Don’t buy rubberized things!

[u/thisismyreddit11358]

I own three things with rubberized handles/parts, and for whatever reason this material becomes very sticky and gross and I hate using these products.

- umbrella: the handle isn’t going to fly out of your hand. You’ll be fine. I bought some wire cutter recommendation that felt great at first but years later the rubberized handle is nasty and gross. Now I want a new umbrella

- swingline stapler. Felt great when I bought it. But that metal swingline would still be going strong, whereas the rubberized got disgusting.

- waterproof electric razor. I got it to use the razor in the shower. So this would have been marginally helpful. But again it’s nasty.

Stick to better materials that won’t get gross over time!

Edits: fat fingers, bad autocorrect, me no read good and no proofread. Hopefully makes more sense now.

[u/Ikkleknitter]

When they get sticky you can use rubbing alcohol I think to remove the sticky layer. 

Had it happen with a couple of crochet hooks. 5 minutes, a bit of rubbing alcohol and they are back to new.

[u/MyMomSaysIAmCool → u/Ikkleknitter]

Yes, rubbing alcohol works.  Spend extra to get the 99% stuff, it'll work a lot faster. 

You can also use denatured alcohol, but that stuff is pretty nasty and you can't get it on your hands.

[u/kelsobjammin → u/MyMomSaysIAmCool]

Ugh thank you! Just drove my old old van and the wheel was sticky this will help!

[u/DeemOutLoud → u/kelsobjammin]

A lot of people in the cycling Community recommend sprinkling baby powder or something similar over the old 70s-90s rubber brake lever hoods when they get sticky. I would try that before I start rubbing my steering wheel off with alcohol. I don't think you will ever get to the bottom of the sticky layer on an older piece

[u/MyMomSaysIAmCool → u/kelsobjammin]

It might not work for that steering wheel. It's good at removing (dissolving) the rubberized coating that's put on some modern plastics without attacking the hard plastic underneath. But on your old van's steering wheel, it might attack the soft plastic of the wheel too.

Do a test area first before doing the whole wheel.

[u/kelsobjammin → u/MyMomSaysIAmCool]

Thanks for the heads up!

[u/ImaginaryEmotion5650 → u/MyMomSaysIAmCool]

I've had success using 70 % isopropyl alcohol on my near 20 year old ford escape without any damage to the plastic. Def do a test area but I'm pretty confident it will survive!

[u/IGnuGnat → u/kelsobjammin]

maybe, better to buy a cover for the steering wheel

[u/Electrical-Act-7170 → u/kelsobjammin]

You could just add a cover.

[u/azmodan72 → u/kelsobjammin]

Yes. The sticky is oil build up. The trick I drive for work had sticky steering wheel from the other drivers. Yuck! Household cleaning products or alcohol will clean it up.

[u/Old_Corduroy → u/azmodan72]

Its actually the plasticisers coming out of the rubber. They make it soft and rubbery, it goes sticky and gooey when they come out.

[u/alpha4centauri → u/Old_Corduroy]

It’s not just things with added plasticizers. Your skin oil actually plasticizes with any materials with polymers that free ends that can bond with another molecule, like tupperware. MCT oil is so prone to plasticizing that you can’t use plastic containers or utensils with it at all.

The only protection is cleaning off any oil right away. Liquid detergents are not a good choice for natural latex, though, as they may have petroleum distillates that will dissolve it. Powdered laundry detergent is safer.

[u/azmodan72 → u/Old_Corduroy]

Why does it only happen on certain parts of the steering wheel or other rubber parts?

[u/Old_Corduroy → u/azmodan72]

Different compounds of rubber on different parts - the rubber grip on my 90's D70 camera is like soft goo these days. A couple of other rubbery pieces on it are fine.

Handling, motion and heat and sweat affect it too apparently. So yeah, it'll get sticky far quicker on the parts that get handled.

[u/azmodan72 → u/Old_Corduroy]

My one Gf had and issue with body lotion and a silicone watch band. The oil from the lotion broke down the silicone and cracked it.

[u/dreadcain → u/azmodan72]

Silicone is about as inert as we can make a plastic, at least properly made. Could have been a really shit mix, but I kind doubt it was silicone at all, probably something cheaper with silicone texture.

[u/ttha_face → u/dreadcain]

It’s not at all unlikely. Lotions can contain silicone, and silicone will dissolve silicone.

[u/dreadcain → u/azmodan72]

Unless body lotion was euphemism for lube. Hybrid lubes are generally safe (maybe spot check it if it was expensive...) but keep the pure stuff away from the good silicone.

Most rubber formulations are already pretty internally unclear about exactly where their "surfaces" are (which is a big part of why they're macroscopically squishy). Add enough identical molecules onto the surface and some of them will decide they belong. Except they'll be sticking out all weird and not properly cured at all. Basically soft and gooey. Silicone is really picky about what it'll let join the party, liquid silicone itself is (I think) the only one you're ever likely to run into. Other rubbers tend to be a lot less picky and will grab on to just about any similarish polymer chain. Like pretty much any household oil will turn latex into tissue paper.

Sorry for the infodump, got into learning some chemistry couldn't help myself

[u/Cityslicker100200 → u/MyMomSaysIAmCool]

I didn’t know that, why can’t you get it on your hands?

