Adroit High-Tech Magic Sticky Jelly Compound Super Clean Slimy Gel Computer PC Laptop (WHL #18)
After the hard facts of the last Wan Hung Lo post, let’s get a little softer, a little more slimy…and gross. You’ve been warned
Today’s item is some cleaning gel that I bought at the end of January on AliExpress for 1.36€ including shipping. I’m not even sure how it is called, the package is mostly non-latin characters, but apparently it’s from “Super Clean Europe”…guess the Asian versions have more funky colorings added to them.
I cannot spot any weight, amount, volume marking on the bag, maybe the “80” on the bottom indicates 80g. It’s actually more like 70g including grime (measured afterwards…), so if you want that stuff in bulk, be sure to ask your seller. It wasn’t really advertised, it just said it’s one bag of the stuff. The amount however is sufficient for several cleaning processes, as one does not really use it up apart from some crumbs at the beginning. But how does it look like in the first place?
Yep. Like Homemade. Great stuff, love it!
So how to test a cleaning agent? Grab something dirty and look if it’s cleaning properly. So I got a rarely used keyboard that is attached to my server. As you can see (if you really want to see), it has a lot of dust on it. Not so much on the top of the key caps, but at the bottom end, where you cannot remove it by just using the thing. The more you look, the more gross it gets (but have a look at your own keyboard, tyvm). So that looks like the perfect test target to me. Slap it on!
(sorry for the different colors across the images – had several different light sources on the different locations and color temperatures do not really match!)
I found that it is most efficient to put the slime onto the keyboard, press it in, then remove it. It doesn’t clean as well if you slowly roll it over under pressure, it seems like the removal in between helps a lot.
There’s also some opponent or competitor in terms of cleaning power – some makeup brush thingy that I scored in mint condition in the attic. Thanks, …grandma? That one is actually very neat for cleaning displays, if dust is your problem and not fingerprints or other grime. Removing fine particles works very well with it, and it is much softer than for example the sturdy ESD brushes (comment if I should review them as well, I own three of them now). So I had a go on the right side of the keyboard.
It’s not really that great when it comes to more persistent dirt, not just a superficial dust layer. Have a look…more gross close-up ahead
Final result when combining both:
I reckon that’s not too shabby. Of course not as clean as straight from the factory, but decent for two minutes of dusting and gunk kneading. What do you think?
Now for the more difficult test. Desktop keyboards can usually be disassembled and sometimes you can even put the key caps into the dishwasher. That’s not the case for laptop keys. Have a look, this is my workhorse T400:
Not as much dirt because of daily use, but still, there’s a lot to hide in all the cracks. Roll it…
Final result:
No key caps lost or otherwise damaged. To me, that’s a win! I’d suggest doing that when the laptop is powered off or at least locked, but just pressing in the slime and carefully removing it after a few seconds works really well. As you can see, the stickers on the keys did not come off, but most of the grime did. Sometimes there are a few hair stuck between the keys or key scissors, you can remove them by hand or tweezers. That’s basically as clean as you can get without replacing the entire keyboard. Excellent!
And I bet you waited for it: Here’s the stuff after cleaning two keyboards. Enjoy!
(the long black fibres are from the brush, not from my nose, ears, back or nutsack, I promise)
“WHY” I hear you ask. Because the slime always feels a bit moist. I wanted to know if that is just imagination or if I can prove that to you. Peel it off from the sheet of paper and this remains:
Jup, definitely something has oozed into the paper and dried quickly. Luckily, there is a list of ingredients – and it is in English! (well, sort of…)
- Gua Gum
- Glycerine
- Poly Vinyl Alcohol
- Merhyi Paraben
- Propyl Paraben
So I guess that means guar gum, which is a sugary thickener. It is a listed food additive (E412) and also fine for use in organic products. Of course, nobody knows the quality of the stuff in here, but in principle, it should be fine. Then there is glycerine (or glycerol), which is a hygroscopic food additive (E422). I guess this is what gets soaked up from the paper. Of course you would add something like this to a slime, as drying out must be prevented.
Polyvinyl alcohol also has an E-number (E1203), but not for use in food. This is added because it offers some adhesive effect and also acts as emulsifying agent. While this slime is not a watery fluid that can make a true emulsion, having some ingredient that helps non water soluble stuff mix with it and larger objects (such as hair) stick to it is a good idea. Methyl- and propylparaben (nice misspelling!) are both preservation agents with E-numbers E218 and E216 respectively. Wikipedia indicates that E216 is no longer allowed in edible products, but usage in e.g. shampoos is fine. E218 however seems to be a pheromone for dogs, so you might wanna keep the slime away from your drooling poop and hair factory…
That’s all of the listed ingredients. One can speculate about trace additions, but so far nothing really concerning is known. I bet there’s also water and some coloring in it, maybe the color is the most toxic substance added
There’s also a suggestion on the Ali product page that one should not handle the slime with wet hands. While this also protects the device, I initially guessed it would liquefy the product. So I tested with a small chunk…nothing. I does leave a residue, but that is simply some water mixed with some of the glycerol, not entire bits of slime. And it can be removed by rolling over with a larger chunk that didn’t get exposed to additional water. Maybe they advise against because the preservative effect of the parabens isn’t enough when the stuff gets too watery, and your ball of slime will grow nice fuzzy hair in a matter of days. If even the Chinese tell you to not do something with their product, maybe just don’t do it.
So in conclusion I can give a recommendation for this Wan Hung Lo product. Everybody has to clean some delicate electronics every so often, and this stuff works really well, without damaging the surface or leaving residue films or entire bits. I wouldn’t buy this for 6 to 10 Euros a pop in retail, but for one buck from China – great value. A small ray of light among all these made-to-fail products in the last and also the following posts…Wan Hung Lo premium snot!