Silicone Degradation?

I just threw away my second silicone colon tube. Both went the same way: white death. The tubes became covered with a white, powdery substance. The first one, I kept cleaning up with alcohol, inside and out (the only thing that would remove the substance, then only by rubbing therewith). But, over the course of many months, I realized that the tube was becoming very soft. I finally threw it in a box and put away, thinking I would trash it later. I forgot about it and discovered it a couple of months later just about totally alive with the nasty white stuff and soft to the point it almost wouldn't hold its round shape anymore. So, this second one, I just decided to toss it now and not fight it. Let me say, in both cases, the tubes had been in use (albeit infrequently) for more than a year before they started exhibiting the problem. This second one is maybe 5 years old at this point but hadn't been used in over 2 months.

So, what is this white stuff? Mold? Yeast? The only lubricant I use on the tubes is coconut oil. I clean the tubes well with soapy water after use, rinse well, and let thoroughly dry. They hang 100% vertically in a dry closet with good ventilation. I have seen a little of this on my other silicone tubing that hangs in the same place, but rarely. All were cleaned in the same manor. Is it possible that this is just a manifestation of the silicone degrading? I have not read any posts in the cleaning forum indicating anyone else has had this problem.

The one I had and paid dearly for it, It became more cloudy over time, but also got harder and was not as flexible. Was afraid to use it.

This is a good thread. I have had several silicon anal toys and dildos that eventually did degrade and I had to throw them away but this was after several years of use. I seem to remember that one manufacturer said to use a talcum powder before storing them to keep them from breaking down.

Not sure if this would apply to all silicon products. I will be interested to follow this thread since I was considering ordering a silicon colon tube.

Silicone is a type of rubber, and like all rubber it can dry out as it loses its natural oils.

I wonder if some of the products we use to clean them with could accelerate the aging of the silicone. Or in the case of an enema bag or colon tube, some of the solutions we put through them.

Silicone is not a type of rubber, it’s a synthetic elastomer and does not contain oil, natural or otherwise. It’s called silicone rubber because it resembles rubber, not because it is.

Silicone won’t by itself provide food for mould or fungi, but after you’ve passed soap, oil, or other substances through it, there can be a substrate left for mould to grow on.

'Could be from the manufacturing process. Back when I worked in "Aerospace" for one company we had some "Silicone seals" (AKA Gaskets") that over time became stiff, brittle, cracked and had to be replaced. Upon "Engineering" investigating the problem it was discovered that "moisture" present in the initial formulating of the seals was the problem! There's an answer out there!!! Just someone has to have the $$$$ and know-how to go about it!!

with a "Click!!,"

highwater

Thank you one-eyes for the correction. I was reading essentially the same thing in Wikipedia.

If my tubes were getting "dryer" and harder, I could almost understand it. (The type of silicone seals we use in automotive applications DO exude oils, BTW) This is just the opposite. The white, powdery-looking substance is actually rather greasy-feeling. And the tube gets seriously softer, not harder.

@ Dunstall-- Yes its degrading ...don't use it ..don't think for a minute it's not harmful.

@ one-eyes...While basically your assertion is correct & Silicone repels water...conversely it attracts mildew like a magnet--Fact !...Its the mildew that does the damage...Cleaning can be done with pure vinegar & Borax,using 80/20....leave immersed for 2 hours & wash/rinse clean ...dry thoroughly.....SUGGESTION :When DRY sprinkle with cornstarch powder & place between folded plain paper.

www.lifewithoutplastic.com/store/is_silicone_a_plastic#.VOpZMXzF_kd .Scroll down to Toxicity-Is Silicone safe..Your own regulatory body the FDA has relative information that can be accessed.

I noticed my 4qt. Klystra silicone bag had developed a cloudiness on the inside. Rather than mess with it, I just use one of my antique glass percolators that is much easier to clean, and just replace the hose when needed.