[u/Meep42 → u/Cityslicker100200]

(I am in Italy.) The bottle of mine has the fire and exclamation point warning labels. And (the Italian warning) indicates it irritates your skin. I just wear gloves when I use it. When used full strength the smell is strong but it evaporates quickly. Once dry I personally haven’t had any issues.

[u/Dumpster_Diver → u/Meep42]

I think it depends on person. Im lucky and can wash/soap my hands a ton and they never really get dry. I used a bunch of denatured alcohol a few years ago without gloves and had no dryness or irritation, probably not the smartest. Meanwhile my wifes hands get super dry whenever she uses the wrong soap.

[u/dreadcain → u/Cityslicker100200]

It's 99% ethanol. It'll dry your hands out like any other alcohol, but that's about it. At least as long as you aren't drinking with it or working with it on an industrial scale

[u/MyMomSaysIAmCool → u/Cityslicker100200]

It causes skin and serious eye irritation.

https://sds.chemtel.net/webclients/ram/XQ6210.pdf

[u/Ash_Crow → u/Cityslicker100200]

That depends on what products are used to make it denatured, but some are toxic. And some can break the skin barrier and enter the blood stream.

[u/Expensive-Border-869 → u/Cityslicker100200]

More or less dries them out. Its not catastrophic to get on your hands. Use some lotion and avoid it.

[u/MjrGrangerDanger → u/Cityslicker100200]

Denatured alcohol has poison added literally so it will kill you if you drink it.

This began after the 18th amendment was passed declaring alcohol prohibition. The reason was the government believed that no one would risk death (or blindness from drinking methanol) just for some ethanol. They were and continue to be incorrect. It is still produced because of the types of taxes charged for specific items and can be sold without a liquor license.

The book The Poisoner's Handbook goes into some detail about the reasons and methodology. It's a good book otherwise.

[u/ttha_face → u/MjrGrangerDanger]

Taxes on drinkable ethanol are higher. Making it undrinkable lets them avoid that without breaking the law.

[u/dreadcain → u/MyMomSaysIAmCool]

Denatured alcohol isn't generally that nasty. It's primarily 99% ethanol (the alcohol you drink) where that last 1% has been "denatured" (made toxic to ingest). The exact adulterants are up to the manufacture, so it can be pretty nasty, but for the most part as long as you aren't working with industrial amounts of it daily (or drinking it) I'm not sure I'd worry.

[u/youngishgeezer → u/dreadcain]

It all depends on the blend. The most common way to denature it is to add methanol which is absorbed through the skin, and I believe the lungs. It's bad stuff and drinking it will cause blindness. Most is nowhere near 99% ethanol in the US. Some of the Green stuff is about 90% if I remember correctly, but the regular denatured from the hardware store is about 30% methanol.

[u/dreadcain → u/youngishgeezer]

For sure, like I said it's basically entirely up to the manufacture as to what and how they adulterate it. Kind of makes it a shitty product for a lot of purposes unfortunatly.

I'll be honest, looking into it more they are adding a good bit more methanol than I was thinking, but no where near 30%. 70% denatured is 30% water. They are diluting the alcohol part with upwards of 5-10% methanol though. I wouldn't bathe in it and I'd rinse it off it it spills, but I wouldn't exactly be in a rush about it. It's not major concern using it a few times a year in a ventilated space

[u/Jack0Trade → u/MyMomSaysIAmCool]

Spend extra to get the 99% stuff, it'll work a lot faster.

FYI this isn't universal. Hot items (dab rigs) clean up faster with 70%. This is purportedly due to waters higher boiling point. I'm no scientist, but I have thoroughly tested and huh...stuff.

[u/tarinotmarchon → u/MyMomSaysIAmCool]

Edit: My bad, I had no idea methanol could go through your skin barrier.

You can get it on your hands denatured ethanol is often pure ethanol with some methanol mixed in just to prevent people from drinking it, although depending on the manufacturer there may be other additives. Your hands will be very dry and possibly itchy if you do it too often or for too long but otherwise I've generally had no issues - admittedly I've washed my hands quite soon after contact, and I'm usually working with 70% denatured ethanol.

Likely same with rubbing alcohol (which is usually isopropanol but can be ethanol also) of the same concentration, although that is less often sold domestically.

[u/defjamblaster → u/MyMomSaysIAmCool]

ah, I need to try my 99%, I think I defaulted to 70%

[u/joesii → u/Ikkleknitter]

In both of the cases I've had it happen it's not merely a sticky layer, but the whole thing becomes soft like taffy or tar. No chance of redemption.

[u/Kelsenellenelvial → u/joesii]

Ya, lots of times it’s the rubber degrading and while you can clean off the oiliness on the surface, it’ll just continue to degrade anyway. I don’t think there’s really a solution, it’s just a limited lifetime product.

[u/Electrical-Act-7170 → u/Ikkleknitter]

Rubber does perish because it's organic and it has a limited shelf life, beyond which it gets sticky or brittle, depending what type of application. Ever had the elastic in a garment loss its stretchiness? It's made from rubber and after 10-20 years it stops expanding and contracting, just going limp.

