# Plastic and rubber coatings degrading and turning into a sticky mess **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 21, 2020, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-and-rubber-coatings-degrading-and-turning-into-a-sticky-mess/918692 "2020-08-21T21:34:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-and-rubber-coatings-degrading-and-turning-into-a-sticky-mess/918692/1 "2020-08-21T21:34:51Z")
Not sure where to put this, but I guess it’s mostly mundane… More and more I’m noticing that plastic and rubber coverings on many of my electronics and other items – TV remote, ipod cover, wireless mouse, various grips and handles – have turned sticky and, well, just gross. I’ve used isopropyl alcohol to try to remove the coating with limited success, sometimes it works, sometimes it turns the coating even gooier and messier. Just wondering if others have noticed this and what kind of solutions people have tried…other than just throwing the things away. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-and-rubber-coatings-degrading-and-turning-into-a-sticky-mess/918692/2 "2020-08-21T22:41:54Z")
Yes I have this a well on some older items. I think this is a natural degradation of the rubber material. I have a car roof rack with rubber footings that are all sticky and leave black streaks on the roof rails. I don’t even know if I can get new footings due to the age. I have tried cleaning them and alcohol as well - not fixed. Instead, I use a cut-up bicycle tube to cover the rails and no mess afterward. Anyway, I am interested to see if anyone has a solution for this as well. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-and-rubber-coatings-degrading-and-turning-into-a-sticky-mess/918692/3 "2020-08-21T23:33:43Z")
No matter how trivial-seeming the problem, someone always does a [paper](https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1049&context=macnewsletter) on it! ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-and-rubber-coatings-degrading-and-turning-into-a-sticky-mess/918692/4 "2020-08-21T23:39:15Z")
I hesitate to submit this, but I’ve had something similar turn out to be a clear protective film that I hadn’t noticed when I unboxed the thing. One it was peeled off, the harder plastic was fine. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-and-rubber-coatings-degrading-and-turning-into-a-sticky-mess/918692/5 "2020-08-22T00:03:44Z")
I have a very expensive knife with some kinda weird rubber place where you grip it. I guess for safety. Your hand is not likely to slip because it’s so sticky you have to peel your fingers off. It’s not escaped me that some of my refugees have sent it through the dishwasher when I wasn’t looking. I emailed the company and if I return the knife to them they’ll restore it. I’m gonna do it. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-and-rubber-coatings-degrading-and-turning-into-a-sticky-mess/918692/6 "2020-08-22T00:48:39Z")
This happened to my Ooma phone device thing. When I called the company, they were quite familiar with it and told me to use acetone to remove the tackiness. It worked to some extent, but it’s still kind of tacky. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-and-rubber-coatings-degrading-and-turning-into-a-sticky-mess/918692/7 "2020-08-22T00:51:08Z")
I’ve noticed this with refrigerator door handles too. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-and-rubber-coatings-degrading-and-turning-into-a-sticky-mess/918692/8 "2020-08-22T02:24:00Z")
I tried acetone to in an attempt to clean off the sticky residue on a retractable luggage handle. After a couple of hours of soaking in acetone, scraping off the gunk, soaking and scraping again, the handle was even more trashed. I ended up wrapping the handle with some heavy duty fabric/tent repair tape. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-and-rubber-coatings-degrading-and-turning-into-a-sticky-mess/918692/9 "2020-08-22T05:25:45Z")
The black rubber-like part of the “head” of my halogen desk lamp has gotten sticky over time. Based on my life experience, I doubt there’s anything to be done besides learning to live with it. Annoying, though. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-and-rubber-coatings-degrading-and-turning-into-a-sticky-mess/918692/10 "2020-08-22T05:38:55Z")
I’ve got a BMW with a ‘gooey’ steering wheel. Don’t care for that, at all! ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Incognito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guy_incognito/32/3920_2.png) [@Guy\_Incognito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Incognito)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-and-rubber-coatings-degrading-and-turning-into-a-sticky-mess/918692/11 "2020-08-22T05:45:06Z")
