What will soften rubber

Heat some water in a stew pot on the stove. Heat it until boiling. Set the stew pot in the sink and submerge the rubber in the water to soften it. Grip the rubber with a pair of salad or canning tongs and remove it from the water. If you need to touch the rubber at this point, put on a pair of oven mitts or leather work gloves to handle it.

People have been known to use WD40 to soften rubber, but this is really not the best way to do it. If you decide to use WD40, try these steps here. Instructions 1. Spray the old rubber with WD or a comparable solution. If possible remove the rubber part from it's installation and allow it to soak in a small basin of the WD or other product. Allow the WD or comparable product to penetrate the old rubber for at least 10 to 20 minutes. Wipe the rubber part or area clean with a soft cloth until you can no longer see or smell the solution on it.

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

It may take only a few hours to see results, or instead take several days. Be patient and keep checking. After several days, however, you are unlikely to see any additional benefits by keeping the item soaking. Remove the softened item and wipe it with a clean cloth.

Allow the rubber to air dry. Although the rubber will smell strongly of wintergreen, it is best not to use water to wash the substance off. By leaving the leaving the oil in place, the softening process can continue. It is probably best regardless to avoid using harsh detergents. Did you know you can get expert answers for this article?

Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow. How do I soften the rubber coating in my raincoat? It's gotten very stiff over time. Bess Ruff, MA. Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer. Not Helpful 3 Helpful 3. Not Helpful 7 Helpful How do I soften the rubber seals located on the edges of a refrigerator and freezer door?

Not Helpful 5 Helpful 5. I have some erasers that dried out and could not be used. Could I use this method? If not, 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 it's difficult to say.

I would start with hot water - place them in a shallow dish of water and microwave them for seconds at a time. I wouldn't use anything stronger than water, as it would likely change the constitution of the eraser and compromise its functionality. Not Helpful 4 Helpful 3. Keep them stored with a light dusting of talc or corn starch.

This will keep the product soft and moisture free. Not Helpful 2 Helpful 0. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Related wikiHows How to. How to. About This Article. Use ammonia to restore natural rubber. Ammonia is often used to wash bathroom fixtures and can be used for laundry as well. Ensure that the ammonia is pure, and doesn't contain any detergents or other chemicals.

Clean the rubber item you are restoring. Scrub it thoroughly with a wire brush and wash it with water until the water dripping from it is perfectly clear. Pour some ammonia into a pot of warm water and immerse the rubber article in the water for 1 to 2 hours. This will be enough time for the ammonia to evaporate. Follow the directions on the ammonia bottle for guidelines as to how much ammonia to add to the water. Restore thicker pieces of tubing by filling them with ammonia water, plugging their ends, and boiling them in a pot of water set to a low boil for hours.

Pull the rubber out of the boiling water, then dip the cotton wad into some glycerine, and wipe down the rubber item with it. Natural rubber is made up of long polymer chains that can slide away from each other, causing instability.

Through chemical manipulation, these long polymer chains can be cross-linked. This makes a stronger compound whose molecules will not slide. When you cure natural rubber, you are cross-linking the polymer molecules.

The length of the cross-links determines the characteristics of your final rubber product. Since the s, the process of curing rubber for use in various industries has sparked many developments in curing agents. The first chemical used to cure rubber was sulfur.