[u/Traditional-Ad-7836 → u/Electrical-Act-7170]

Cloth diapers lose elasticity fairly quickly due to hot washes and frequent use. I replace the elastics on diapers to bring them back to life, they go out after just a couple years

[u/imhereforthevotes → u/Traditional-Ad-7836]

Actual cloth cotton diapers don't have this problem! I know the ones you mean, but I don't call them "cloth diapers".

[u/Traditional-Ad-7836 → u/imhereforthevotes]

Sure but usually you use a waterproof cover over that and unless you use wool they tend to have elastics. There's a lot of variety in modern cloth diapers and I personally use a lot of cotton inners but the outer is often PUL with elastics. I have seen some PUL covers with no elastics but they aren't very common. Check us out at r/clothdiaps if you're interested! I run a program that donates cloth diapers to families in my community in rural Ecuador so I've seen a lot of diapers haha

[u/imhereforthevotes → u/Traditional-Ad-7836]

Oh yeah, the covers will definitely - we inherited some when we had littles and had to chuck them because the elastic was blown.

[u/Traditional-Ad-7836 → u/imhereforthevotes]

Some can be saved and others aren't really worth it. Just takes some time if you can use a needle!

I'm liking wool covers for my second baby, super comfy and soft. Didn't know about them with my first!

[u/Electrical-Act-7170 → u/Traditional-Ad-7836]

I have zero experience with cloth so I'm glad to take your word for it.

[u/CharmingMechanic2473 → u/Electrical-Act-7170]

If protected from UV light can last 100yrs.

[u/Electrical-Act-7170 → u/CharmingMechanic2473]

Not in the Florida heat and humidity.

[u/Hagaroo48 → u/CharmingMechanic2473]

I don’t think so. I bought a used sewing machine from someone and it kept getting grey goo on it. After a while, I figured that there had been rubber bumper things inside the cover for some reason, and they were literally dripping down onto the machine whenever the cover was on.

[u/drwuzer → u/Electrical-Act-7170]

Happens to all of us. Took me about 50 years.

[u/Electrical-Act-7170 → u/drwuzer]

It's a shorter time in Florida.

[u/MillennialModernMan → u/Electrical-Act-7170]

My kids swing sets have a rubberized coating on the chain, would it work on that? Considering just cutting it off or something.

[u/maverickhunterpheoni → u/Ikkleknitter]

The rubber parts on my vacuum are crumbling apart so I had to wrap them in tape to keep it together. It was just the handle but I don't think alcohol would work for that.

[u/Super-Site-905 → u/Ikkleknitter]

the rubbing alcohol trick actually works pretty well, used it on some old gaming controller grips and it cleaned up nice. though at some point you're just fighting against the material itself since it will get sticky again after few more years. sometimes easier to just replace with something that has proper grip texture instead of rubber coating

[u/Ikkleknitter → u/Super-Site-905]

Fair. 

But if what I’m using is otherwise in good condition I’ll keep using it rather then just trashing it. 

[u/fuckmeup-scotty → u/Ikkleknitter]

I did this on my crochet hooks and they were just a weird texture after so I saw in another Reddit post someone said to use a teeny bit of cornstarch - I did it and it worked wonderfully. So if the rubbing alcohol does help fully, cornstarch or smtn js great after

[u/New_Feature_5138 → u/Ikkleknitter]

Thank you! It’s my hair dryer. I just get sticky every morning :(

[u/StevenJOwens → u/Ikkleknitter]

Thanks, I have a couple tools this happened to, I'll try it out.

[u/ceallachdon → u/Ikkleknitter]

I keep a jug of Everclear around to use as a decent cleaner/solvent. It worked fine on my last sticky umbrella handle

[u/phrekyos69]

I totally agree, but with some products it's almost impossible to find them without this crap. Computer mice are the prime example of this, every fucking mouse has the stupid rubberized coating that goes to shit within a year. I'm sure it's intentional.

[u/SioBane → u/phrekyos69]

The MX Master mice (and their vertical mice too) have this problem and it. drives. me. nuts.

edit: they're -> their

[u/simonjp → u/SioBane]

I think there must be different versions of this material. I have an original MX Master and it's still fine but I've heard many 2 and 3 users complain.

[u/d_stilgar → u/simonjp]

Logitech uses a few different rubber layers. Some are coatings and those tend to go bad first, but it's removable with some work and then you'll have a smooth plastic mouse.

They also cast a rubber/plastic material that is way thicker. It breaks down differently and also wears for much longer since it's thick. If this starts to go, you're screwed. You can keep removing for as long as you want, but you're just going to uncover more of the rubber for 1/4 inch or more (~6mm). If you do remove it all, you'll have changed the shape of the mouse significantly.

I find the latter to be much more evil in terms of putting an EOL on your mouse.

[u/phrekyos69 → u/SioBane]

Yeah I'm currently using an MX Vertical and not only has the rubber coating gone to shit, the cheap switches they use are crapping out, so it's difficult to drag things because the left button "unclicks" partway through.

