Mike wrote in, asking for tips on how to remove gunk from rubber (or rubbery?) tool handles.
I suppose this could apply to hand tools, or power tools which have overmolded grips.
Advertisement
Mike wrote:
Is there a way to remove the stickiness that sometimes form on black rubber tool handles without ruining the rubber?
There are too many different types of soft polymer materials for me to guarantee that one particular cleaning method will work over another. What I would do is try one cleaning method on a small area where potential degradation wouldn’t hurt performance or usability.
I think I would try an alcohol wipe first, due to simplicity of use.
If that didn’t work, I would try Simple Green, an industrial cleaner and degreaser, or a similar non-toxic degreaser. I have a tub of Simple Green wipes that I bought a while back, which should be quicker and easier to use for something like wiping down gunky tool handles.
If I had nothing else available, I might alternatively try a damp rag with Dawn dish soap or similar, but for hand tools. I wouldn’t try this on power tools.
Advertisement
Some tools are impervious to automotive solvents and fluids, but usually this only applies to tools designed for such usage environments.
Use the wrong solvent, degreaser, or cleaner, and you might damage the handle material. In some cases, you could cause an overmold to deteriorate, or if the adhesive is attacked, it could cause the handle to delaminate from a tool.
Do you have any recommendations about how to clean soft rubber-gripped tools?
John
If you want to try something a bit less harsh, I have had great results with Pledge “Multi Surface Everyday Cleaner” (sometimes shortened called “Multi-Surface” the safe for electronics one).
http://www.pledge.com/en-us/products/pages/multi-surface-everyday-cleaner.aspx
Its safe for electronics and mixed parts where you have plastic, rubber, and glass all together it works on all without worrying about crossing material types. After a long project, I’ll wipe down my cordless drills, multi-tools, saw bodies, etc with it removing dust and it helps treat and protect the rubber over moldings to keep them from drying out / cracking and it will get rid of unwanted surface greases/oils but obviously not as much as a true degreaser would. I’ve found that its been the best compromise for safety and mildness on sensitive electronics over harsh degreasing power cleaning. Love the stuff after trying so much, I hope they never stop making it. You can also get it in “unscented” if you’re concerned about the “girly” smells, although I’ve found “rain shower” to be the least noticeable almost unscented if I can’t find “unscented” at the store.
John
I also forgot to include use of Boeshield T-9 after cleaning up on metal surfaces. While the Multi Surface is good on everything including metal, rubber, plastics, electronics, etc for that extra protection on metal components while I’m already cleaning I’ll give a treatment of Boeshield.
So far that I can tell, theres no difference in the “spray” version of Boeshield T-9 and the drip bottle / bike bottle which seems to be touted as a lubricant more than a surface treatment. Its the same thing so if you prefer to put it on a rag and apply rather than spray all over the place thats the better more cost effective way. This will prevent rust and flash rusting in between use of your tools on the metal parts. I’ve noticed no ill effects if this happens to get on plastic/rubber parts other than it may make it a bit slick (you can wipe it off with a microfiber on non metal parts if you’re concerned) but it doesn’t seem to cause any melting, discoloring, or otherwise damage to plastics and rubbers if it happens to get on it like other metal treatments can.
fred
Goo Gone and other orange-oil products sometimes work – but as Stuart points out they may prove to be a solvent for the “rubber” or its adhesive – so tread carefully.
One of my favorite degreasers is called “Greased Lightning” which I buy at Lowes:
http://www.lowes.com/Search=degreaser?storeId=10151&langId=-1&catalogId=10051&N=0&newSearch=true&Ntt=degreaser#!
Mike
I’ll second the orange oil or other citrus based cleaners. They work well, and so far I’ve never seen them damage anything rubber that wouldn’t otherwise be damaged by normal cleaning (thanks for the new ‘improved’ screwdriver handles, Klein, so sturdy and impervious to wear.)
For stubborn or dried on grease/paint I have had very good results from water based Oops. It’s similar to the Greased Lightning that Fred recommended, I think.
RKA
Strange as this sounds, I used baby wipes to wipe down rubber and plastic bits before I put the tools away. This is typically only necessary when working on the car. The form factor wins, just pull a sheet out of the pack and it’s ready to go. Works great on the hands too. It’s mild and hasn’t caused issues in 10 years. It will even clean motor oil off the grips. Anything requiring a stronger solvent I’ll using an all purpose cleaner/degreaser, diluted down. And if it really requires something stronger, then goo gone or the like. And metal bits get wiped down with WD40.
Jerry
Baby wipes work good for me as well. Probably not the best degreaser but works pretty well for the sticky gunk you sometimes get. They are mild, cheap, and packaged for convenient use. As for hand cleaners, they don’t get all the grease off but do seem to remove enough so that you don’t leave an oily or dirty residue on doorknobs a d sink handles when you come in from the shop or garage.
