Perhaps age and weather has finally got to my Tivoli PAL, a beloved outdoor radio that my wife and I use in the garden, when washing the cars, etc.
Today the PAL had a patina of goo, which I thought I would readily wipe off with a moist washcloth, but no doing.
The goo remained and seems to part of the rubber's very texture, compromised over 5 years of sun and age.
The radio still functions as before; it's just that after setting it down I have the unsettling sensation of having pancake syrup on my hands.
When I bought the Tivoli, it was $130. Now it's a whopping $219. If you have that kind of dough, you might get the silver one, which I believe is made of an aluminum material not prone to the sticky goo.
Try the Mr Clean Magic Eraser - this is actually a very fine abrasive. Use it on a part of the radio hidden from view to make sure it works and doesn't do any damage (it shouldn't).
Posted by: Paul | July 23, 2008 at 09:15 PM
That's great advice. I'll try it. Thanks.
Posted by: jeffrey McMahon | July 23, 2008 at 10:01 PM
Another solution (which I've used with great success on old plastic cased radios) is Novus plastic polish. You start with number 1 for general cleaning, then go to number 2 which removes fine scratches, haziness and abrasions, and then clean/polish again with number 1. Don't use number 3 unless you have heavy scratches.
See
http://www.novuspolish.com/
and
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000WUC7E
In fact I'd say this is a better solution initially than the magic eraser. For both products you will have to exert moderate pressure while polishing/cleaning.
Posted by: Paul | July 23, 2008 at 10:36 PM
Great info, Paul, but it appears that the actual rubber has been degraded. In other words, all the dirt has been removed; the actual rubber has a gelatinous, sticky patina. The lesson: Don't get a rubber radio.
Posted by: jeffrey McMahon | July 23, 2008 at 10:42 PM