Cleaning rubbers

Suga D · Oct 24, 2016

Yeah, everything you said there is making sense, but ttdgfg wrote that he's used demineralized water and then put on the foil.
Hence my question.

ttdgfg said:
I cleaned (demineralized water) it and put a plastic protective foil.After 8 months i gave to a friend...

bobpuls · Oct 24, 2016

I have also one foam with nano bots which can repair damaged rubber, and also they can be programmed to recreate the topsheet from T05 to Hurricane 9 ... great stuff

UpSideDownCarl · Oct 24, 2016

Suga D said:
Yeah, everything you said there is making sense, but ttdgfg wrote that he's used demineralized water and then put on the foil.
Hence my question.

Yep. Even without the oil, a tacky rubber with a plastic sheet over it will get tackier and tackier over time. The oil just makes the tackiness increase faster.

Sent from the Subterranean Workshop by Telepathy

Der_Echte · Oct 24, 2016

Suga D said:
Yeah, everything you said there is making sense, but ttdgfg wrote that he's used demineralized water and then put on the foil.
Hence my question.

With a tacky rubber, one can clean it, moisten it, then put on a protective plastic and make sure it is totally on...

Leave it on and one day later it is a ball magnet.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

Tryzerlol · Oct 24, 2016

This thread is great, might as well bust a vein by following the train of thought

Before checking in here I firmly believed in breath/swipe or tap water to be the panacea for dusty or dirty rubbers, but it seems like I missed the enlightenment in the cleaning department.

Reading through this in one go I guess there is atleast one thing the majority can agree on, there is definitely a difference between inherently tacky topsheets and non-tacky (ESN, Japan) topsheets when it comes to cleaning them (and maintaining the tackiness, duh).
When I was a kid I bought a bottle of some kind of foam cleaner to go with my first custom bat. Eventually I ran out of that stuff and continued using tap water because I was born lazy. Without anyone giving me hints or suggestions I was under the impression that the special-made cleaner wore down my rubbers quicker without actually giving me a better cleaning result than water, so I moved away from it and never used anything that was specifically made for cleaning ever again.

Unfortunately I don't really have any experience with tacky rubbers YET, my first two sheets of Neo H3 (ever) will arrive tomorrow. I definitely won't go back to cleaning foam or anything like it, but it seems like protective sheets might be a really good idea, based on experiences shared here.

shinhyun · Oct 24, 2016

Personnaly I use the butterfly rubber cleaner with the butterfly sponge, no I'm not sponsorised by butterfly, it is just because I think it is the best way to clean my tenergy (lol)... Placebo effect here you are !

Broken · Oct 24, 2016

Tryzerlol said:
This thread is great, might as well bust a vein by following the train of thought

Before checking in here I firmly believed in breath/swipe or tap water to be the panacea for dusty or dirty rubbers, but it seems like I missed the enlightenment in the cleaning department.

Reading through this in one go I guess there is atleast one thing the majority can agree on, there is definitely a difference between inherently tacky topsheets and non-tacky (ESN, Japan) topsheets when it comes to cleaning them (and maintaining the tackiness, duh).
When I was a kid I bought a bottle of some kind of foam cleaner to go with my first custom bat. Eventually I ran out of that stuff and continued using tap water because I was born lazy. Without anyone giving me hints or suggestions I was under the impression that the special-made cleaner wore down my rubbers quicker without actually giving me a better cleaning result than water, so I moved away from it and never used anything that was specifically made for cleaning ever again.

Unfortunately I don't really have any experience with tacky rubbers YET, my first two sheets of Neo H3 (ever) will arrive tomorrow. I definitely won't go back to cleaning foam or anything like it, but it seems like protective sheets might be a really good idea, based on experiences shared here.

What you experienced with cleaners is what I was taught would happen, that's why I really hope Bobpuls reports back with his results with using cleaners when his Hurricane rubbers reach end of life. Sure, the amount of wear will depend on a lot of other factors, like how much he plays, hardness of strokes, even humidity where he lives, but I still would find it interesting.

