How to clean rubber products? Have you ever noticed that almost all your household appliances have rubber seals! Simple household remedies make your seals clean again.
Seals of all kinds also play an essential role in refrigeration and air conditioning technology.
They are the ones that make it possible to control the temperature of cold chambers, refrigerators, refrigerated counters, and other refrigeration units by keeping the cold air inside and preventing the inflow of warm air from outside.
However, during cleaning, seals are often forgotten even though thorough and regular cleaning helps extend service life and significantly minimize electricity costs.
Learn in this article how to clean and maintain rubber with simple household products.
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How to clean rubber products easy in six steps
Vinegar is often recommended as a cleaning agent for a wide variety of rubber articles. However, you should not follow this advice to the letter, as acids can attack and damage the rubber. If you use a commercial cleaning agent, ensure that the pH value is meager.
- In many items in your household, rubber is getting used as a material. The numerous door seals alone, which play an essential role in washing machines, refrigerators, and dishwashers, among other things, must be cleaned regularly.
- To clean the rubber, you usually only need warm water. Put a good shot of regular washing-up liquid in it. A small dash of vinegar or citric acid for disinfection can be getting added to this but unnecessary.
- Especially when cleaning rubber seals, cotton swabs are usually very helpful. They allow you to get much better into the narrow gaps of the seals.
- After you have cleaned the rubber, it must dry well. Therefore, you should always clean rubber when you defrost the refrigerator.
- Finally, you can apply a maintenance treatment to prevent the waterproofing from becoming porous. All you need is standard Vaseline or glycerine, which you can use on the rubber.
- You will probably hardly ever clean the tires of your car. However, before you store the tires over winter, clean the rubber. A pressure washer with a flat jet nozzle is sufficient for this purpose, which you place about 20 to 30 centimeters away from the tire.
See Also: Casting Silicone
Correct preparation is essential to cleaning rubber seals
If you want to clean your seals’ rubber, you should first check them for possible damage.
Are there any cracks to be seen anywhere? Does the rubber feel porous? Has the elasticity been lost and the seal hardened?
Then it would help if you did not wait too long before buying a new one because defective seals significantly reduce the performance of your device and increase power consumption due to the additional absorption of heat from the environment.
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Professional rubber cleaning with simple household products
If your gasket rubber is not damaged, you can clean it with simple household cleaning products. Use a fresh cloth, which you dip in lukewarm water.
It is best to add some mild detergent or washing-up liquid. Do not use any aggressive cleaners or vinegar cleaners, as these can damage the material. In this way, it can remove over 90% of surface germs and dirt and grease deposits.
A disinfectant does the rest. Before you put your device back into operation, you should ensure that the seal is dry to prevent mold formation.
Clean your seals regularly and depending on the load. It should remove visible dirt and grease deposits as quickly as possible; otherwise, they will stick to the material, be challenging to clean, and form the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and fungi.
In this way, you also prevent discolored rubber.
See Also: Descaling Household Appliances With Vinegar
Clean rubber with natural household products
You can also clean rubber gaskets with household remedies of natural origin.
Natural cleaning agents can be found in every household and are environmentally friendly. The following methods are a great tip for cleaning refrigerator rubber seals.
Remove stains and dirt easily with white vinegar from the rubber. Pour 700ml of water and 300ml of vinegar into a bucket or bowl, dip the cleaning cloth, and wash the seal until all stains have disappeared.
Then rinse the seal with clear water and dry with a clean cloth.
Cleaning rubber with toothpaste has also proved to be a suitable method. This method is getting considered incredibly efficient, as various ingredients of the toothpaste help prevent mold.
The menthol contained in many tubes also helps to eliminate unpleasant odors. To clean a seal with toothpaste, use an old, discarded toothbrush.
With this, you can easily apply the toothpaste to the soiled areas. Then wash it off with clear water and dry it with a clean cloth.
Finally, sodium hydrogen carbonate has also proven to be a suitable cleaning agent.
Sodium hydrogen carbonate or soda can be found in almost every household and has numerous properties that make it the right all-purpose product.
Thanks to its disinfecting effect, it can also be used as a cleaning agent. Mix some soda with water until you get a white paste-like mass.
Apply the paste to an old toothbrush and massage the soiled areas. Finally, rinse with water and rub dry with a clean cloth.
See Also: How To Descale A Dishwasher?
Baby powder extends the life of rubber seals
After cleaning, rub your gasket with a baby powder. It prolongs the life span additionally, and the reason for this is the talc contained in baby powder.
This mineral substance reduces friction, prevents the seal from sticking, repels dirt particles, and prevents unwanted dirt deposits.
Baby powder is, therefore, an excellent household remedy to maintain the rubber of your seals.
See Also: How To Reduce The Amount Of Moisture In The Car?
FAQ How To Clean Rubber Products
How to clean rubber seals?
Pour a combination of water and white vinegar like 70% water and 30% vinegar into a small bowl, dip a sponge in it and then rub the seals until all stains disappear. Rinse the seals with clean water and dry them with a clean cloth or rag.
What makes rubber porous?
The rubber from which the rubber is getting made consists of carbon chains. As the rubber ages, the sulfur bridges gradually dissolve. Oxygen bridges take their place, but these hardly hold the molecular chains together. The rubber loses elasticity becomes brittle and porous.
How can rubber seals be made supple again?
Vaseline, deer tallow, talcum, or glycerine are also suitable for these seals for regular care before the onset of winter and in spring. Alternatively, silicone-based oils and Ballistol oil are suitable, applied thinly with a cloth.
What attacks rubber?
How vinegar affects rubber – experts use it to make the paper transport rollers in copiers and printers usable again. In the past, many people repaired defective bicycle valves with vinegar essence. The fact is that 38 percent of acetic acid increases the elasticity of rubber and makes it swell.
What destroys rubber?
Strong acids like nitric or sulfuric acid decompose rubber. However, they are hardly accessible to private persons and are dangerous.
Why do rubbers become brittle?
At shallow temperatures approx -40 °C for natural rubber, the rubber freezes hard as glass and breaks brittle under stress. But even at low temperatures, latex rubber with a low sulfur content can become rigid (partially crystallize), making it leathery, stiff and fragile.
How do you care for rubber seals on your car?
Carefully clean the rubbers with a cloth and some vinegar and rub them thoroughly with a dry cloth. Apply the rubber care sparingly to all the rubber around the door. Use a material to rub evenly on the rubbers’ surface and wipe away any excess care balm.
How do you get window rubber seals clean?
To extend your window rubber seals’ life, you should clean them thoroughly every one or two years. Clearwater and a soft sponge are best for this purpose. If your seals are particularly dirty, you can add a drop of detergent to the water.
Which grease for rubber seals?
Several fats and oils decompose latex, and rubber can swell primarily through acidic fats but is more resistant. With acid-free fitting grease-like silicone grease, you are on the safe side.
Conclusion
Rubber is best cleaned with mild detergents and the correct procedure. For numerous rubber seals, rubber rings, and other components made of rubber to live as long as possible, you should care for them regularly.
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Last Updated on 18/03/2022 by Buzz This Viral