The dashboard on my 2009 Toyota Camry is sticky / gooey, too. For a while there was a recall issued by Toyota to replace dashboards with this problem, but I bought the car used and the replacement period had already ended. I made things a little better by waiting until cooler weather and used a citrus-based foam hand cleaner like you would use in an auto shop and squirted that onto lint-free rags and wiped the dashboard several times. After it seemed like it was less tacky, I finished up wiping the dash with lint-free cloths and some rubbing alcohol. The dashboard still gets a bit sticky, but it’s nowhere near as bad as it was. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-and-rubber-coatings-degrading-and-turning-into-a-sticky-mess/918692/12 "2020-08-22T07:04:35Z")
I’m surprised this has to be said; Alcohol, and Acetone are used as solvents. Rubber and oil based plastics do not hold up well against solvents. They also do not hold up well against UV radiation. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-and-rubber-coatings-degrading-and-turning-into-a-sticky-mess/918692/13 "2020-08-22T07:18:08Z")
There is a whole lot of substances that can be tried: Wikipedia has a [list](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paint_thinner) of more or less aggressive paint thinners that, depending on the substrate and the substance causing the problem, may solve the problem or make the ultimative mess of it. YMMV. If it becomes untractable you can always use the paint thinners to set the damn thing on fire. If there is some left after that you can experiment around with revolutionary new treatments against Covid-19. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-and-rubber-coatings-degrading-and-turning-into-a-sticky-mess/918692/14 "2020-08-22T07:20:42Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > I’m surprised this has to be said; Alcohol, and Acetone are used as solvents. Rubber and oil based plastics do not hold up well against solvents. They also do not hold up well against UV radiation. Why do you feel you need to say it? Obviously we know they’re solvents since we’re using them to remove the degraded material. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-and-rubber-coatings-degrading-and-turning-into-a-sticky-mess/918692/15 "2020-08-22T07:35:45Z")
Because the op and others complained that their stuff was getting sticky AFTER using alcohol or acetone. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-and-rubber-coatings-degrading-and-turning-into-a-sticky-mess/918692/16 "2020-08-22T07:48:01Z")
??? I’m not seeing that. Where? They’ve only tried it _after_ it got sticky. (And the acetone removed about 95% of the gumminess from the ooma.) ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-and-rubber-coatings-degrading-and-turning-into-a-sticky-mess/918692/17 "2020-08-22T07:58:02Z")
Fair enough. I misread those. but trying to fix a sticky situation by using a solvent is not recommended. even if it did work in your case. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-and-rubber-coatings-degrading-and-turning-into-a-sticky-mess/918692/18 "2020-08-22T08:48:36Z")
It was recommended by the company. And it worked, mostly. Obviously it’s not for every situation. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-and-rubber-coatings-degrading-and-turning-into-a-sticky-mess/918692/19 "2020-08-22T12:22:10Z")
Youtuber AvE brings this up a lot. His explanation (don’t recall if it’s an assumption or actually correct) is that certain types of plastics and rubbers often used to make tools with degrade after years of being in contact with oils from your hands as well as grease/oil/lubricants/solvents etc that would be found around a shop. His complaints are both that they get that tacky feel to them but that they also start to smell bad. Luckily, I’ve only noticed it on a few screwdrivers over the years. I generally have enough screwdrivers that if one gets gross feeling, I’ll toss it. There’s no point in having it around if I’m not going to use it anymore. It also explains why some of my tools are so dirty, or dirty looking, even though I don’t use them with dirty hands. For example a free harbor freight 6 way screwdriver with a handle that looks like it’s had a few years of use by a car mechanic when it really only gets used once or twice a week and spends the rest of the time sitting on a desk in my office at work. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2020, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-and-rubber-coatings-degrading-and-turning-into-a-sticky-mess/918692/20 "2020-08-22T12:50:15Z")
That may be, but I have seen soft plastics that have never been in contact with hands (or pretty much anything) turn into goo. I’ve had the rubber “feet” on a piece of equipment turn into :”chewing gum” all by themselves. I wonder if it’s catalyzed by the adhesive that holds them on? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-and-rubber-coatings-degrading-and-turning-into-a-sticky-mess/918692.md?page=2)