And you are correct about using protective sheets, one must use them correctly as well, I noticed that my friend who has lost quite a bit of tackiness on his Hurricane rubbers actually didn't compress the air completely, compared to what Bobpuls did in his videos, that might be the reason.

Broken · Oct 24, 2016

Liten said:
5 pages... 5!

Really?

I guess that's what happens when how you clean your rubbers is something you learn from myths and legends, passed down for generations of players. Carl seem to be in the know though. Maybe somebody should just condense the information and create a sticky, so we don't have to have this discussion again? How to clean your rubbers seem to be something that creeps up now and then...

Broken · Oct 24, 2016

UpSideDownCarl said:
Yep. Even without the oil, a tacky rubber with a plastic sheet over it will get tackier and tackier over time. The oil just makes the tackiness increase faster.

Sent from the Subterranean Workshop by Telepathy

What is your thoughts on cleaners? Good, bad, doesn't make that big of a difference?

ttdgfg · Oct 25, 2016

Suga D said:
That's interesting. Was the rubber tacky before, or was it just grippy and then turned tacky?
Maybe the protection sheets could really have something to do with this too...

Well anyway, since i seem to be the only one finding it questionable, to spread sweat on rubbers, with all its outwashed minerals from the body, plus some other nice "ingredients",
i'll just let you carry on, but i can't stop repeating that i still don't like the thought of doing that and i still would love seeing some serious independent research (not sponsored by a producer of rubber cleaners) about this.

My ranking list would be
1. rubber cleaner
2. distilled water
3. spring water
4. tap water
5. Less questionable liquids
6. very questionable liquids

[Emoji6]

But to me it's no surprise anymore why this here is mainly a sausage party and so few females tend to post....

EDIT: pls take my last sentence with a grain of salt. I'm quite aware that this isn't the only reason
[Emoji12]

Rubber had some tack in the begin but nothing great. with soft sponge.It was slow and a bit spinny. after the 8 months it transformed to a magnet, and it remained slow with some spin.

I em pretty sure you are not the only one who thinks sweat or breath or some other questionable stuff are good for cleaning. Sure you can go that way if you have not something better for the moment.Cleaners are more efficient and they dont cost that much either.

UpSideDownCarl · Oct 25, 2016

Broken said:
What is your thoughts on cleaners? Good, bad, doesn't make that big of a difference?

Wait, didn't I write enough on that subject?

Well, let's see if I can spin this a little differently.

For tacky or grippy non-tacky rubbers, the primary reason for cleaning, in my opinion, is to get things like dust particles off the topsheet. When I am playing I just use my hand and my breath, even though I have that handy dandy fancy sponge. Before I put my racket away I use the sponge. It just has water on it. Just a small amount of water so the water will have evaporated off the rubber in under a minute.
The sponge just gets the dust off the topsheet quickly and thoroughly. But any number of other methods will work fine.

I have not played with tacky rubbers in years, but the major issue I remember is how dust and hair and random particles just find your topsheet and try to stay and make home there. So the cleaning needs to be a little more detailed. But the same method would work. Also, that and other things mentioned, make it so it is much more valuable to have plastic sheet covers for a tacky rubber. Not just because they help increase the tackiness. The ensure that foreign particles do not kill the tackiness.

I actually have this cleaning foam from Joola that I used to use once in a while years ago when I tried harder to find ways of extending the life of my rubbers. These days I use them. After they are really dead, after I have used the WD40 trick once or twice, I just throw them away. Anyway this cleaning foam from Joola definitely does something similar to WD40. But I also felt that, if I used it a lot, it caused the rubbers to wear out faster.

So, as far as I am concerned, you just clean the surface in a simple way. With tacky you need to cover the topsheet. And when the rubber is dying you can add something like mineral oil or WD40 to the topsheet to make it grip more.

But one thing people may not realize is that, if you go too far in trying to extend the life of a rubber and have used things to make the topsheet grip more or to expand the sponge, as the sponge and topsheet start really losing their elasticity, those rubbers with grippy topsheet and sponges that feel like cardboard can mess with your technique.

