Project by Kaizen DIY
Introduction
Hey everyone, welcome back to another tutorial. Today I’ll be showing you how to restore rubber dumbbells.
Before you yell at me, I know that some people see this as a waste of time. That’s fine. I take pride in having a nice clean gym, which goes along with my nice clean house, my nice clean truck, etc., no shade to the people who like a messy gym, but it’s not my style.
Within the rest of these instructions, you’ll find a how-to video, products used, the back story, see what didn’t work, and the winning solution.
Video
Products Used
Back Story
Ok, a little backstory. I bought this set of fully knurled REP dumbbells used on the Facebook marketplace. They weren’t in perfect condition, but I’ve been buying and selling them long enough to know how to restore equipment, so I bought them anyway.
Based on a video I saw from my buddy Jay, I initially tried using baby oil and a cloth. When the dumbbells dried, they returned to having the chalky white look.
Then, I heard about an issue with a small batch of REP dumbbells released in 2020. Apparently, people were receiving brand new dumbbells, which looked like this. REP acknowledged it, and many people got refunds or replacements.
Looks like I may have unwittingly picked up a set from this small defective batch.
But beyond this particular issue, it is normal for rubber plates and dumbbells to age over time and lose that new shine. What I am about to show you in this tutorial will work for those too.
On a side note, REP has excellent customer service, and if you order something that shows up defective, you have 30 days to get in touch with them to resolve it.
This particular set was way beyond the 30-day window, so finding a solution was up to me.
I posed the question on my Instagram and got many great suggestions.
I filled up my Amazon shopping cart and went to check out. Yikes! The total was over $100 bucks.
Before spending over $100 on stuff that may or may not work, I should first try what I already have at home.
3 in 1 oil was also tested, and then I tried WD40, both seemed to do well when paired with a scrub brush.
I got a lot of suggestions for a blow torch or heat gun. I had a pastry torch, so I gave it a try. It didn’t really do much aside from making my gym smell like burned rubber.
I tried goo gone. It cleaned the rubber but also seemed to do some damage. I wouldn’t recommend it.
Next, I decided to retry baby oil but this time, work it into the surface with a scrub brush.
Low and behold, the scrubber made a big difference.
WD40, 3in1 oil, and baby oil all seemed equally effective when using the scrubber. I decided to clean the rest of the set with the baby oil because it seems the most gentle. Not knowing the long-term effects of these products, I wouldn’t want to apply something that’ll cause the rubber to deteriorate.
In order to expedite the process, I enlist my cordless drill and nylon brush head.
After scrubbing all of the dumbbells, they look much better. For most people, this is all you’ll need.
What I noticed after a few days is that my dumbbells started to have a hazy white look again. It’s nothing major, but I’ve already gone this far. I might as well keep going with this experiment.
Then, I decided to revisit my Amazon shopping cart. I narrowed the list down to the four most promising products and ordered them.
What Didn’t Work
The first one I tried was 303 Aerospace Protectorant. It’s $23 for a 32 oz spray bottle. Simply spray it on and wipe off the excess.
What Worked
I tried the second one, Chemical Guys Tire and Trim Gel, which is $19 for a 16 oz bottle. Pour it on and work it in before wiping up the excess.
The third product I tried was Mother’s Back to black. This one is $8 for a 12 oz bottle. Pour it on and work it in before wiping up the excess.
The last one was a Ceramic Trim Coat Restoration Kit. It is $17 for a ten-pack of wipes. You’ll want to read the instructions on this one before using it. I didn’t and immediately regretted it. There is a strong chemical smell, and you’ll need to wear gloves.
This one is different from the others. After wiping down the entire surface, you’ll need to elevate the dumbbell to allow all sides to dry for 30 minutes.
The final result is a thin semi-gloss coat that makes the dumbbells look brand new.
For those who don’t love the glossy look, either gel works great. In my opinion, the mother’s back to black is a better bang for your buck.
The only one I don’t recommend is the 303 Aerospace Protectorant. After drying, the dumbbell went back to the hazy white color.
I should also mention that cleaning rust off the handle is pretty straightforward.
I didn’t have any rusty handles, but if you do, grab some 3-in-1 oil and a wire brush and scrub it off.
Ok, I’ll go over the rest of my dumbbell set with the Ceramic Trim Coat restoration cleaning cloths. Let them.
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They look good, practically brand new. I’ll check back with you in six months and let you know how they’re holding up.
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