# Suction Cups Won't Stick.  Help!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suction-cups-wont-stick-help/132663>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 17, 2002, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suction-cups-wont-stick-help/132663 "2002-10-17T14:16:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![annieclaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5a626/32.png) [@annieclaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/annieclaus)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2002, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suction-cups-wont-stick-help/132663/1 "2002-10-17T14:16:24Z")

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I have installed three shelves in the corner of my shower stall using suction cups. The walls are ceramic tile. Two of the shelves are sticking just fine, but the third shelf has suction cups that just don’t want to stick. I wet the cups before installing. I thought I had a good suction going. But it’s not working. Anybody have any ideas how I can get the bad shelf to stick to the wall???

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**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2002, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suction-cups-wont-stick-help/132663/2 "2002-10-17T14:25:59Z")

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First, make sure the tiles are **very** clean where you’re trying to put that third shelf. Then, instead of wetting the cups, try rubbing them on the side of your nose, to get just a trace of skin oil onto them. That usually works better than wetting them.

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**Author:** ![Zazie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Zazie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zazie)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2002, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suction-cups-wont-stick-help/132663/3 "2002-10-17T14:30:45Z")

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Saliva is bet “wet thing” to put on it… and like Early Out said it has to be clean.

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**Author:** ![andy\_fl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@andy\_fl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andy_fl)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2002, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suction-cups-wont-stick-help/132663/4 "2002-10-17T15:14:51Z")

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Use Alcohol (or acetone/nail polish remover) to clean both the tile and the cups. This will remove any oily stuff or dirt and works better 🙂