Sent from the Subterranean Workshop by Telepathy

Suga D · Oct 25, 2016

ttdgfg said:
Rubber had some tack in the begin but nothing great. with soft sponge.It was slow and a bit spinny. after the 8 months it transformed to a magnet, and it remained slow with some spin.

I em pretty sure you are not the only one who thinks sweat or breath or some other questionable stuff are good for cleaning. Sure you can go that way if you have not something better for the moment.Cleaners are more efficient and they dont cost that much either.

Oh, i see. Well, thanks for answering my question and for your reply in general.

I never knew that the rubber had a slight tack. That's why i was so surprised. But now it all makes more sense.
But that major increasement of the tack is still astonishing to me, although carl has written about that before.
Great. Thanks for that.

In general i think Baal has pointed it out real good.
Some scientific research might help for clarification as well, 'cause until then everybody's "guess" is just as good as mine...

[Emoji2]

P.S. for clarificational reasons i had to re-edit my former post where i've been asking you about the rubber's tack.

Thanks again.

TurboZ · Oct 25, 2016

For rubber cleaning, I will try every way possible. But I must say I am not comfortable seeing my opponent rub his rubbers around his sweaty arm and bald head repeatedly.

There was a time I play a lot with robots, and the rubbers got white powder build up to extreme slippery condition in mere minutes. I found wash with water can't get the grip back like cleaners do so I am addicted since then. But that is extreme and it may not apply to others for normal use. BTW I like those Chinese made from taobao for tacky rubbers but too bad they totally ban shipping liquid oversea in recent year.

I guess I have bought enough supply for life.

Suga D · Oct 25, 2016

TurboZ said:
For rubber cleaning, I will try every way possible. But I must say I am not comfortable seeing my opponent rub his rubbers around his sweaty arm and bald head repeatedly.

There was a time I play a lot with robots, and the rubbers got white powder build up to extreme slippery condition in mere minutes. I found wash with water can't get the grip back like cleaners do so I am addicted since then. But that is extreme and it may not apply to others for normal use. BTW I like those Chinese made from taobao for tacky rubbers but too bad they totally ban shipping liquid oversea in recent year.

View attachment 11139

I guess I have bought enough supply for life.

Hahahaaa,
[EMOJI23]
this is impressive.
[Emoji15]
Thank you so much, Turbo Z
I was eagerly waiting for your contribution.
[EMOJI106]

ttdgfg · Oct 25, 2016

TurboZ said:
For rubber cleaning, I will try every way possible. But I must say I am not comfortable seeing my opponent rub his rubbers around his sweaty arm and bald head repeatedly.

There was a time I play a lot with robots, and the rubbers got white powder build up to extreme slippery condition in mere minutes. I found wash with water can't get the grip back like cleaners do so I am addicted since then. But that is extreme and it may not apply to others for normal use. BTW I like those Chinese made from taobao for tacky rubbers but too bad they totally ban shipping liquid oversea in recent year.

View attachment 11139

I guess I have bought enough supply for life.

Hi turboz, since you have try 1 or 2 cleaners

, which ones you think are good for tacky rubbers.You refer to some stuff from taobao, mind sharing a link here(besides the Reach rubber wash)?Thank you.

shinhyun · Oct 25, 2016

I have used the butterfly cleaner for 3 years now, on tacky and non tacky : I have found it very good, it is not harmfull, it removes the dusk properly and doesn't let something on the rubber. On tacky rubber, the tackiness is still here for a very long time if you add a plastic film after cleaning it, my teamates are impressed because all of their rubber become grippy but mine are still tacky. But it is weird because after 3 mouths of use, it is still tacky but is also "slippy"... I can't describe this.

Broken · Oct 25, 2016

UpSideDownCarl said:
Wait, didn't I write enough on that subject?

Well, let's see if I can spin this a little differently.