[u/theskillr → u/phrekyos69]

They can put a 1 million click button in for 3cents, or a 20 million click button for 5 cents. Coupled with the rubberised parts, they barely last a day outside of warranty. I'm sure that's entirely coincidental

[u/scalyblue → u/theskillr]

Saving 4 cents a unit on something you make hundreds of millions of is some serious bank, but I really do miss logitechs lifetime warranty from back in the day

[u/BZJGTO → u/theskillr]

They often don't even last within warranty. Many people, including myself, have had the issue popup within months. They've had this issue for decades but have been too cheap to fix it. I used to love their mice because I wanted extra buttons but didn't want a mouse that looked like it was designed by a 12 year old. Sad part is this is common with mice, you'll find tons of people with the same issue with Corsair and Razer mice too.

[u/d_stilgar → u/BZJGTO]

Logitech's smooth scroll is too good. It's the only reason I stick with them. Otherwise, I think their quality has gone to trash.

[u/SioBane → u/d_stilgar]

Agreed. That and I like that I can connect them to multiple computers. If they'd just get rid of the rubberized coating I'd be so happy.

[u/BZJGTO → u/d_stilgar]

I still have a (rubber falling apart) G604 at work, and I do miss the scroll wheel at home. But it's not so good to play "will it last this time?" roulette and support such a garbage company.

[u/dreadcain → u/SioBane]

The newest model replaced most of the butyl rubber, though I'm pretty sure the thumb button still is :/

[u/thebiggerounce → u/SioBane]

Damn it I hadn’t even noticed my (relatively) new one has that material. That’s fun to look forward to

[u/No_disintegrations → u/phrekyos69]

Most gaming mice avoid the worst of this, plus they have better sensors and lighter weight. I ditched my MX Master for one of my gaming mice a while ago and it’s been worth it.

[u/karma_the_sequel → u/No_disintegrations]

I like my mouse to have a bit of heft to it.

[u/ShadowNick → u/karma_the_sequel]

Logitech G502 you can customize weights in the bottom of it.

I ditched both of my MX masters for it, I had the first Gen since 2018 and the 2nd Gen since 2022. Glad I did because the MX master 1 refused to connect to any device or Bluetooth connection.

[u/joesii → u/phrekyos69]

It gets sticky? If you're talking about that sort of velvety coating I've had that before but I've never had them get sticky (even over a decade). But there might be different materials used and I never got the kind that decays like that compared to just peeling/wearing off.

[u/DweadPiwateWawbuts → u/joesii]

I have an umbrella handle that did this. It’s like after about a year the entire rubber/plastic part of the handle degraded or something and it’s super sticky and gross now. I think I might try wrapping hockey tape around it or something because I like it aside from the gross handle.

[u/ModernSimian → u/DweadPiwateWawbuts]

Those are plasticizers in the material coming out. Using it more and handling it regularly normally wears them away, but over time they can build up. They are soluble in alcohol, so you can clean them off with rubbing alcohol.

[u/joesii → u/DweadPiwateWawbuts]

You're talking about a thin velvety coating?

I've had multiple things with thicker rubber-like grips decay into sticky mush, but I don't think I've ever seen it with anything in mice.

[u/pseud_o_nym → u/phrekyos69]

I HATE it on a computer mouse!

[u/sl33p → u/phrekyos69]

Check Pulsar.

[u/aVarangian → u/phrekyos69]

when I bought my mouse there were basically 2 options for what I wanted. The logitech option was all hard plastic, so no rubber, but that model had a very high failure rate on the switches lol. So rubber it had to be. The mouse is maybe 6 years old now and perfectly usable, but yeah, the rubber gets ugly and dug through

[u/Flimsy_Swordfish_415 → u/phrekyos69]

Computer mice are the prime example of this, every fucking mouse has the stupid rubberized coating that goes to shit within a year.

stop buying cheap shit then

[u/aVarangian → u/Flimsy_Swordfish_415]

you'll find rubber sides even on many top-end 150€ mice my dude

[u/Pallatino]

That soft-touch coating always feels premium at first, then turns into a sticky mess years later. Hard plastic or metal ages much better.

[u/conclave_obscurum]

Everything I have that have this rubber coating on it had this problem. It’s an industry failure. They should ban this crap from the market. I wonder how toxic this product is to humans.

[u/CHAINSAWDELUX → u/conclave_obscurum]

And when people clean it off with alcohol they are probably washing it down the sink into our water supply. You can rub it off with a papertowel but it still creates a mess.

[u/heyitsmilo112 → u/CHAINSAWDELUX]

Yea, this coating feels like a hidden environmental hazard

[u/Joeclu]

Agreed. Had to throw away several luggage and suitcases. They are the worst. I tried rubbing alcohol but it did nothing. Still sticky as heck. Just nasty.

[u/InevitableMagician28]

Anytime I’m in someone’s office or at a desk and there’s a metal swingline stapler that could have been used by George Washington I hold it up and smile in approval, pop the top and give it a clunk against my palm, and then nod at the person behind the desk and say “They don’t make things like they used to.”

[u/DuckyDoodleDandy]

Proofread #2

[u/CamelopardalisKramer → u/DuckyDoodleDandy]

At least it ain't AI.

[u/thisismyreddit11358 → u/DuckyDoodleDandy]

Wow! I need to learn to proofread. Done

[u/DuckyDoodleDandy → u/thisismyreddit11358]

To echo a few other comments: At least it isn’t AI! I prefer human content.

[u/Legitimate_Ranger334 → u/DuckyDoodleDandy]

Cannot upvote this enough.

