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Juan asked, How do I clean degraded and sticky rubber from a Nikon camera cover?
Over
time, rubber surfaces start to deteriorate and can become sticky and/or rough. This surface can often be cleaned away or simply scraped off. Follow the guidelines below for easy removal techniques.
You Will Need:
- Soft cloth
- Ammonia
- Rubbing alcohol
- Baking soda
- Spoon or dull knife
Steps to Remove the Sticky Surface:
- Moisten a soft cloth with ammonia or Windex. Rub it over the sticky area to remove some of the damaged surface. A wet Mr. Clean Magic Eraser can also be used.
- Rubbing alcohol can be used as well, but should be used with caution as it can cause damage to some rubber surfaces.
- If the sticky, damaged surface remains, mix some baking soda with water to create a thick paste that is about the consistency of toothpaste. Rub the paste over the surface with a cloth, then rinse clean.
- If the stickiness is stubborn, it can be scraped away with a spoon or dull knife.
Additional Tips and Ideas
- Please note that these fixes are only temporary. Once the rubber starts to degrade, it will continue and the problem will be recurring. It is best to replace these parts whenever possible.
- One site user wrote in (Thanks!) to say that instead of scraping the rubber with a spoon or knife, they used a Choreboy copper scouring pad to scrub it clean. If you’d like to do the same, be careful not to scrub too hard and damage the rubber.
I used Dawn dishwashing detergent. Remember, rubber is a petroleum product and I used it on a hair trimmer. If they can use this stuff to get oil off of water fowl, it certainly works on other items.
It did.
A rag, and Dawn and the stickiness is GONE.
… and there was me thinking rubber came from trees!
Some rubber comes from trees and some is made from petroleum products.
Several materials, such as Xylene, acetone, and ammonia, will work to “dissolve” the sticky surface of the rubber which is “vulcanizing” back to its’ original state due to oxygen and UV exposure. Xylene though is very strong and can easily ruin with long exposure. Acetone I found to be a safer option.
Ammonia is also good, but acetone trumps. Alcohol is a much milder solution for milder situations. Dawn is also excellent as an initial “cleaning” to dislodge the surface.
After many failures, I find the following method useful:
1. Mist water on the rubber and scrub with old toothbrush (or larger plastic based scourer) plus a few drops of Dawn.
2. Scrub 3-5 minutes – enough time for the soap to absorb and dissolve the petroleum based oil of the rubber surface. Rinse well or mist spray water to rinse for delicate electronics, etc.
3. The surface will still be sticky, but less so. Success requires multiple cleaning layer procedures. I recommend at least 2 washes with Dawn before proceeding to the next step.
4. Next, “exfoliate” the sticky rubber surface remaining. This can be done with a green plastic scouring pad, a steel or plastic scraper, your hands, sanding paper, etc. However, the simplest and most sacrificial method is multiple scrubs with baking soda, a toothbrush and tiny water paste. The sodium bicarbonate will bind the black tiny particles in scrubbing for the removal “and” polish the surface simultaneously. Do multiple times and rinse well with a spray bottle. Finished product will be smooth as silk and not sticky.
5. You will note that the black rubber may appear grey with some white blotches. This is normal, but much more pronounced if xylene is used. Acetone is less drastic. Apply alcohol with your fingers or a soft cloth, several applications between drying. This will seal the pores and slightly darken.
6. Optional- apply Armoral or similar product to darken and provide moisturising treatment for rubber. Or, I apply a carnauba wax car finish to seal and protect the rubber.
7. Success! Patience is rewarded for those pesky rubber handle, trim, button, case, surfaces that scream to be thrown out. Do not give up.
Microsoft Bluetooth mouse side grips became sticky after a couple of years left in a drawer. I was tidying out when I rediscovered it!
Tried the WD40 method, but they remained sticky. Then, used nail varnish remover on old cotton rag – bingo! Completely removed stickiness and polished up to bright shine.
I just tried the nail-polish-remover on two old fountain pens. The rubberized barrels had gotten dirty and sticky after about a decade of non-use.
It worked!
Perfectly!
The pens look as good as new. 100% clean, and all the sticky grossness is gone.
The rubber doesn’t even look damaged.
I am impressed!
I used Melaleuca So-U-Mel stain remover on an old lint-free rag, and it completely removed the stickyness from old speakers. It restaured some shine to the rubber/plastic surface too.
Common vinegar did the job for me. Use a rough cotton cloth.
Acetone is what beauticians use to remove nail polish. Takes away everything… polish, skin oil…etc.
Methylated spirits worked for me.
I have vintage suitcases with a rubber stitching. The cases are tacky with old travel stickers and masking tape. Any help out there??
Goo Gone removes glue from stickers. I also use it to get sap off of my car or other things left outside. It takes off road tar as well. It is safe for hands and any surface I’ve ever used it on.
Try Un-Du Adhesive Remover, or if you can get hexane in bulk, it’s probably a lot cheaper if you have a lot stickers and tape to remove.
As for the topic of the original thread (sticky rubber), baking soda paste either removed the rubber or made it non-sticky; either was fine with me.
Too much advise. I do not know which to try first. I have 4 Verizon Fios remotes that are sticky and the one that I am using now has an issue with the volume button; it does not work well to lower the volume, but it increases the volume. All I can say, we’ve been had with products that cause us grief.
Thanks for all advice. I used nail polish remover, too easy, rubber on my hairdryer is good as new; smooth and shiny and I nearly threw the thing out it was so disgusting. Binoculars next! A bit more scrubbing, but it took off the white film that other cleaning attempts had left behind and a lot of rubber, including the Samsung brand name, lol.
