Clean Rubber

[tabbypurr]

Need to know whether I can put rubber goods in a dishwasher, a cold wash in the washing machine didn't work at all. Googling was not helpful.

NT

[Brian Gaff]

When you say rubber, what exactly is it and what are its properties?

Brian

[Bob Eager]

Reusing condoms?

[ARW]

You just turn them inside out for the second go.

[GB]

You can put anything in a dishwasher, but the question is whether you can use it again afterwards. It's like washing pillows.

[tabbypurr]

heh, I expected funny comments but didn't see that coming.

And yes, it's heavily soiled. It's a dog's play ball, and too dirty now. The interweb is full of suggestions that have nothing to do with what I want to do with it. The question is will it survive a run through the dishwasher, and if not can I bleach it?

So yes, it will be used for fun & excitement.

NT

[Chris Green]

Bleaching it will not clean it (unless you use some elbow grease as well) all it will do is make the dirt less visible and maybe kill some bugs.

[John]

Hush, there are children present.

[Huge]

On Usenet? You jest.

[Chris Hogg]

A description of what happens is given here

and here

[Max Demian]

Can't you just put washing up liquid on a nail brush and scrub it?

If that doesn't work, chuck it.

[newshound]

To try to be helpful, it does depend on the type of rubber. Also, what exactly is the product? For horse over-reach boots, either a rinse or (better) a standard cool wash at 30 or 40C will be fine for natural rubber, silicone rubber, and PVC (which are the three main materials used for the moulded, non-composite ones).

[tabbypurr]

It's a dog's ball. Once I know how to clean it, I can use the same method in future. No clue what sort of rubber it is. It's already been through the washing machine on cold, and while it helped it didn't do the job. I could try it in a very hot wash.

NT

[tabbypurr]

. The interweb is full of suggestions that have nothing to do with what I w ant to do with it. The question is will it survive a run through the dishwa sher, and if not can I bleach it?

I could use any cleaning method, but the sensible idea is to find one that works without creating a bunch of extra work and can be used many times ove r.

NT

[Brian Gaff]

Yes I put a back door mat with a 'rubber' backing in the washing machine once. it took three weeks for the little round rubber bits to go away from my other washing. Brian

[Brian Gaff]

They are not made of rubber, despite the common name. I was thinking about fetish wear, I knew a girl once that had a rubber dress. It was always bobbling a bit like those sweaters do only on the inside, she said. If that was a hint, I never acted on it! I guess this could be a wetsuit, drysuit, or some kind of ball, or just a rubber wotnot, as my gran used to call them. Brian

[Brian Gaff]

If you bleach it then please rinse it well and leave it to dry a long eime. You don't want your dog to get a mouthful of bleach. From what used to happen to my Kong thing, it had minute nicks from the dogs teeth, and so I used to just wash it in hot water every so often. Brian

[newshound]

OK it will probably be natural rubber or SBR. I wouldn't actually boil it, but a hot wash with detergent in a washing machine or dishwasher will probably help.

But is it *actually* dirty, or have the surface layers started to depolymerise, making it sticky?

That's a standard problem with the NR coatings on binoculars, see other web advice on cleaning.

[Max Demian]

What is? "Foam rubber" is always polyurethane, AFAIK, which sounds more like a kind of plastic than a product of the rubber tree.

[tabbypurr]

I'll bung it in the dishwasher next time round. Cheers

FWIW this one's unusual in having only a very little squashability. I'll know more about its condition once it comes out.

NT