Eric
Waterless hand cleaner wipes & wd 40′. Never had a problem with any rubber or plastic cordless grips. I’ve also uses armor all wipes and alcohol safety glass wipes. Never a problem noted. Q tips and toothpicks in the crevices
Tator
I use Damon chemicals SF-77 degreaser.
Chaz
I have a set of Snap-On pliers that seem to attract grease and dirt on the handles and I use PB Blaster. One wipe and the handles look brand new.
Bradley Hanstad
Kent Total Rubber Cleaner is what I used when I was working for Singer Vehicle Design. The stuff is amazing, and would highly recommend. If you need something a bit ‘safer’ 3M has a Citrus Base Cleaner that works pretty good as well.
Bradley Hanstad
I should note that Kent Total Rubber Cleaner retails for about $30 a can though…
WBC
At least now I know why a Singer Porsche is $500,000. 😉
Rocks
Maybe the Porsche
Tools are plain old
Craftsman tools of course they don’t cushion the grips with this sticky crap that attaches to tool so we toss out!
Rocks
I’m in quest of a man that has the solution to these rubbery handles an such on my curing iron handles and weather radio grip
It’s sticky I’ve used about everything in my kitchen toliet bowl Cleaner an lemon juice an soap it’s just stickier pls. Help
Lady rocks
pete
WD-40 and a dry rag works, so does plain gasoline, or brake cleaner works really well too. If you don’t want the smell you can use grime boss wipes, i swear by those things. They’re double sided with one side soft and one side is rough for cleaning/scrubbing action.
SteveR
I’d recommend against using gasoline except as motor fuel. It’s a very effective solvent, but it’s flashpoint is low enough that it could ignite under the right circumstances. My dad used it, though; perhaps yours did as well. It would eat (dissolve) the rubber or other synthetic handles over time, so there’s a second reason to avoid it. Brake cleaner dissolves paint on your car, so I would think it’s a lock for dissolving rubber, too.
Try something relatively innocuous first (glass cleaner, dishwashing detergent, etc.) until you find one that works satisfactorily. You can always contact the manufacturer of your tools to ask what they suggest as a cleaner to remove the guesswork.
Stuart
I would NOT use gasoline, especially not on power tools that often have sparking motors.
WD-40 is fairly toxic, and brake cleaner is very toxic. I wouldn’t use these on handles I would be touching with my bare hands,
Michael
Brake parts cleaner will damage many plastics.
Jim Felt
I’m curious if any of you guys have seen the chalky appearing deterioration of the black rubber cushioning material on Klein Tools? Particularly screw and nut drivers?
And if so what helped regain the black surface without the whitening effect I’ve been seeing?
I’m all ears. Er, well, here maybe all eyes.
Or and this thread is so useful. Good starting question Stuart!
Stuart
I’ve seen similar surface effects on other rubber materials. It could be outgassing after time, or drying out a little. I should know this, but haven’t looked into it yet.
The material, whatever it is, usually wipes away easily.
fred
I’ve noticed it too – doesn’t seem to impact performance – so I never worried about it much. Maybe one of those automotive products like Armor All would work.
SteveR
fred–Armor All, even if it works for that, has a side effect: It makes whatever it’s put on slippery. Not something you’d want on a tool handle, particularly a power tool which you might lose control of while it’s running.
Since this (getting a handle dirty) probably isn’t a daily occurrence, I ‘d suggest the following: Unplug any power tools, and wipe the handle down with a dry, clean cloth at the end of each job or shift. That will often remove the worst of it. If you need to remove more grime, take a small amount of dishwashing liquid (which is an excellent solvent) and, with another cloth and some water, wash the handle until you’re happy with the result, then use a wet cloth to clean off any residue. Let the handle dry and repeat as necessary after each use.
Many older mechanics and construction workers learned to wipe down their tools (and look for damage) at the end of the day, remembering the motto, “Take care of your tools, and they will take care of you”.
Mike
Yuuuup! That’s exactly what my snarky comment above was referencing. It’s the rubber itself wearing away. Scrape a clean area on the rubber with your fingernail or a hard surface. Look familiar? Now rub your fingertip over that chalky mark and watch it disappear as you wear the rubber down even again. There isn’t anything you can do to prevent this other than not using them. Wiping with a clean cloth or paper towel will eliminate the marks until they reappear, but you’re wearing down the rubber more each time you do that.
The cushion grip screwdrivers and nutdrivers used to have a thinner plastic body and a much softer, tougher vinyl grip. Around 2005, 2006 they switched to the current wider body with a harder and much thinner molded grip. This new rubber grip doesn’t hold up to wear like the old vinyl and in my opinion isn’t as comfortable. I’d still be using my old ones if I could, but they have chrome plating down over the tips and I’m no longer allowed due to the FOD risks.
