Is a Tennis Ball the Secret to Removing Ugly Scuff Marks?

Scuff marks on floors are unsightly, making even clean floors look dirty and damaged. Typically caused by something dragging along the floor, like furniture or shoes, those telltale black marks can't always be eliminated by mopping or spot-treating with a floor cleaner alone. 

One tip we've seen is to use a tennis ball to quickly and easily remove scuffs from floors. Intrigued by this floor cleaning hack, we decided to try it for ourselves—and we were disappointed by the results.

Using a Tennis Ball on Scuff Marks: Dos and Don'ts

A tennis ball can be used to remove scuff marks from hard floors, including ceramic, porcelain, and natural stone tile, linoleum, vinyl, and hardwood. Scuff marks are most often caused by the rubber soles of shoes dragging along the floor, leaving streaks, or by rubber furniture leg caps that scrape across the floor, leaving rubber marks behind.

It is important to use a clean tennis ball; it doesn't need to be new, but it does need to be clean to ensure there is no dirt or other debris clinging to the tennis ball that could scratch the floor. To clean a tennis ball that has been used, run it through the washing machine, or use a handheld vacuum, sticky roller, or tape to remove any dirt.

If bending or kneeling is difficult or uncomfortable, you can score the tennis ball by cutting an X in it and popping the opening onto the end of a broom handle, which will allow you to use the ball to remove scuffs without having to crouch, kneel, or bend. Attaching the tennis ball to a long handle also allows for extra leverage while you work.

How We Tested

In order to test the effectiveness of using a tennis ball to remove scuff marks, I used a ballet flat with a black rubber sole to create a scuff mark on a white marble tile floor, and made another scuff on a white painted baseboard. (My hardwood floors are quite dark, so the white baseboard was a better way to judge the tennis ball's effectiveness.)

After creating the scuff marks, I rubbed a new tennis ball vigorously over the stains, using both a back-and-forth motion and a circular motion. Unfortunately, even after applying a significant amount of pressure and working the tennis ball across the scuffs repeatedly, the black marks only lightened ever-so-slightly.

To supplement my at-home testing, I took the tennis ball into the common areas of my building and used it on scuff marks on the service elevator's laminate floor and tile flooring in the loading area. I also used it on several scuff marks on painted walls and the entryway to the garbage room.

The Results

In all instances, the tennis ball did not remove the scuffs. Ultimately, an eraser sponge proved to be the right solution to the problem of scuff marks in my home—one to two passes over each scuff took the black marks right up.

Conclusion: Save the tennis balls for tennis (or fetch!) and skip this scuff removal hack in favor of using an eraser sponge for the job.