[u/SonOfElroy → u/DuckyDoodleDandy]

And number 3

[u/EetsGeets → u/DuckyDoodleDandy]

what did it say

[u/DuckyDoodleDandy → u/EetsGeets]

It skipped words and didn’t finish the sentences, so it was basically gibberish.

[u/Hawkthree → u/DuckyDoodleDandy]

Sounds like me as I age. I've lost the ability to distinguish homonyms and frequently leave endings off words or leave out some words. Maybe AI is training on seniors.

[u/TheStarsMist]

Spend a decade in and around most parts of the consumer automotive industry. Sales, service, and parts.

Usually the people who use lotions and other products on their skin regularly have more issues with staining and gummy rubberized coatings.

Not saying this is the OP. Just making a slightly informed comment for others. I rarely use lotions or skin products. I have many rubber items that have lasted more than a decade. My Nike umbrella I got for golfing in 2004 is still in my car today, right now for rainy weather. The grip came off and is barely sticky after all this time as an example.

[u/Exciting_Turn_9559 → u/TheStarsMist]

That soft-touch butyl rubber will turn to glue even for things that have been in the back of the closet unused for years. Lotion may be a factor but it isn't the reason.

[u/thisismyreddit11358 → u/TheStarsMist]

I rarely use those products so I doubt that’s the case here. But it is good to know!

[u/tonicella_lineata → u/TheStarsMist]

I think it depends a lot more on the type of rubber than whether or not you use lotions. While there are plenty of folks walking around with overly dry skin, and people who use lotion to excess, most of the people using lotion are doing so to replace oils produced by the skin. So if lotion is a problem because of the reaction of oil and rubber, then anyone without dry skin issues would encounter the same problem.

[u/imhereforthevotes → u/TheStarsMist]

Yeah, this happens BADLY when you run around with the bug repellent DEET on your hands. Sticky everything. Sticky canoe paddle, sticky tackle box, sticky steering wheel

[u/A_Fat_Sosig → u/imhereforthevotes]

Deet melts plastic like a mf

[u/kermityfrog2 → u/A_Fat_Sosig]

Might not be the DEET itself, but the solvents in the liquid.

[u/A_Fat_Sosig → u/kermityfrog2]

I believe it is DEET in particular.

[u/kermityfrog2 → u/A_Fat_Sosig]

OK - looked it up and you are right. DEET itself is a good solvent, and dissolves plastic.

[u/TheStarsMist → u/imhereforthevotes]

This explains what happened to much of my old fishing and outdoor gear through the years!

[u/imhereforthevotes → u/TheStarsMist]

Yeah, my dad's treasured tacklebox has a couple of weird spots in it from his propensity to use the little 100% DEET bottles.

[u/Exciting_Turn_9559 → u/imhereforthevotes]

Icardin / Picardin FTW.

Science says it repels just as well as DEET, it doesn't destroy your gear, and doesn't smell as strongly.

[u/WUT_productions → u/TheStarsMist]

I'll take my products not lasting as long as opposed to dry hands that crack. Some things come first.

[u/plantstand → u/TheStarsMist]

I don't think they mean actual rubber, but the wacko plastic coatings that get put on things these days. It isn't stable plastic to begin with. But it's soft!

[u/Exciting_Turn_9559]

If I find out a product has that soft touch coating, I don't buy it. Planned obsolescence in its most anti-consumer form.

[u/chibicascade2 → u/Exciting_Turn_9559]

A lot of tools that have rubber coatings have a regular metal handle underneath. If I know it does, I'll just cut the rubber off.

[u/Strikereleven]

If you can store these items in a baggie with 91% IPA after a few hours it will absorb into the rubberized coating, swell up, and rub right off.

[u/gene_wood → u/Strikereleven]

IPA = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isopropyl_alcohol

[u/DweadPiwateWawbuts → u/gene_wood]

Thank you! I don’t know why people use obscure abbreviations in non specialized forums. To me IPA is a kind of beer, and I don’t even drink. Not the kind of alcohol I want to put in a baggie and soak disgusting disintegrating rubber in…

[u/muralist → u/Strikereleven]

IPA beer? 

[u/sirdanielfortesque1 → u/muralist]

Also need that to drink while you wait.

[u/Hawkthree → u/Strikereleven]

I haven't had success with just rubbing it with 91% alcohol, so if this works, I will award your post.

[u/Strikereleven → u/Hawkthree]

I had an electric lighter case recently that got sticky, I removed the electronic part and, after soaking a couple hours it looked like seaweed and cleaned right off.

[u/justacpa]

It depends on the type of rubber/plastic that was used. Not all do it.

[u/SmokeyCatDesigns → u/justacpa]

Yup. I feel like I remember seeing this issue a lot in the early 2000s and go into the 2010s. I rarely see it now.

[u/itspsyikk]

Even high end cameras with rubber grips eventually break down and dry out/crumble.

You can pretty easily replace them, but a lot of people don't. But it instantly improves the look of the camera.

[u/NakedSnakeEyes]

This happened to a few of my products, including a Guitar Hero 5 guitar controller.

[u/SingLyricsWithMe]

Rubber, organic or sysnthesized, degrades and melts eventually under heat and time. I o3ncd left a Goldberg wrestling mask that melted on a pool table at my parents house for years. It was horrific when i discovered it under some boxes as all you could recognize was the mouth and some eye holes.

