Best Way to Make Rubber Pliable Again

Download Article

Download Commodity

If you've ever found a condom band snapped complimentary from its place around a pack of baseball game cards, pulled out an old pair of favorite sneakers and found them stiff every bit a board, or had your vacuum cleaner break down considering of some little gasket, belt, or band, you know that safe hardens over time. Natural rubber degrades and hardens every bit heat, oils, and fifty-fifty simple oxygen crusade chemical reactions. Therefore, limiting exposure to rut, oils, and oxygen is one mode to filibuster the hardening of safe objects. At the same time, all the same, properly employed heat or oil tin can restore some softness to rubber objects, although it is a battle that will eventually be lost.

1. 1

   Check rubber objects regularly for hardening. Slowly just surely, any rubber object, be it your motorcar windshield wiper blades or the elastic waistband of your favorite pajama pants, volition harden over time. Evidence of white or colored substances on the rubber can be i indication of a chemical reaction taking place.

   • Natural rubber has poor resistance to both ozone and UV light, as well as to petroleum oils. Additionally, temperatures beneath -60°F (-51°C) or above 220°F (104°C) will degrade it speedily, while temperature extremes in general volition facilitate long-term degradation and hardening.^[1]
   • Rubber stretches and flexes considering it is fabricated upwardly of long, tangled molecule chains that can exist straightened out under tension. Degradation of these molecular chains can occur from repeated or excessive tension (think of frayed or over-stretched rubber bands), or past exposure to elements like those noted in a higher place.^[2]

2. two

   Examine the rubber for signs of impairment. Cracked rubber will remain cracked even when information technology's softened. Once cracks form, your only options will be to endeavor out a rubber patch kit or to only supercede the prophylactic object. There is no miracle cure by this indicate.

   • One signal worth making here is that common softening methods — heat and oils — actually damage the rubber in the procedure. Then, every fourth dimension you practise soften upward a stiff rubber gasket or shoe sole, you are also contributing to its eventual demise.^[3]

   Advertisement

3. three

   Keep rubber objects make clean. There is only so much you can practise to proceed oxygen, temperature fluctuations, and light away from rubber, but wiping abroad residue can assistance keep deteriorating oils from damaging the object.

   • Make clean prophylactic objects with but warm h2o and a clean cloth when possible. If necessary, use a mild detergent and rinse it away completely.
   • Solvents plant in cleaners tin degrade or even dissolve prophylactic.
   • Avoid washing apparel with elastic waistbands more needed, and don't use hot water.

4. iv

   Seal rubber in an airtight container to delay hardening. If possible, remove as much air (and thus oxygen) from the container as yous tin can before sealing it.

   • Placing condom items in zip-close bags and using a straw to suck out about of the air can noticeably delay the hardening process. If you lot've ever compared rubber bands kept in a plastic bag in your junk drawer from those loose in the drawer, you know the departure it tin can brand.^[4]
   • Natural condom is especially susceptible to oxidization because sulfur is added to the mix when making items like safe bands. Oxygen reacts with sulfur and substantially removes it from the item, leaving it more than brittle.

5. 5

   Place the container in a cool, dry out, dark identify. The same place you might store apples or potatoes would really brand a decent identify to likewise continue your bagged-up sneakers.

   • 68 to 77°F (20 to 25°C) is a sensible temperature range for storing safety items, though lower temperatures can also be good.
   • You might even consider keeping tightly sealed safe items in your refrigerator. The excessive common cold and higher humidity of the freezer, however, makes it a less ideal choice.

   Advertisement

1. ane

   Choose your preferred heat source. An oven or hair dryer is the most probable choice, although some people espouse placing safe-soled shoes on a radiator, for instance. Ensure your oven's heat element can run at a depression setting and your blow dryer's rut element can use a high setting, to get approximately equal temperatures.

   • A dress dryer placed on its highest heat setting could be another option, especially for sneakers.
   • The temperature range yous seek is roughly 200-220°F (93-104°C). Temperatures above this range will probable practise more than impairment than practiced.^[v]
   • Remember to make clean condom objects, ideally with just h2o, before heating them.

2. ii

   Place the rubber object in an oven on the "warm" setting. In case your oven overheats and melts the prophylactic, identify the item(s) on an oven-prophylactic pan or some other container (but one y'all won't use for nutrient).

   • If y'all are heating shoes, brand sure the soles are facing up, to reduce the chance of them melting onto the oven rack or pan.
   • Continue the item(s) in the oven for v to 10 minutes. If y'all happen to have an infrared surface thermometer, yous can take the guesswork out of reaching the desired temperature range.
   • Again, be careful about overheating, considering high heat will break down rubber, and considering cleaning up melted rubber is no one's thought of fun.^[six]

3. 3

   Heat the rubber with a blow dryer, alternatively. For safety-soled shoes, at least, heating on "high" for seven to ten minutes has been claimed to be successful.

