How to Clean Bingo Chips Without Damaging Them

Concept of “Bingo Chips”

Materials Used in the Production

Plastic Chips

Plastic chips are the most common material type in the production of bingo chips . They are affordable undurable, which makes them perfect for casual games and frequent bingo play. The plastic is produced through injection molding where molten plastic is injected into the mold, cooled down, and ejected as a finished product. The thickness of plastic bingo chips usually reaches about 1.5 to 3 mm providing the players with a light and steady option. The most common weight reaches 4 to 10 grams. These chips are most suited for home games and other frequent uses due to the optimal price and quality combination.

Clay Chips

Clay bingo chips are far less common than poker chips; however, they are favored by some collectors and pure hobby. Even though “clay poker chips are not actually made from pure clay .” Materials such as “chalk, sand, and other products to add density” make them more durable. They often weigh from 8 to 11.5 grams. The unique, heavy-weight soft touch and the clanking sound make the players enjoy the material options. These materials are heavier and provide a one-of-a-kind feel for the best bingo experience.

Composite Chips

Composite chips are a hybrid between plastic and clay. They are made of plastic polymer that is pumped with additional products to make them heavy and of quality. There manufactured with a weight of 11 to 14 grams, which is more than clay but not as light as plastic. Composite chips are more durable than pure clay chips. They often contain metal inserts to add weight and to provide a satisfying sound when playing .

For players : The main value in maintaining bingo chips is that well-conditioned bingo chips make the play smooth. Moreover, properly maintained chips allow proceeding with the play that does not need to be stopped and interrupted because some chips are damaged, and their inlays are erased . Similarly, players usually become used to their bingo chips and may consider them either lucky mascots or pleasant reminders of their good play.

For collectors : For people who collect bingo chips, the first valuable element is the condition of the chip. It is highly important to ensure that the chip is in its initial condition without any scratches, inlays that may be less visible, which is a standard situation process after some time of playing, because of the cleaning process. Second, bingo chips in better conditions are likely to have a higher price; this means that if there is a choice between two bingo chips and one chip is in a better condition, the person is likely to buy a well-maintained bingo chip. Finally, bingo chip sellers appreciate when collectors do not do a routine cleaning; in contrast, collectors should avoid any cleaning process that is not risk-free as any chemical used may damage the inlay and colors of the bingo chip.

Market value: The market value of bingo chips, especially historical or significantly limited edition of the bingo chip, is highly dependent on their condition. Moreover, the main player on the bingo chips market is self-collecting people. They appreciate bingo chips that look well, without the smallest signs of wear, no erasing, and no damage of the inlays or the colors used . Similarly, maintaining bunko chips is about history preservation as bingo chips is the reflection of the bingo game history and the way it was developing.

Pre-Cleaning Considerations

Cleaning Debate Among Collectors

First, before one starts the cleaning process on bingo chips, there is a matter that needs to be resolved. There is a significant dispute in the collectibles communities surrounding the cleaning of collectable chips. Ironically enough, while there is a dispute, both sides of the argument has solid ground to stand on, or rather to collect their chips no sooner. Some of those who engage in collectibles, in this case, bingo chips, argue that the patina in which the chip comes in is to be preserved at all costs. Sometimes, cleaning the chip, however slightly, could mean that chip is no longer in the same state as it was received from action, which automatically puts the value and authenticity of the chip into question. However, this view is especially prevalent among collectors that chase vintage and even antique chips, for whom it is especially vital to maintain the state of the original chip.

On the other side of the argument, there are people who advocate for people to regularly clean their bingo chips to ensure that the chips can always look, and more importantly be clean, sometimes even helping to preserve the chip if it is or was active in use in the gaming sense. In this case, people who argue against cleaning chips can potentially find a flaw in their arguments as cleaning the chips will enhance their features if done correctly and responsibly.

Purpose of Collection

The nature of the cleaning debate makes it especially important to seriously consider what one plans to collect the chips for before choosing the approach to cleaning, if any.

Identifying the Material

There are also some ground rules that follow identifying relatively what the bingo chips are built from, which will provide not only the information about how the chip looks, but how resistant it should be toward different cleaners. In short, there are several types of bingo chips and materials from which they are made.

Plastic Chips. Super common because they are inexpensive for the corporation, washable and relatively water-resistant. Safest to clean.

Clay Chips. More classic and uncharacteristically heavy. Clay is also considerably more porous, therefore, easier to be damaged with cleansing elements.

Composite Chips. Also considerably more resistant to most cleaning cleaners and fluids, however, the extent of their resistance highly depends on the proportion of elements they possess from the plastic and the clay chips.

Here is a comparison of the materials based on typical characteristics: