fed up with my slippery pole

unicorn started this discussion · 4/13/2011

Hi yet another thread about slippery poles! I just cannot use my dam pole .. its so slippery I have no grip at all on it when I go to my pole lessons , the poles are great , I come home try mine and I have to give up, its useless I have tried just washing it down with warm water, a clean cloth, I even bought some rubbing Alcohol and tried that today,it seems to have made it worse..unless the cold has something to do with it Any suggestions on how to make my pole less slippy? Cheers Guys x rse

35 replies

XLauraX · 4/13/2011
I use liquid chalk and white distilled vingar. Works a treat!
XLauraX · 4/13/2011
forgot to say, the liquid chalk on my hands, the vinegar on a cloth and rub it up and down the pole. x
PJ Piglet Poles · 4/13/2011
I have a TG xpert...and for a LONG time I couldn't stick to that pole and I was....BITTER! But alas, after trying; vodka, vinegar, mighty grip, shaving cream, hairspray, iTac and Dry hands. After much trial and error I found that the best combination for me was Dry hands in conjunction with rubbing alcohol on the pole and this seems to have solved my issue. I also moisturize with Cetaphil lotion and that seems to have really made a difference. Keep trying...you will find your magic potion! xo
JeHanne · 4/13/2011
The best thing that has worked for me is rubbing alcohol used with a clean towel. I air dry my pole towels so they are not get softeners from dryer sheets on them. Ah the love of pole! Also having it warm before I try any holds etc helps. Good luck!
heathalynne · 4/13/2011
2nd on white distilled vinegar. Spray a towel and rub the pole hard for at least a minute. You just need to break it in with use. When it's broken in, you only need to rub for a few seconds.
amy · 4/13/2011
cold has everything to do with it. unless you put itac or something really sticky on your body, you cannot stick to a cold pole worth a damn no matter what you clean it with. where is your pole located? can you easily warm the room or the pole?
unicorn · 4/13/2011
I have just moved in down stairs to the Dining room as I wasn't using it up in the bedroom..(wooden floors downstairs) 😉 Tried rubbing Alcohol today.. The pole was cold, I may try the white vinegar too and maybe warming the pole up a bit with the hair dryer first..
Billababe220 · 4/13/2011
I swear by the white distilled vinegar. It is the ONLY thing that has ever worked for me and it works GREAT!!!
luvlee · 4/13/2011
Do you have a chromw xpole? I delt with this for years till I finally found some secrets. Crank the heat while you stretch. It will warm you and your pole!!! Very important. Are you a very dry skinned person? That works against you if you are. Pole Physics lotion or Bath and Body Works light lotion work best at least an hr before poling. I am so dry I can do it right brfore though. Also, I put itac2 right on my pole. This has worked best for me. Let me know if ant of these help!!!
divapolegoddess · 4/13/2011
Try using low grade sandpaper and then cleaning your pole with whatever you have been using. I use either alcohol or windex. It doesn't damage the pole and it works better than anything I've tried. You will have to repeat the process every once in a while, but it gives great results.
Cocoa0 · 4/14/2011
iTac + Tite Grip= Sticky like you would not believe. I have a steel PS pole and I tried EVERYTHING to make it useable, nothing worked. I was sooo frustrated then someone inmy pole class suggested iTac with a layer of Tite Grip on top... Magic! Seriously, try it before you try anything extreme like sandpaper.
Cocoa0 · 4/14/2011
P.S. This grip combo actually works best in cold, dry conditions.
XLauraX · 4/14/2011
I forgot to shake my liquid chalk the other day so it had all seperated .... worked so much better than when it is shook, got a lot more grip from it, I swear by that stuff now, only need to apply it once. Although it does tend to pull on my hand and can leave me with a few blisters.
unicorn · 4/14/2011
Thanks girls fr all your suggestions, I will try the vinegar first , if that doesnt work I will get some iTac and try that.. Really do not want to use sandpaper on my lovely Chrome pole... eek!! No where here where I live sells white vinegar, so today I will be driving in to town on the hunt for the stuff.. Thankyou. I do hope one of these work.. x
PoleNerd · 4/14/2011
I also have a chrome xpole and it takes a good while (20-30 mins?) to really warm up. I also have to be hot and a bit sweaty. Dry, hairy skin kills grip as as well (I don't shave much in winter...oops). Like others said, white vinegar really helps. To warm up the pole and myself, I just do a lot of spins/movement around the pole and attempt to do moves (though I slide right down). The bottom and top of the pole take the longest to warm up. It's all very frustrating if you're impatient - but the eventual stickiness is so worth it. I'm sure the hotness and humidity of summer will bring a whole different set of issues ;)
ATXpolerina · 4/14/2011
I use rubbing alchohol to clean my pole and I know its hopeless for me to attempt to play on my pole while its cold. I usually start my pole practice with spins. It helps warm up the pole and you which is a winning combination! I also recommend Dry Hands, it works for me! Do you have an X-Pole by chance? Thats what I use and now that im thinking back, I remember it being slippery and somewhat impossible when I first got it. Six months later, I dont have that issue much anymore but I wonder if its an improvment of my grip or maybe over that time I took off some mystery layer it had picked up during shipping or something? Best of Luck =)
ATXpolerina · 4/14/2011
I use rubbing alchohol to clean my pole and I know its hopeless for me to attempt to play on my pole while its cold. I usually start my pole practice with spins. It helps warm up the pole and you which is a winning combination! I also recommend Dry Hands, it works for me! Do you have an X-Pole by chance? Thats what I use and now that im thinking back, I remember it being slippery and somewhat impossible when I first got it. Six months later, I dont have that issue much anymore but I wonder if its an improvment of my grip or maybe over that time I took off some mystery layer it had picked up during shipping or something? Best of Luck =)
amy · 4/14/2011
If it's chrome you absolutely canNOT sand it; the chrome plating is not thick and you can sand right through it and permanently ruin your pole. You can only sand a stainless pole.
Cinara · 4/14/2011
I just tried a cheating method to warm up my chrome x-pole. I put my heater about 15cm away from the pole and left it on for a few minutes. I also used vinegar, and then rubbed the pole really hard and also used Dry Hands. It made my pole the stickiest it's ever been. It was like brass (for like 5 minutes until my sweaty oily hands ruined it.) Using spins and basic moves to warm up your pole is probably better, so you can discipline yourself to practice dance as well as tricks. But if you just want to warm up the pole quickly to do some strength or something, try a heater.
divapolegoddess · 4/14/2011
I have a titanium gold x-pole but I guess it is different from the chrome. I hope some of these suggestions work for you 🌸
minicoopergrl · 4/14/2011
I have a chrome pole as well. When I first got it and after Charleys suggestion I used acetone and gave it a good wiping. You dont know how long those poles have been sitting in the warehouse before they shipped it to you so it may have film over it. Ive still been using the acetone as a cleaner but I may switch to something else. When I warm up my pole, I do pole climbs using both legs. So not only am I working both sides of my body when it comes to a climb, I can warm up my pole as well. Mine is in the laundry room and Ill run the dryer for about 20min as well.
lilblondie · 4/14/2011
PLEASE don't sand your pole!!!!!! especially not with a "low grade" sandpaper ... the numbers on sandpaper work so that the lower the number, the more abrasive. something like 80 grit sandpaper practically has jagged rocks on it. I totally understand your frustration though. I had one slippery pole and sold it. I was ready to throw it out the window or maybe bash it with a crowbar. I replaced it with a TG xpole and $400 later the damn thing was still slippery. what saved the day was discovering Itac. I LOVE the stuff. I put a thin layer on my hands and grab the pole all over. It only takes a tiny bit -- not even enough to see -- and by the time it rubs off, your pole is warm! I used to hate the idea of grip aids, but I would sing my love for itac from the rooftops!
nymphdancer · 4/14/2011
I sandpapered the heck out of my stainless steel minx. Was the best thing I ever did for it. Well second best, the best was I bought a chrome x pole and now they are both up in my living room. Much prefer the chome. I still Itac the heck out of the minx if I'm going to use both.
TrixieLovett · 4/14/2011
I marinate in e. Literally. When I get out of the shower in the morning I use it instead of moisturizer. It's difficult, since it so dry living here in the desert, but DP has made a huge difference in my poling.
stevemfloyd7239 · 4/18/2011
I've heard of cetaphil lotion helping with grip. What type of their lotion works best?

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