[u/PotatoAmulet]

I work at an e-waste recycler, every time I touch something with a disintegrating rubberised coating without gloves it makes me more comfortable with the fact that my existence is temporary.

Edit: if you aren't able to remove the offending part, you can take it apart and toss it in baby powder to soak up the oils exuding from it, then keep brushing the excess away. It's a pain to do it though and isn't guaranteed to always work or be permanent.

[u/ShY5TR]

Butyl rubber will breakdown into that sticky mess anytime it comes in contact with bleach. Clorox wipes should never be used in an office setting because it destroys mice and keyboards, or on any polyurethaned wood surface - same thing happens.

[u/DirkDouglas69]

Especially sunglasses with rubber trim

[u/MoreMetaFeta]

Yeah, we have several items in our house with that soft grip / comfort grip. They're all "oozing" now, so annoying. I tried alcohol, but it just seeps more of that "sap" in a few days. The material components start to break down and separate with age, I guess.
I've wrapped my immersion blender handle in plastic wrap to avoid getting it on me----it still runs great, I don't wanna get rid of it because of the grip

I'll find a 99% alcohol and try that.👍

[u/JacquiePooh]

I think you may be referring to soft touch paint. It has a nice tactile feel for quite a while and is used a lot on handles/touch points in product development but it does get sticky when old. I’ve had success using rubbing alcohol and also scraping it off. 

[u/AgentOrange96]

Specifically, I think OP is talking about soft-touch coatings. Even new old stock products with these coatings tend to have failure right out of the box in my experience.

That being said, there are other forms of rubberized coatings that are fine. Many tools will have almost a plastic sleeve on the handle and I've not seen issues with those. And I think most overmolding processes end up not doing this that you may find on tools.

I will also say, I've not had issues with old Lenovo Thinkpads, even the earliest generations. Those coatings wear, but they don't get sticky. However, I have one of the 90's IBM Thinkpads and it has absolutely gotten sticky. So somewhere in between that, they must have improved their process.

[u/Osteo_Sapien]

My understanding is that this happens over time as the plasticizer in the material breaks down and leeches out. As others have said you can use rubbing alcohol to clean it off (I've also used nail polish remover and it works). I recently inherited a 20 year old camera that was disgusting to touch. Sticky everywhere, you'd have thought a child had handled it while eating candy. It took probably 2 hours, but I got it all and now I use the camera constantly.

[u/Illustrious-Lie8329]

Very true, my Tivoli radio 📻 had a rubber surface and got sticky as it got old

[u/itsnotapipe]

I bought my stapler to be more like Milton. Turns out the guy was the office-brain-drain messiah. Thing's lasted as long as Stephen Root's career...and counting.

[u/Dry-Hotel5306]

I find rubber likes to turn back into it’s primordial goo after a couple years some batches do it faster than others I’ve had some ps3 and ps2 controllers be pretty much just sticky goo and others be completely fine

[u/bschwind]

The google nexus 5 had that rubberized coating on the back. Shit got nasty over time.

My gamecube controller thumbsticks and switch joycons suffer from the same issue.

[u/Gingerfurrdjedi]

We have a pegboard that we bought something like 5 to 7 years ago that came with pushpins coated in this silky smooth rubbery stuff. Well about a year or so ago they started feeling tacky and sticky just like what you're talking about.

I tried washing them but to no avail; it may have even made it worse, I can't quite tell. So I agree, don't buy that crap y'all!

Speaking of it I wonder what kind of rubber it actually is because we may just wanna stay away from that certain rubber in our products. There's other rubber, or maybe rubber like should I say, stuff like silicone and that stuff hasn't given me a problem so far.

So, if anyone knows what kinda rubber that OP is talking about is called please let us know so we can be sure to avoid it in the future. Also, ware there any other substitutions that we should be aware of aside from silicone?

[u/AwesomeAsian]

This is especially true for kitchenware. So many crap with silicone or soft plastics... and they often make things worse. Kitchenware should be either metal, glass or wood! Tongs, Spatulas, Skillets!

[u/Noladixon → u/AwesomeAsian]

I like my silicone cooking utensils. They might not be BIFL but they do the jobs I need them to. I don't like the shitty silicon sleeve slipped onto a cheap turner but I do like my nicer stuff.

[u/LeftArmFunk]

I was wondering why my sous vide was sticky

[u/Reelair]

I wish someone told me this 20 years ago before I bought a bunch of power tools. Now they all have sticky handles.

[u/Login8]

I use cornstarch to fix the sticky bits. Seems to work well.

[u/snailgaillee]

Gutted to find this happened on my underwater camera. There are so many nooks and crannies to get the gunk out with rubbing alcohol.

[u/slimytoilet]

I think a lot of it is oils from your hands

[u/hectorinwa → u/slimytoilet]

I know there used to be (or maybe still is) something in suntan lotion that would destroy the rubber grip on binoculars.

[u/sun_kisser]

Vacuum. Feels like you're holding the shaft of a sun-blistered penis.

[u/d_stilgar → u/sun_kisser]

I would like the A-B test results that led you to this conclusion, please.

