It started about a week ago. I noticed a sticky feeling on my hands so I washed them (as I do regularly). Unfortunately it wasn’t long before the feeling came back. I’ve started noticing it on everything I frequently touch - mouse/keyboard, Xbox controller, phone, on and on. I tried household cleaner, rubbing alcohol, water/soap on these surfaces and it seems to help for a short while, but it comes back within hours. Just now I gave my phone a good wipe with soapy water and as soon as it dried it feels sticky again.
I’m not sure what else to try or how to get rid of it.
Possible culprits I can guess at: -pollen? the cars around here have been covered in greenish yellow powder which I have seen before, but never experienced this stickyness. I don’t use my car / touch the door handles very often.
-some sort of plastic or rubber is degrading, maybe my phone case? It’s an Otterbox that’s over 6 years old.
-a little weed container I bought around the same time this started, maybe the store had vape juice spilled on it? But I don’t touch it often enough to warrant the spread of this profound stickyness.
Any ideas are welcome. It’s driving me nuts.
I’d almost bet money it’s the otterbox. If it’s one of their older models, I would bet a small amount that’s what it is if it could be an anonymous bet and a good way to confirm. I’ve had a few otterbox cases over the years, and the older ones always degrade and get sticky, and it transfers. Their newer ones and colored ones don’t (or haven’t yet anyway), but I’ve stopped buying them because of it.
You can’t fix it, you just have to toss the damn things.
It probably contains some form of butyl rubber. The same stuff is used on cheap tool grips and if you get the wrong solvent on it then it becomes instantly and permanently sticky. I imagine it does the same thing with enough age as well.