Chris P
I too use baby wipes on power tools. Effective, easy and no problems so far.
If tools are coated in fine sawdust I run the shop vac over the vents as well.
MT_Noob
“Use the wrong solvent, degreaser, or cleaner, and you might damage the handle material. In some cases, you could cause an overmold to deteriorate, or if the adhesive is attacked, it could cause the handle to delaminate from a tool.” –
That is so true. I was soaking a bunch of extra grimy sockets in mineral spirits, and decided to also throw in my favorite phillips screwdriver for a quick clean. I got distracted, and all of them soaked for several days. No damage to the sockets, but the entire handle of the screwdriver was dissolved into a gloppy mess. Lesson learned for me. Start with less aggressive cleaners first.
fm2176
I have an Inova flashlight with a rubber grip that got nasty just sitting in the truck. It was sticky and felt horrible to hold. Used a Chlorox cleaning wipe and a minute later it was like new (and sanitized to boot).
Richard G.
We are using Orange cleaner on everything. When it not enough, I use Orange or whatever paste hand cleaner we have and rubbing the handles of the tools, and washing it down. Never had no issues of damaging rubber surfaces. For whatever reason, the Orange napkins, in past, had a bad smell and wasnt very pleasant to use, but new orange degreaser or Simple Green is a good solution.
Jimmie
I’ve never tried to clean rubber handles but I do like the Simple Green Pro cleaner in the garage and workshop. I’ve even had good success using it to clean pitch from carbide table saw blades (needs to soak for a few hours to be effective).
Fran Tark
Costco sells big packs of Lysol disinfectant wipes that get the job done for me. If one of my drivers is particularly funky, I will chuck the tip of the thing into my cordless drill and let it spin in my hand while I hold the wipe. (Carefully… Of course)
Tammy
Nobody has mentioned white vinegar. It’s slightly acidic, but can be rinsed off after getting rid of the sticky stuff. Alone or used 1/2 and 1/2 with Blue (original) Dawn dish soap removes any gunk I’ve ever come across. (Some websites recommend heating the dish detergent first, but I don’t know if that’s necessary).
Tammy
Oh, and it’s super cheap.
Dan
One thing to note about rubbers and other polymers, it’s not about how “strong” a solvent is, it’s more like rock paper scissors. A good example is EPDM and Buna/nitrile rubber. Both very common, epdm is impervious to the elements and most natural skin oils and is used mostly for weatherstripping but also O-rings and roofing material. It’s even impervious to acetone and brake fluid, but get it in contact with petroleum anything, oil, wd-40, mineral spirits, and it’s a gooey mess in short order. Buna is one of the most common rubbers out there and used for pretty much everything from hoses to seals and o-rings, impervious to petroleum anything but expose it to acetone/brake cleaner/modern alcohol mixed gasolines and it’s not gonna last long.
Udi
I have some hand tools that are over a hundred years old that have wooden or steel (even bone) handles that are a delight to use. I also have quite a few with plastic or resin handles that are nearly as old as I am. I see little if any need for all the polymer over mouldings that are found on all types of handles now, besides as a way of building in some planned obsolescence. I’ve worked with tools for over half a century and have noticed that with few exceptions, it is the shape and size of handles that make them easy or difficult to use, rather than coatings and fancy looking plastic/rubber combinations. Wherever possible, I try to buy things that are made to last and this does not in general, include anything with rubber on the handle. I also look for tools which look like they will still be usable when the ruber goes. One exception is in some hammers, where the rubber actually lessens shock. Sometimes we have no choice though, but when the rubber inevitably does deteriorate, I try to make the manufacturer aware of my displeasure. In the meanwhile, water, detergent and elbow grease seem to be my most effective, non destructive cleaning materials for most modern, unidentified materials.
Scott
Just in case anyone is still following this old thread… Try a Mr. Clean magic eraser on rubber tool handles. I put a tiny bit of dish soap on the eraser, get it wet, and scrub away. Works beautifully.
Caleb
Just cleaned off some rubber overmolding from some PA-6 fiberglass reinforced plastic. I tried dawn, goo gone, and 90% isopropyl alcohol without much luck. Once I tried some “All Wheel and Tire Cleaner” (the surfactant type), it came right off.
AL Catraz
a few days ago I inherited an EASTWING 16oz hammer — VERY OLD AND DIRTY!
The handle was BLACK and OILY with some PAINT STAINS too… layers from YEARS OF USE and not cleaning it..
I used…. LIQUID WRENCH penetrating oil!! Sprayed a bit on the handle… let it seat for some 10 minutes… then used paper-towels and rags to clean it !
It was getting clean… so I soaked paper towels with the OIL, wrapped the handle with it over-night — cleaned it !
It looks great now –