For tacky or grippy non-tacky rubbers, the primary reason for cleaning, in my opinion, is to get things like dust particles off the topsheet. When I am playing I just use my hand and my breath, even though I have that handy dandy fancy sponge. Before I put my racket away I use the sponge. It just has water on it. Just a small amount of water so the water will have evaporated off the rubber in under a minute.
The sponge just gets the dust off the topsheet quickly and thoroughly. But any number of other methods will work fine.

I have not played with tacky rubbers in years, but the major issue I remember is how dust and hair and random particles just find your topsheet and try to stay and make home there. So the cleaning needs to be a little more detailed. But the same method would work. Also, that and other things mentioned, make it so it is much more valuable to have plastic sheet covers for a tacky rubber. Not just because they help increase the tackiness. The ensure that foreign particles do not kill the tackiness.

I actually have this cleaning foam from Joola that I used to use once in a while years ago when I tried harder to find ways of extending the life of my rubbers. These days I use them. After they are really dead, after I have used the WD40 trick once or twice, I just throw them away. Anyway this cleaning foam from Joola definitely does something similar to WD40. But I also felt that, if I used it a lot, it caused the rubbers to wear out faster.

So, as far as I am concerned, you just clean the surface in a simple way. With tacky you need to cover the topsheet. And when the rubber is dying you can add something like mineral oil or WD40 to the topsheet to make it grip more.

But one thing people may not realize is that, if you go too far in trying to extend the life of a rubber and have used things to make the topsheet grip more or to expand the sponge, as the sponge and topsheet start really losing their elasticity, those rubbers with grippy topsheet and sponges that feel like cardboard can mess with your technique.

Sent from the Subterranean Workshop by Telepathy

Hm, maybe you gave your opinion on cleaners in the thread earlier, I must have missed it. Thanks for giving it again!

TurboZ · Oct 25, 2016

ttdgfg said:
Hi turboz, since you have try 1 or 2 cleaners , which ones you think are good for tacky rubbers.You refer to some stuff from taobao, mind sharing a link here(besides the Reach rubber wash)?Thank you.

Since China ban the shipping of liquid I can't buy any cleaner or glue from taobao in the last 2 or 3 years. Hope you can find a way to smuggle some out.

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.303.py1Q5i&id=8987896351&ns=1&abbucket=16#detail

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.81.py1Q5i&id=15916384194&ns=1&abbucket=16#detail

For those I have used, I like Donic the best on both types of rubbers, and it looks cool in blue and smell nice too.

Suga D · Oct 25, 2016

TurboZ said:
Since China ban the shipping of liquid I can't buy any cleaner or glue from taobao in the last 2 or 3 years. Hope you can find a way to smuggle some out.

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.303.py1Q5i&id=8987896351&ns=1&abbucket=16#detail

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.81.py1Q5i&id=15916384194&ns=1&abbucket=16#detail

For those I have used, I like Donic the best on both types of rubbers, and it looks cool in blue and smell nice too.

Interesting. I didn't know that.
Probably it's because of VOCs, 'cause ProTT.cc still sends Booster to overseas though, but they will only send one bottle at the time, which let's shipping costs literally explode.
But maybe you could ask them about sending cleaners too.
But I can also ask a friend who will travel to Shanghai in december.
Maybe he knows a way.
[Emoji6]
But from your pic it doesn't really look like as if you were in the need to get a new one anyway...

I'm not sure if the shop in our neighbour town has as many as you have in stock. It's a small shop though.
[Emoji2]

ttdgfg · Oct 25, 2016

TurboZ said:
Since China ban the shipping of liquid I can't buy any cleaner or glue from taobao in the last 2 or 3 years. Hope you can find a way to smuggle some out.

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.303.py1Q5i&id=8987896351&ns=1&abbucket=16#detail

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.81.py1Q5i&id=15916384194&ns=1&abbucket=16#detail

For those I have used, I like Donic the best on both types of rubbers, and it looks cool in blue and smell nice too.

So these two links you send are cleaners that you have try before? These are better then donic but since you cant get them you use the former?Thank you.

Cleaning rubbers

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