Palmrest Material Composition Breakdown?

Question

I recognize how strange this is going to sound, and I’ve never heard of this problem before. Hopefully I can adequately describe the issue I need help with. I have a Latitude E6420 that has not been used, and has been sitting in a cabinet, for over a year untouched. Whatever material the palmrest is composed of, or coated with, appears to have begun breaking down(??). The entire palmrest area is extremely sticky. At first I thought there was something on it, but whatever is causing the problem is not something that will wipe off, and it it affects every millimeter of the palmrest. I have tried using a cloth with Windex, and then with rubbing alcohol, but nothing works. The problem is limited to the palmrest area only, including the volume/mute buttons, but not the keyboard, the touchpad, or even the bezel around the keyboard. The display, and the bezel around the display, are also not impacted. The palmrest must be composed of a different material than the rest of the laptop case. Whatever it is, it does not appear to transfer to my skin or clothing, it just causes my hands stick to the surface really. Has anyone else ever experienced a material composition breakdown like this? If so, how did you resolve it? Does anyone know what causes the material to decompose like that, and is there anything that I can do to get rid of the stickiness of those surfaces? I would sincerely appreciate any help with this, because I can’t use the laptop like this.

ejn63 · Accepted Answer

The breakdown of the rubber coating over time (this is after all a 14 year old system) isn't uncommon.   You can usually remove the coating with 91% isopropyl alcohol and prolonged scrubbing.  Since any replacement part you buy will be of similar vintage and likely have the same tackiness issue, that's likely the best way to remove the coating and solve the problem.

GeneralError · Answer

@ejn63​ Thanks for the feedback. I didn’t realize that it was rubber coated. I presumed it was just molded plastic. I will give it a good scrub to see if that helps.

Wcg420 · Answer

I used gel hand sanitizer. Coat surface, wait 5 ish minutes until it turns white, scrape with credit card and scrub remainder away. Took me 3 applications

Daddy045 · Answer

I've been using Dell laptops for nearly 30 years, and been and IT tech supporting them for the same time, and now in retirement I buy old Dell laptops, refrub them as a hobby. Recently I have noticed the same issue indicated here, the rubberized surface of the palmrest on several older models becomes tacky. I did discover that using a "sanitizing wipe" over the surfaces of these older laptops seems to cause or hasten the breakdown of this rubberized surface. So far I have tried the alcohol wipe rub/wipedown and it has not worked to remove or reverse the tackiness. I will give the hand sanitizer a try, hopefully it works, as I have several of these older Dell laptops that otherwise are working fine, but the tacky palmrest is a real annoyance. Any other suggestions as to a fix, or an explanation as to just what causes this to occur (other than simply the age of the palmrest material) would be greatly appreciated.

I've serviced and supported a lot of different computer makes and models in my carrier, but Dell's are hands-down the best product out there, and the support information on their web site is second to none. Thanks.

Amos4045 · Answer

Once I had a problem with rubberized flashlights getting sticky.  I solved the problem by applying car body wax and after it had dried I buffed the powder away.  Yes, I too believe Dell computers are excellent so I bought two used ones.  I noticed the rubber palm rest were a little sticky so I cleaned them.  Dell recommends a mixture of 70% isopopyl alcohol and 30% water.  Spray it on a micofiber cloth and wipe the rubber clean.  Then to finish and seal the rubber, use a small detail brush (or your finger) to wipe on Turtle Wax Fresh LVR protector.  'LVR' stands for 'Leather/Vinyl/Rubber'.  Use a small cup to spray the Wax into and then dip the brush into that.  Brush the wax on to the rubber carefully so that no excess goes into the cracks of the laptop (if you're so worried, use masking-tape to cover the cracks).  After I applied the wax, I rubbed it in with my finger and let it stand for 15 seconds.  Then I wiped it off with a microfiber cloth.  Wipe it in a single-continuous-direction so you will not have streaks in the finish.  The feel of the rubber is much better, not sticky, and feels like new.

Amos4045 · Answer

@Daddy045​ Check out answer by Amos4045.

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Palmrest Material Composition Breakdown?

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