Great job, but may I suggest you wear gloves as I will now have to wash my hands in nail polish remover!
Nail polish remover works the best. Thanks for info guys!!!
WD-40 works well and actually, it is fish oil, hence the smell…
Just checked WD-40 site . . . mineral oil, not fish oil . . . so it is a myth.
WD40 worked wonderfully for me. Just a small spray onto an old kitchen rag and a scrub on the affected surface, and the sticky residue is gone!
Now I’m left with a strong smell of WD40 … which incidentally smells like fly spray. Ugh!
I got good results making sticky plastic not be sticky any more by rubbing with a Kleenex sprayed with WD-40. It may not have cleaned it. It may have just coated it, but it worked better than Windex.
I used rubbing alcohol. Removed in an instant. Just test on a small corner to see if it is too strong for your item.
I used finger nail polish remover and it worked great removing the sticky rubber on my walkie-talkies.
Neither the baking soda nor the alcohol worked for me. So I tried a green scouring pad (the kind to NOT use on pots and pans), added a drop of water so it was moist and not wet, and scrubbed vigorously. It was quick and worked great on the flat surface of my portable power bank–scrubbed all that sticky rubber off!
I used fingernail polish remover. It worked the best of anything I’ve tried. It also left the rubber looking like new. Alcohol will work, but it didn’t really leave the surface looking clean and new. This was on a Bose volume control for my computer speakers.
How long has it been since the fingernail polish remover? I used the baby/talcum powder method & it worked temporarily, but 6 months later I have the same problem again.
My problem is different. A full can with oil-based stain popped open in heat in back of my car on a rubber liner. I have wiped up oil with paper towels and washed with diluted Dawn solution and rinsed, but it feels tacky to the touch. Any more ideas?
BA,
Try using a little baking soda mixed with water. Baking soda is a mild abrasive though, so don’t scrub too hard or you could damage the rubber. You can also leave the paste on the rubber until it dries, then brush it off or rinse it off. Letting the paste dry can allow it to absorb the tacky material on the surface.
Source: HowToCleanStuff.net – How to Remove Dirt and Grime from Rubber Watch Straps
Source: HowToCleanStuff.net – How to Clean a Rubber Phone Case
Lacquer thinners, rubbed with a rough cloth: quick, easy, inexpensive.
Methylated spirit – had in workshop for years; emoved sticky hand grips to normal in seconds. Tried all sorts prior to this.
Rubbing alcohol on a Swiffer sweeper refill as a strong rag worked for me. Using enough alcohol on the rag cut through the gooey stuff and I could see where I had gotten through and where I hadn’t. When everything looked shiny, I was done.
I had a similar problem with a pair of old binoculars. I tried some of the above suggestions with no success. I had some Plastic Dip (similar to Liquid Rubber) laying around that I carefully painted on top of the sticky parts. It seems to be working so far, but I don’t know if I would have the guts to try it on a good camera or lens. Good luck.
I fixed a sticky TBOX remote by spraying the back with ALDI Antiperspirant (Prince) wiping it with a cloth then sprinkling it with foot powder and rubbing that in. It worked nicely.
I was just about to throw out a duo salt & pepper mill because the rubber on the top knob had turned into a sticky gum-like yuck! Dawn dish soap was my first try but I found it spread the guck around, making it worse (I should have kept rubbing). I then mixed up a baking soda paste & used a light scouring pad (green type) & rubbed the knob until it shone like new & the stickiness was gone. Took a bit of time & a fair bit of elbow grease but it worked!! Great tips. Thanks.
My wife cleaned a sticky lacquered tea can with eucalyptus essential oil. It’d never become sticky again, but looks like the oil has removed the whole lacquer layer. Looks fine for me though.
I used Xylene and a dry microfiber cloth on my sticky hand grips on my elliptical. Took 30 seconds and turned out non-sticky, but left it a bit cloudy white. I am ok with that and will try some other ‘rubber renew’ product on it another time to bring back the black look. At least now I can use the machine again. I would use Xylene again if it gets sticky again.
My Remington beard trimmer rubber case trim got sticky and covered with hair cuttings, which wouldn’t wash off. I rubbed the rubber parts with a cloth soaked in IPA (iso-propyl alcohol). This removed the hairs and dried up the deteriorated rubber.
I used a Chux Magic Eraser (the white blocks of foam you can buy from a supermarket). It easily removed stickiness from my SLR camera.
Magic Eraser worked best. Aftetwards, took the remaining residue off with mushy baking soda.
I use green wool with a little detergent on my Philips shaver. The sticky rubber surface is now smooth.
I have a Bushnell range finder that became very sticky. I had really good results with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Took some rubbing, but cleaned the surface completely.
Use powder to take the stickiness away.
This worked great; way better than the typical internet remedy.
Thanks; I used Windex and a Dobie pad and it worked perfect on my universal remote.
The Windex worked well for me. But, I put it on fine grade steel wool, which doubled as a spoon, I guess. Of course, that leaves some fine metal flake residue which you can easily wipe off, but I would be *really* careful with something like the camera in the picture. I was doing it on the end covering of a music keyboard. Another possibility would be a scratch pad like what you might use to wash dishes, I suppose, but remember you are going to throw it away afterwards.
Amazing that we are all so committed to devoting many hours of our time to cleaning up sticky handles and devices. Like there aren’t 100 other things that need my attention more! HAHAHA. But, I’m going to try all the advice in this string! Especially, Timothy’s– I had to print his out!! 🙂