I would agree with you in that like I mentioned above I do lightly clean the chips to remove the loose and recent dirt that might be on them. Soaping up my hands and lightly rubbing the chip around and rinsing. Anti-Bacterial Soap??? Hmmm, Might be a good idea. However I do have to say again that I do like old table played chips to have the Patina on them. Like old furnature... I would say there is a difference between dirt and patina. Patina is the accumulation of oils and I guess some dirt and other substances that build up, soak in and dry over time and darken with age. Dirt is the stuff that would wash off with a light cleaning with mild soap and water. If you want to dissinfect than I suppose you could. Patina on the other hand is the stuff that you need the toothbrush to scrub off. I simply think that it is not desirable to go so far as scrubbing. Just my preference and opinion though.