   • Don't hold the dryer in any ane spot, and check the safe detail regularly for signs of melting or other deterioration.
   • Check carefully, even so, as the safe can go very hot. Once again, an infrared surface thermometer could prove useful.

4. 4

   Allow the prophylactic to cool for 10 minutes. Then, attempt to manipulate it. With luck, the item will remain softer and more than flexible even after cooling.

   • Go on in mind, however, that in that location are many prophylactic formulations, and some may respond better than others. Also, in that location is no miracle cure, and some hardened rubber items will simply be too far gone for softening. You lot are actually dissentious the condom by heating it to soften information technology, and some items cannot take the beating any longer.^[7]

   Advertisement

1. ane

   Remove the prophylactic role from non-rubber components so that it can be soaked individually. This method is best for industrial or mechanical rubber parts that will be inserted back into an associates.

   • Unless you have rubber soles that can easily be removed and reattached, this may not exist the best method for shoes. The soaking solution may damage or discolor leather or other shoe materials.
   • Call up to clean the particular thoroughly kickoff, ideally with just warm water and a clean textile.

2. 2

   Mix a solution of three parts rubbing alcohol to one function wintergreen oil. Make certain that the amount of the solution is enough to completely cover the safe detail when placed in the container.

   • Although both these liquids tin can exist handled safely in modest quantities, it may be all-time to employ tongs or gloves when inserting and removing the rubber object. At very to the lowest degree, y'all will keep your easily from smelling like wintergreen.

3. iii

   Submerge the safe item, seal the container, and check regularly for softening. Sealing the container will limit evaporation, which may expose your submerged item.

   • It may take just a few hours to see results, or instead take several days. Exist patient and keep checking. After several days, notwithstanding, yous are unlikely to see whatsoever additional benefits by keeping the item soaking.

4. 4

   Remove the softened particular and wipe it with a make clean fabric. Allow the prophylactic to air dry. Although the rubber will aroma strongly of wintergreen, it is best non to use h2o to launder the substance off.

   • Past leaving the leaving the oil in place, the softening procedure can proceed.
   • Of form, retrieve that the oil residue is as well slowly damaging the condom while softening information technology, so you'll have to use your all-time judgment as to whether information technology is best to leave it on or rinse it away with water. Information technology is probably best regardless to avoid using harsh detergents.^[eight]

   Advertising

Add New Question

• Question

  How do I soften the rubber coating in my raincoat? It's gotten very stiff over time.

  

  Bess Ruff is a Geography PhD pupil at Florida Land University. She received her MA in Environmental Science and Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2016. She has conducted survey work for marine spatial planning projects in the Caribbean and provided research support as a graduate boyfriend for the Sustainable Fisheries Group.

  

  Environmental Scientist

  Expert Answer

• Question

  How tin I soften an elastic waisbband on boxer shorts?

  

  Bess Ruff is a Geography PhD student at Florida State University. She received her MA in Environmental Scientific discipline and Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2016. She has conducted survey work for marine spatial planning projects in the Caribbean and provided research support as a graduate fellow for the Sustainable Fisheries Grouping.

  

  Environmental Scientist

  Expert Answer

• Question

  How to soften rubber gaskets?

  

  Utilise boiling water or a pilus dryer.

• Question

  How exercise I soften the safety seals located on the edges of a refrigerator and freezer door?

  

  Employ a hand-held hair dryer.

• Question

  I accept some erasers that stale out and could not be used. Could I utilise this method? If non, what am I going to do?

  

  It would depend on the type of eraser. A lot of erasers are a rubber compound, and without knowing how to soften the other ingredients information technology's difficult to say. I would first with hot water - place them in a shallow dish of h2o and microwave them for 20-30 seconds at a time. I wouldn't utilise anything stronger than h2o, as information technology would likely change the constitution of the eraser and compromise its functionality.

• Question

  How can I soften rubber kitchen cleaning gloves?

  

  Proceed them stored with a light dusting of talc or corn starch. This will keep the production soft and moisture free.

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Things You'll Need

• Oven
• Accident dryer
• Rubbing alcohol
• Wintergreen oil
• Airtight container

About This Article

Article Summary X

To soften rubber, endeavor heating it up past putting it in your dress dryer on the hottest setting. Make sure to cheque it periodically so it doesn't burn or melt. If you lot are wanting to soften the rubber in sneakers, use a hair dryer on the hottest setting for about ten minutes. You can also put your sneakers in the oven on the "Warm" setting for about 10 minutes, simply be sure to place them on a blistering dish that you don't apply for cooking anymore. After the rubber has cooled, you tin can often reshape it before it hardens. To learn how to proceed safe from hardening in the beginning place, read on!

Did this summary help you?

Thank you to all authors for creating a page that has been read 248,517 times.

Did this article help you?

tweedtrest1982.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Soften-Rubber

Share this post