Only the possibility of the ball cracking and or core separating. I've had this happen to some of my older balls that have been left in the car on a hot day. Luckily, it never happened before I stopped using them but it will catch up to the ball eventually. This happened to two of my balls and they were cracked from bridge to thumb all the way around.

When using the hot water bath method, does it matter if I use Cascade dish soap(or even hand soap) instead of Dawn? I haven't done the hot water bath in quite some time and I feel I should since my equipment is still fairly new, so I casn preemptively save them.

Thanks for the heads up on the Acetone. I won't use it if it's illegal. Besides I really don't clean my ball regularly with it. And as far as the baking and the flat side and cracked ball, were you referring to the oven or the sunlight? because I monitor the one that I use (sunlight) very closely and make sure that each side gets some sun.

For the hot water method, I would use a liquid dish detergent, such as "Dawn" or "Palmolive"..something like that. The "Cascade" dish soap is for dishwashers, that stuff is so concentrated I think it would leave a film on the ball. Just my opinion, but I just don't feel that "Cascade" would break down enough(disolve)in a bucket of water, and you would have trouble getting that slick film off of it.

DemolitionMan, I was actually referring to both mothods since I've done both. However I'm not sure if it would be any different if you "monitor" the ball. I'm thinking any internal heat that a ball is subjected to will have negative effects in the long run.

I’ve used all three methods for oil removal (oven, sink/bucket, dishwasher) and would not suggest the oven method unless you can monitor the ball constantly (I cracked one once from lack of attention). If you use the dishwasher, place something to block the holes and turn off the heated drying cycle.

After reading these suggestions, I think I'm going to ask my Pro Shop for the first time, and get required things for the second.
But one quick question, how long does it usually take for a Pro Shop to rejuvenate a ball?

I used this method in the past, but not so much now. BUT I never went anywheres near 180...low temps...rapid turnarounds to wipe 'em down. No flat spots, either.

If they do it using a Rejuvenator which is a kind of oven designed for baking oil out of bowling balls I think it takes overnight or 24 hours plus you want them to try to take the ball back to out of box condition by sanding or polishing as needed. I only know of one shop in my area that has it, others might but I've only seen it on display in one. Total process somewhere around $30-45 a ball I think.

I have palmolive but it's hand soap. Does that work?

6-ball-man,
Don't know how you do that at a lower temperature. The lowest setting on my oven is 170 degrees. The rejuvenator machine at the Pro Shop goes up to 220, I believe, but also rotates the ball.

I put my balls in the oven, and set the temp for 180. So the balls are in there while the oven is warming up. It dings when the temp is reached, and that is when I take them out to clean them. Works pretty well.

Heck, the temp in the trunk of my car can get hotter on a summer day.