Bringing The Sticky Back

How to bring the stickiness back on a reusable sticky roller.

QUESTION:

Hello,
I bought a Mr. Stickey lint remover and got a small one free and another larger one also included. I purchased this product at BJ’s about 2 months ago. Initially, the larger piece worked well picking up hair and other particles from the floor, but after a few uses the rubber sticky part lost its “stickyness” and now it does not work very well at all. Can you please let me know what recorse I have. Is it possible to get another larger Mr. Stickey from you for free or can I get my money back? I have yet to use the other two Mr. Stickey product yet. Please let me know what is my next move. Thank you.

Best regards,

J G

ANSWER:

OK. First of all, we do not carry the Mr Sticky. Second of all, we were not the company you bought your set from, as we do not set up shop in any BJ’s stores. That being said, we can help because we are sort of experts on the subject. It doesn’t matter if you have a sticky buddy, a Mr. sticky, a schticky roller or any of the other versions floating around out there. The technology is pretty similar, and we have been selling the reusable sticky rollers for many years now. We don’t carry any of those, but we do carry several sizes of a brand that we find to be very high quality and long lasting.

It is quite normal for these washable rollers to seem like they have lost their stickiness at one point or another. This usually leads to frustration and then angry phone calls or emails involving uptight people yelling about how we are liars that sell junk and then lie about it. Turns out we are not liars, and we also do not sell junk. This is because the roller does work like we say it does, and it also didn’t really lose it’s sticky or run out of stickiness or anything of the sort. The reason why this happens is actually related to the fact that the roller is very sticky. The problem is not lack of stickiness. It is more closely related to lack of washing.

Because the roller is very sticky, anything you touch will become stuck to the roller. This is great when you are rolling dog hair off your chair, or lint off of your shirt, but it will also work the same way on stuff that you can’t really see. For this reason, over time, the roller will become coated with fine particles or residues. This is totally normal, and it can occur over a long period of time, or after one use depending upon the surface you are cleaning, or the type of debris you are rolling up. When the roller becomes completely covered it can no longer pick up anything else. This does not mean that it is no longer sticky, it just means that it is doing it’s job, and is, in fact, very sticky.

Once you remove this caked on debris that you may or may not be able to see, the roller will be as good as new again. Under normal usage, you will only need to rinse it under warm water to make it ready to use again, but every once in a while, you will have to take it a bit further. For most people, you will only need to do a thorough cleaning periodically, but the frequency will change depending upon specific usage patterns. Once you do perform this more thorough washing, the roller will be as sticky as it was when it was new, as soon as it dries.

HOW TO CLEAN A STICKY ROLLER:

When rinsing the roller is not doing the trick, or whenever it seems like your washable roller has run out of stickiness, just follow these quick and easy steps to make it useable again.

You can use dish soap and water or rubbing alcohol to do the cleaning.
For dish soap, simply apply a decent amount to the roller, and scrub it under the faucet to add water.
You can use your hand, a wash cloth or something a little more scrubby. Work up a good lather and then rinse it clean under the faucet when done. As you wash it like this, all of the micro particles and oily residues will wash away so that the roller is no longer coated.
For rubbing alcohol, simply pour some onto a cloth and wipe the roller all over to remove the build up.
Once the area is clean, rinse under water to wash off any alcohol or loose debris that remains.
Once you clean the roller in any of these ways, let it dry thoroughly. The roller will never be sticky when wet, but after you clean it and let it dry all the way, it will be just as sticky as the first time you used it.

These reusable sticky rollers are convenient, money saving tools that have multiple applications all over your home office or vehicle. Depending upon how you use it, the roller will get coated and seem less sticky at some point. This problem is easily fixed, and it does not mean the roller is crappy or in need of replacement. It just means that it is time to skip the rinse and go straight to a more thorough cleaning technique.

If you’re trying to clean a large surface, or thick piles of hair, you may find these tools to be a bit frustrating because you will have to clean the roller several times before the job will be complete. For smaller areas, or quick jobs, they really can’t be beat. Because they are so sticky, you can quickly pick up hair, dust, lint and light dirt off virtually any surface. The super sticky roller is totally reusable, but it does need to be clean and free of debris in order to work. If used realistically and maintained properly, these things can last for many many years with nothing to replace ever.

Have your own question or problem? Send it to us, and we will provide a brilliant solution.