Dan

I use my clear silicone Klystra bag and colon tube just about daily for my 1 soapy and 1 rinse routine and it always gets a white coating inside after awhile that I attribute to our tap water. If I dry the interior of the bag with a small cloth the bag will stay clear. If I just hang it up to air dry, after only a few uses it begins to get cloudy. The silicone tubing and the colon tube are always just hung up to dry and they both get cloudy quickly. CLR and hot water works just fine to remove that coating. Its easy to wash the interior of the bag because I can fit my hand inside with a small rag. The tubing is a little harder. After soaking the tube in hot water to soften it up, I fill it with CLR. Then, beginning at one end, I compress and roll every inch of the tubing with two fingers, forcing The CLR out the other end. After a thorough rinse it's about as clear as brand-new. I'll do this about monthly, and in between cleanings just live with a little cloudiness. I haven't noticed any "degredation" of my silicone gear, and it's about 8 or so years old now. Truly, in my opinion, a Cadillac of enema bags and no more mold or mildew like my old rubber gear would get.

I have posted years ago about how to throughly clean the lumen ot tubes.

http://www.zity.biz/index.php?mx=forum;ox=display;msg=287670

Take a 12 gauge solid copper wire a foot longer than the tube.

Bend both ends into very tight loops so they can fit through the tube from end to end with six inches extra on each end. Slide the wire all the way through the tube to it sticks out the other end.

Attach a small piace of gauze, rag, cotton ball, whatever to the loop at one end and use the other end to pull it through the tube after soaking the tube and gauze into cleaning solution of your choice. I like clorox right out of the bottle--no fuss, no muss.

Pull the wire holding the gauze through the tube 2-3 times, then rinse and you're done.

Hang vertically from ceiling to floor is necessary --NO COILS-- to dry.

To Susie's procedure I would add one extra step. Before bending the ends of the 12 ga wire, use a cup burr to round the ends so there are no sharp edges on the ends to scratch or tear your silicone tube.

We used electrolytic polishing, but I don't think most people have that. 😁

Most don't have cup burrs either. Unless someone in the house makes jewelry.

I think that a person could use an ordinary file instead of a cup burr to round the end of a piece of wire.

hankb

You can get great cup burrs to fit Dremel Motor Tools. Actually you can get a tool for just about any small, delicate job using a Demel. They don't make good hammers however.

You can use an emery board or a nail file to smooth a copper wire.

This isn't rocket science.

Yes, but rocket science gives you something to do when your lover is not available. 😁

There are a lot of different silicone rubber types and formulations. The white powder is probably bloom. I would try a different supplier and look for platinum cure.

http://www.siliconenozzles.com/main.sc;jsessionid=40AB885C6B4207FC5D2409478C78358C.m1plqscsfapp06

My next one will definitely be from siliconenozzles.com

Their website is a treat and if their process results in a product with more integrity, even better.

Silicone nozzles is great I have had one of there nozzles in my suitcase for years (I pack an enema to stave off travel related constipation) and its just like the day I got it.

Soap scum was my biggest problem. Any soap left some scum, but Ivory was the worst. After years of trying various things to clean my silicone bag and tubing, and my latex bag and tubing, I discovered that simply adding dish detergent to water and running it through the bag before I hang it up to dry solved all of my problems.

Will vaseline affect silicone in any way? i find that the regular water soluble lube well... dissolves in water and becomes useless in enema setting.

Vaseline will not injure silicone.

Silicone lubricants will destroy silicone toys.

Nice, thank you, my silicone toys will be slicker from now on)

Alex, Susie is correct. Petroleum based products have no effect on silicone. I use Vaseline, or cocoa butter all the time and they won't breakdown from the water; they stay slick.

I have a 43 Fr OHP silicone colon tube. That Australian, you are dead right about silicone and mildew! My tube is about ten years old and in fine shape; but I do watch for mildew starting. It always begins on the inside, near the inserted end and always in the same places. This makes me think it actually does damage to the silicone and even though I soak it in bleach until the spots are gone, there must be surface damage that ensures that when they come back, it will be to the same places,

The bleach process needs fairly concentrated bleach: ordinary domestic bleach diluted only three to one. I first clean it a la Susie (but using a length of curtain spring cord with a curtain hook on one end). The cloth I pull through it is soaked in pure bleach, and I pull it through twice in each direction before filling it with solution and leaving it to soak for four or five days. It seems to work.

Johnny