist sets out what a full service covers. It includes:
You can vacuum the fan and the inside of the table yourself, with the table unplugged, as described above. Leave the electrical parts, such as the PCB (circuit board), to a qualified engineer. Between services, keep to the cleaning above. We can service any SAM or Buffalo air hockey table. To book, call us on 024 7646 1234.
If you are still choosing a table, our guide Air Hockey Tables: What to Look for Before You Buy covers size, motor power and playfield materials. You can also browse our full range of air hockey tables, find parts in SAM air hockey spares, or call us on 024 7646 1234 for help with your table. If your games room also has a pool table, see our guide to cleaning your pool table.
It depends on the playfield. Use a spirit-based cleaner or a furniture foam cleaner on a steel playfield, and a damp cloth with simple soap on a methacrylate playfield. Never use abrasive cleaners or furniture polish on either.
Yes. SAM’s factory advice is to clean both steel and methacrylate playfields with the motor running. Switch it off and unplug it only for jobs underneath the playfield, such as clearing the spill traps or vacuuming the fan.
A damp cloth and simple soap, with the motor running. Do not use abrasive or chemical cleaners, because the chemicals can react with the playfield material and weaken the structure.
No. After consulting the factory, SAM advises against using furniture polish on an air hockey playfield.
No. Window cleaner and isopropyl alcohol go against SAM’s factory recommendations. Use a damp cloth and simple soap on a methacrylate playfield, and a spirit-based cleaner or a furniture foam cleaner on a steel playfield.
There is no set timetable. Clean the playfield as and when it looks grimy or dusty, and straight away after any liquid spill. Replace the felts on the bats when they get dirty, because they clean the bed while you play.
Carefully, with a pin. It is slow work, so it is better to stop the holes blocking in the first place: clean with the motor running and deal with spills straight away.
Michael West
Michael West is a pool and snooker equipment specialist with over 20 years of experience in the leisure industry. As part of the team at SAM Leisure, one of the UK’s leading pool table manufacturers and suppliers, he helps customers choose and maintain equipment for home and commercial use.
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