Bib Hanger and Melted Theraband

I had noticed this before but wasn’t sure of the connection until now. I store my Starter in the box it came in. Usually I’d put my strip of Theraband in the bottom with my cloth wrap between it and the hanger. A few times, especially after not using the hanger for a few months, the Thera felt slick and oily. After a good scrubbing with dish soap it was good to go.

I stopped hanging quite a while ago. I don’t even remember exactly when. Probably at least a year. I stored my hanger in the box as usual. Months later I took out the cloth wrap. The Thera sat in contact with the hanger for a long time. Today I looked in the hanger box. The Theraband was extremely oily, and the part of it in direct contact with the hanger had dissolved into a puddle of goo.

The box had been stored inside between 65 and 80 degrees away from any heat source. The melted blob was in contact with the hanger’s bottom skid, not the gel liner. However, I suspect outgassing from the liner is responsible. The protective plastic bead on the end of the top screw (only when new — they always quickly fall off) has occasionally been melted after being left in contact with the gel.

Don’t store Theraband or plastic parts in the box with your hanger.

This happens a lot with anything made of silicone and probably other plastics as well. I once made the mistake of putting some play-doh on my wife’s dining room table. We were a bit messy at the time, and it sat there for several weeks. When we finally cleaned the table, the play-doh had stripped away a small area of varnish right down to the wood.

The makers of sex toys often warn users not to store the toys (jelly dildos and such) in contact with any plastic, because the plastic will melt the toys.

Also, the same thing happened with my bib hanger. I now wrap it in cotton before storing it away.

This has never happened to my equipment despite similar storage techniques. I wonder why :confused: