Particular rubber-like finishes on plastic can get sticky with time. They are unpleasant to handle and impossible to clean. One such item I own is a Logitech laser pointer and “clicker” for slide presentations. When it was new, the finish had the feel of leather, soft and smooth. But over the years, the surface got tacky, as if coated with sugar syrup.
It’s possible to remove the deteriorating paint with denatured alcohol and a lot of rubbing. For most items, the value of the item doesn’t warrant the time and effort.
I was about to toss the old clicker when I remembered that ordinary talc powder is often used to keep bicycle tires and other rubber materials from sticking together. I tried it on the clicker with good results. It left the paint a charcoal color, not jet black as it was initially, but the talc spared the device from the scrap bin.
To apply it, I spread a terrycloth rag on my workbench and put a half teaspoon of talc in the middle. Using a soft paintbrush, I dusted the sticky exterior of the clicker with the talc, rubbing it onto the surface with another rag and my hands. This left the surface with a chalky whiteness defining every crack and crevice but soft and pleasantly smooth to the touch.
Time will tell how permanent this fix is. I’m expecting to repeat the treatment from time to time. I was so pleased that I applied talc to an old handi-talkie with a similar problem– equally good result.