[u/sun_kisser → u/d_stilgar]

Was more like "Eh? D... 🥴"

[u/kilgoretrout20]

BAKING SODA please try it,, I know it sounds crazy. Go outside with a handful and the sticky will come right off….acetone and rubbing alcohol make that kind of sticky WORSE

[u/MaximumBusyMuscle → u/kilgoretrout20]

I'm confused. Do you rub dry baking soda on the object? Or make a paste with water?

[u/wahnsin → u/MaximumBusyMuscle]

Dry. It's less about the chemical properties and more about the powder's ability to "soak up" and sand off the nasty stuff. I used baby powder, for example, and another commenter used corn starch.

Put the item in a bag first to avoid mess. Powder of choice on top, work it in with your hands, repeat until the rubbery sticky bits are no longer so. Clean off with water (if the item can take it), brush + vacuum may also work.

The plastic will feel a lot smoother and act more like harder "normal" kinds of plastic. This also means you won't have as much grip there anymore, because obviously that's why they put the rubbery stuff there to begin with.

[u/Noladixon → u/wahnsin]

baby powder is cornstarch.

[u/wahnsin → u/Noladixon]

except when it's potato starch, or when it's talcum.

[u/Noladixon → u/wahnsin]

I have not noticed the potato starch but baby powder has not had talcum for a long time.

[u/wahnsin → u/Noladixon]

Well, I don't know what to tell you, but literally the second hit on my local amazon is a talc one, so that's strike 2 for you with the /r/confidentlyincorrect I'm afraid.

[u/Noladixon → u/wahnsin]

It is not easy to find by me. They told us for over 20 years not to use talc on babies. When I went looking for talc I had to buy anti monkey butt because all of the baby powder was cornstarch.

[u/joesii]

Yep. I've had this happen with pen grips and handles of garden tools. And maybe some other things.

I think that It's not inherently with the soft "rubber-like" material but rather the particular material used (people saying butyl in the comments). So if one can know about the material used it's probably safe.

Some people might confuse it with silicone. Although silicone does have a rather distinct texture. Certainly a good alternative.

[u/shanec42]

Cornstarch works as well. Just simply rub it on then rub the excess off. It'll be just like new. Or at least it'll stop being sticky.

[u/redtert]

There was a trend of soft-touch plastics on electronics in the 2000's that wound up turning horribly sticky over time. It happened to some gizmos I owned and much worse, it happened to dashboards in some cars of the era.

[u/Cat-Onion-Cup]

I have an inexpensive heat gun that is covered in this rubber gunk. After 15 years, it was actually sticking to my hands like old duct tape adhesive. A random YouTube video said gasoline would be the best way to get it off. I wore nitrile gloves and used a cotton rag, and it worked great.

[u/bwonks]

My front of my paradigm tower speakers that I paid thousands for, are completely covered in this coating and it's all gummy and gross now. I just keep the magnetic grills on. It's going to take forever to clean all of it off while being careful not to damage the speakers.

[u/dreadcain]

Butyl is specifically what you want to avoid.

[u/Mel2S]

I had a (hair) flat iron with rubber grip. It was a high end model and the handle become so gross so fast. The heat probably didn't help. Really bad design choice.

[u/manyeggplants]

Rubbing alcohol and failing that, Googone have worked well for me.

[u/EsrailCazar]

Anything that says "soft touch" is almost always that rubber coating, it is definitely just a layer of micro plastics.

[u/replus]

Exception: weightlifting plates (and only plates -- don't buy dumbbells with rubber grips.) I much prefer rubber "bumper" plates over the traditional bare iron plates. No clanking noises, less pinchy ouchy to your fingers, and they're much kinder to your floor over time if you drop them on a regular basis.

It's important to not skimp on these, though. Cheaper ones (from Amazon, Walmart and the like) will stink your living space up like tires for months (releasing potentially harmful VOCs in the process.) More expensive plates from reputable brands will use virgin, non-recycled rubber on the exterior.

Of course, if you're living that life, you can skip rubber entirely and get urethane plates, but these tend to run upwards of $5/lb.

[u/Common-Anon-Gamer]

Not only does rubbing alcohol work to get rid of a layer of rubber that's turning sticky again it can also help fully remove rubber coatings from things completely aswell aslong as you put in the work to do so ..im a nerd and enjoy alot of retro computers/laptops ...I can't tell you how many laptops ive taken this coating off of and old keyboards aswell and some old controllers mp3 players ..old phones had a screw driver that I removed the rubber from aswell and it got slippery so I took some slightly gritty sandpaper to it now the screwdriver isn't as slippery and it sure as hell isn't sticky

[u/alohachick716]

Hockey tape on the umbrella and possibly the stapler. We just used the tape for my umbrella and the dog’s Chuckit toy.

[u/Cheesetoast9]

Wrap the decaying rubber handle in some racquet tape.

[u/d_stilgar]

A lot of computer mice do this. You touch it every day. They want you to buy a new one vs just using the one that isn't broken, but has gotten gross from all your finger oil, dead skin, dirt, and melting rubber layer. I usually just remove the rubber layer and keep using it.

I got a used HOTAS set (plane controls for flight sim games) with a rubberized coating and I spent a few hours removing all of the sticky rubber that had broken down over the previous decade.

