RE: [CR]Cleaning gum hoods?

(Example: Racing:Wayne Stetina)

From: "Warren Hall" <warrenhall@houston.rr.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: RE: [CR]Cleaning gum hoods?
Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2006 11:10:09 -0600
In-reply-to: <f90421730603170840m5c01d3b7tabe35d69403dcac6@mail.gmail.com>
Thread-index: AcZJ4ZFAMQSzJx9ATDSRdJthH6KSiwAA/EkQ


What you are seeing is some of the antioxidant "blooming" out of the rubber. Try any tire dressing or armor all.

Good luck! Warren Hall Houston, TX Pinarello & Woodrup

-----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of Don Rogers Sent: Friday, March 17, 2006 10:41 AM To: Classic Rendezvous Bike List Subject: [CR]Cleaning gum hoods?

Hi, folks.

I picked up a set of NOS Dia-Compe levers and they have gum hoods that are flexy and soft and happy -- ready to roll. Except, one of them has a sort of bloom or coating of a powdery/cloudy-looking dark gray substance, which just looks nasty and doesn't make me want to put my hands on 'em. It's not like a surface spot of dirt or grease, though it may have been that at one time. It's more like *in* the rubber, as well as at its surface.

I kind of like some of the mold details of these hoods, which makes me reluctant to order up standard replacement hoods.

I checked the archives and didn't find any useful advice. Does anyone have any suggestions on effective and non-destructive/rubber-safe cleaning of gum hoods? Soaps? Detergents? Degreasers?

Thanks very much,

Don Rogers
Rumford, RI USA