1.Wipe
First of all, every time you play a game, get into the habit of wiping your hand plate with a soft, clean, dry cloth (preferably a microfiber cloth). It is your best friend when it comes to hand tray maintenance. We have the curse of dirty and sweaty fingers. The sweat on our hands deposits salt on the surface, which accelerates the formation of rust. Some people's hands are more corrosive than others' sweat, so be sure to wash your hands and dry them thoroughly before playing. Even if you have perfect hands, add dust and dirt, rain, moisture, the evils of the beach, and - shock, horror - the first signs of rust ...... Sometimes your trusty cloth isn't enough.
2. Use alcohol
We don't mean gin 😅 We mean isopropyl alcohol, or better yet, milder topical/surgical alcohol (isopropyl alcohol or ethanol based - usually 50-75% - diluted with a thinner such as water. When a simple wipe is not enough, periodically sprinkle a generous amount of isopropyl alcohol/topical alcohol onto a soft cleaning cloth to thoroughly clean your hand dish. This includes the sides, edges and interior. Don't be afraid to press very firmly to apply to any stubborn stains.
Please note: If you have oil on your hand pans, this process will remove most of the oil, so reapplication is required (see oiling instructions below).
It has been suggested that acetone can also be used to remove oil, but this is very powerful and may degrade the finish and the glue that holds the hand pans together, so we recommend avoiding it if possible