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Hand Sanitizer, bad for controllers?

AfraidAfraid Registered User regular
edited April 2010 in Help / Advice Forum
Does using hand sanitizers damage video game controllers? Topic came up recently.

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Afraid on

Posts

  • EndEnd Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Like...to the plastic...or...what?

    Wait, no, that still doesn't make sense.

    End on
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  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    edited April 2010
    How would it possibly damage them? If it's not going to eat your skin, it's not going to do anything to the controllers.

    Esh on
  • evilmrhenryevilmrhenry Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    I can see them gunking the controller up if there's any residue at all. (I don't use the stuff.)

    evilmrhenry on
  • CycophantCycophant Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Most hand sanitizers use ethyl alcohol as the main ingredient, and it's not going to eat most plastics. At worst you might get some mild discolouration after long-term use, but even then I doubt it.

    I'd be more worried about it leaching beneath the buttons and causing damage to the electronics than anything else, and that's really only a concern if you're applying it directly to the controllers.

    Cycophant on
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  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    edited April 2010
    evilmrhenry wrote: »
    I can see them gunking the controller up if there's any residue at all. (I don't use the stuff.)

    If you have residue, you're doing it wrong.

    Esh on
  • AfraidAfraid Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    No i just used it on my hands. It dries quickly so there was no way i could get any gunk on it. The dude saw me use it and threw a fit over me using his street fighter TE stick. I was dumbfounded. How the hell could it harm anything? My hands were dry in 10 seconds after i used it. Posted this topic just to make sure i wasn't the one being a dumbass.

    Afraid on
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  • NightDragonNightDragon 6th Grade Username Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Dumbfounded, and rightly so. Based on what you described (no gunkiness, dries quickly and whatnot) I really don't understand why he'd be freaking out about it. Acetone? That'd be something you might worry about...but as was mentioned above, chances are that the alcohol in the sanitizer won't be a problem.

    NightDragon on
  • Seattle ThreadSeattle Thread Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Maybe if you doused your hand in that, so that they looked like Peter Venkman after his encounter with the slimer, then yeah it'll cause some issue. Regular use? No way.

    Hell, if I were your friend, I'd be stoked that you gave a shot at sanitization before putting your bacteria-laden fingers all over my precious TE stick. Dude is being a Sally Prissy-Pants.

    Seattle Thread on
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  • shadydentistshadydentist Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Afraid wrote: »
    No i just used it on my hands. It dries quickly so there was no way i could get any gunk on it. The dude saw me use it and threw a fit over me using his street fighter TE stick. I was dumbfounded. How the hell could it harm anything? My hands were dry in 10 seconds after i used it. Posted this topic just to make sure i wasn't the one being a dumbass.

    I clean my TE with rubbing alcohol, so the dude is an idiot.

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  • Feels Good ManFeels Good Man Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    tell him it's because you have MRSA and were trying to prevent it from spreading onto his TE


    that is a joke


    dudes a moron. I've used so much hand sanitizer in the past months it's retarded. ain't gonna do shit. I thought you were putting hand sani on the device itself, which still probably wouldn't do anything, but just your hands? absolute retard. you we're doing something good, actually

    Feels Good Man on
  • DragonPupDragonPup Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Not to go off on a tangent, but soap and water is far, far, far better for you than hand sanitizers.

    DragonPup on
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  • DarkewolfeDarkewolfe Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    This is just the standard street fighter enthusiast's response to general hygiene.

    Darkewolfe on
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  • MetalbourneMetalbourne Inside a cluster b personalityRegistered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Afraid wrote: »
    No i just used it on my hands. It dries quickly so there was no way i could get any gunk on it. The dude saw me use it and threw a fit over me using his street fighter TE stick. I was dumbfounded. How the hell could it harm anything? My hands were dry in 10 seconds after i used it. Posted this topic just to make sure i wasn't the one being a dumbass.

    Yeah, some people have rules about other people using their stuff. It's like they're expressing their need to control stuff or something. You'll probably get the same reaction with dirty hands, hands cleaned with soap and water. caked with chips and salsa residue, or whatever. The only way to avoid it is to get your own stick.

    Even then, if he's a big enough control freak, he'll probably freak out about the way you use your joystick. People are...people.

    Metalbourne on
  • GungHoGungHo Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Afraid wrote: »
    No i just used it on my hands. It dries quickly so there was no way i could get any gunk on it. The dude saw me use it and threw a fit over me using his street fighter TE stick. I was dumbfounded. How the hell could it harm anything? My hands were dry in 10 seconds after i used it. Posted this topic just to make sure i wasn't the one being a dumbass.
    He's a moron. Next time he says something, lick the buttons.

    GungHo on
  • AfraidAfraid Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Next game night we are just going to use my stick. I don't mind it being used, that is it's purpose. The whole thing got so blown out of proportion by the guy i'm never going to see him the same way. Six guys passing the stick around, yeah it's gonna get a little greasy. To put that blame on me and my clean hands is stupid.

    Afraid on
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  • potatoepotatoe Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    GungHo wrote: »
    Afraid wrote: »
    No i just used it on my hands. It dries quickly so there was no way i could get any gunk on it. The dude saw me use it and threw a fit over me using his street fighter TE stick. I was dumbfounded. How the hell could it harm anything? My hands were dry in 10 seconds after i used it. Posted this topic just to make sure i wasn't the one being a dumbass.
    He's a moron. Next time he says something, lick the buttons.

    I'm not sure if I'd want to lick the buttons of a controller owned by a guy that afraid to sanitize

    potatoe on
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