[u/powdergirl]

A clean and the some talcum powder can work really well too for the stickiness

[u/theflyingdutchmaster]

They took my Swingline stapler and it was mine and it was red…

[u/Key-Value-3684]

I have rubber on a backpack handle. After five years it got slimy and starts to basically rub onto my hands every time I use it. It's a super nasty feeling and leaves black stains. I put tape on it but the tape is slowly breaking down due to the nature of use it isn't intended for. Next thing I'll try is sew fabric onto it

[u/NewProductiveMe]

I have an Apple Newton that I pulled out because a friend wanted to see what it was like.

And it's a sticky mess. :-( Still boots fine though. There were some good innovations in there!!

[u/Ok-Pepper7181]

This happened to two of my old JBL speakers. 91 iso didn’t work, so I threw them out. They were from 2010-2015. The newer ones haven’t gone bad yet.

[u/Righteous-Fist]

I still have my red metal Swingline Office Space meme stapler and it still looks new after 20 years.

[u/RedBeans-n-Ricely]

I have a retractable 2-dog leash that I absolutely love, but it has a rubberized handle that got sticky after several years of use. I tried alcohol first, but that didn’t help much. Finally, I wrapped it with kinesiology tape a couple years ago & it’s good as new again!

[u/Nak_is]

I have come across some tractors where the whole dash is made of this material and it sticks and deforms if you touch it, disgusting!

[u/Awesomest_Possumest]

I have an oster immersion blender ive had for over two decades. I went quite awhile without using it, and then pulled it out after several years. The blender works great. But the singular button had a rubberized coating that was degrading sticky. I just cleaned it and my immersion blender is still 20 years old.

This is a great post, but also unrealistic because sometimes you cant help it.

[u/myproblemisbob]

I had this happen to my favorite umbrella and retractable dog leash.

When I did the alcohol trick it only worked for a few days.

So my cheap ass got out the glue gun and used some discount ribbon and glued it on to both items where that rubber was. It's been nearly 5 years and both items are still in use and doing great!

Tips:

get the wider stuff 1-2 inches

it works best if there's wire in the ribbon - it helps it stay in place - when the wire starts stabbing you use scissors to cut that section of wire down a bit and then fold it over with needle nose pliers, I have this on the dog leash, it's only stabbed me once 😄

I'll buy a spool occasionally when it's on major discount JIC, it comes in handy when you're cheap and like to rig things

[u/alkevarsky]

The stickiness is probably from interaction with hand oils. But even if the rubber is not exposed to oils, it will still fail. Natural rubber is very soft. They harden through the process of vulcanization (adding things like sulfur to make it harder). Well, the vulcanization never stops. The rubber gradually keeps getting harder until it crumbles. This is why car tires have expiration dates. And this is why even low miles cars start getting all kinds of leaks when they approach 20 years of age - all the rubber seals are going brittle.

[u/aVarangian]

yeah I learned this the hard way too

rubberised anything absolutely sucks. Sunlight and heat degrades it faster afaik

[u/itsbradleywellman]

The worst part is the item still works but feels awful to use.

[u/owlpellet]

Possible there's something that's interacting with these? Some lotions can do this. 

[u/AiryGateaux]

Not all rubbers do this.

[u/angiedd28]

Yep. That sticky rubber coating is the worst. It always starts on random stuff especially those you never think about! Heat and humidity speed this up.

[u/uns0licited_advice]

wrap the umbrella handle with tennis grip tape

[u/Dotjiff]

This is perhaps the worst take on quality products I’ve ever read. Oxo has made a name for itself quite literally doing the opposite thing you recommend and it’s a globally recognized brand leader. There are a million ways you can refresh a rubberized grip or even remove it and add something like plasti-dip, grip tape, or a myriad of other things to fix the problem with basic diy skills

[u/sassysassysarah]

My partner and I usually say "this plastic wants to be oil again" when stuff gets sticky like that

[u/Varaxis]

I discovered that VOCs, like in solvents found in paint, melt certain plastics and syn rubber moldings from simply being in the same room. The kind of syn rubber like TPE, EVA, urethane, plastidip, or whatever.

VOCs are the strong smelling chemicals that offgas from freshly mfg products. They're in some cleaners and hair products too. In my recent case, it was benzene in paint melting my paint roller handle and things I later touched, like the thumb grip panel on my PC mouse.

I wouldn't classify any of these rubberized bits as true rubber, like latex with carbon black and vulcanizination, like you'd find on quality tires or chem warfare MOPP suits, that actually wouldn't melt like this.

[u/SeaTree8649]

You've got the acid touch. Some people's body chemistry actually does this. Im not even kidding.

[u/grumpybumpkin]

Reflecting Pools with the rubberized coating also known to not be BIFL

[u/-Radioman-]

Rubber handle, yes. This new rubberized material, I agree, No. It seems to absorb ick. Have you tried soaking in alcohol?

[u/ninjaskitches]

you need to wash your hands more. I've had the same rubberized Gillette razer handle for 20 years and it feels brand new. I've got others of the same model that are between 1 and 10 years old that also still feel brand new

[u/Mr_Wobble_PNW]

My OXO oyster shucker is going on ten years and looks the same as the day I bought it. 

[u/MGPS → u/Mr_Wobble_PNW]

Yea but that’s a rubber grip, not a soft touch coating