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Sugru Review: Or, How I Fixed My Cracking Bathtub

Remember those commercials for a compound that you could use to fix almost anything around your house? Let me tell you, at first I was skeptical that such a product could actually work. Then I discovered Sugru.

Sugru

What is Sugru? Sugru is a self-setting rubber that can be formed by hand, molds like play-dough, bonds to almost anything, and turns into a strong, flexible silicone rubber overnight. According to the company website, Sugru is suitable for extreme environments from the dishwasher to the ocean in Antarctica and everything in between. Sugru sticks to almost any surface and cures at room temperature: no special preparation or procedures needed.

The first thing that I fixed with Sugru in my house was the zipper on my daughter’s Cozy Sleeping Bag from Aden + Anais. When I took the sleep sack out of the dryer one day, I discovered that the zipper handle had broken off. (Aden + Anais did send me a replacement Cozy Sleeping Bag, by the way, so kudos to their great customer service.) Using a paperclip and some Sugru, I fashioned a new zipper pull. Even after washing and drying the sleep sack multiple times, my new Sugru handle has continued to hold up.

 Zipper Fixed with Sugru

My next Sugru project around my house was fixing the cracks in my bathtub. I have an old bathtub with a newer liner over the top. Over the years, the liner has begun to crack and chip. Using a little white Sugru, I patched some of the holes and the cracks in my bathtub. I am very happy with the results. The best fix is the area that was absolutely cracked. The Sugru has prevented any more chips from flaking away. The holes in the liner also look so much better. The Sugru has continued to hold up for over two months now even with the hot water from showers and baths.

Before

Cracks in Bathtub 1 Cracks in Bathtub 2

Cracks in Bathtub 3

After

Bathtub Fixed with Sugru 1 Bathtub Fixed with Sugru 2

Bathtub Fixed with Sugru 3 Bathtub Fixed with Sugru 4

The third project that I tackled with some Sugru was the crack in the grout in the tile right outside my bathtub. The crack reached from the baseboard and up almost two feet. Using a thin roll of Sugru that I flattened out, I patched up the crack. Again, despite the temperature and moisture changes in my bathroom, the Sugru is holding up perfectly. I am very happy with the visual results of my patch as well.

Before

Crack in Grout 1

During

Fixing Grout with Sugru 1 Crack in Grout 2

Crack in Grout 3

After

Fixing Grout with Sugru 2

Sugru comes in five colors — red, blue, yellow, black, and white — that can be combined to form the perfect color for whatever you are fixing. I have just used the white around my home, but the Sugru website offers some awesome ideas via fixes that other customers have performed.

I highly recommend Sugru for simple repairs around the home. Using just three packages of Sugru, I have fixed my daughter’s sleep sack, repaired the grout in my bathroom, and improved my aging bathtub. Now I am just waiting for the next thing in my house that needs fixed.

Image Credits

Sugru © 2012 Heather Johnson
Broken Sleep Sack Zipper © 2012 Heather Johnson
Zipper Fixed with Sugru © 2012 Heather Johnson
Cracks in Bathtub 1 © 2012 Heather Johnson
Cracks in Bathtub 2 © 2012 Heather Johnson
Cracks in Bathtub 3 © 2012 Heather Johnson
Bathtub Fixed with Sugru 1 © 2012 Heather Johnson
Bathtub Fixed with Sugru 2 © 2012 Heather Johnson
Bathtub Fixed with Sugru 3 © 2012 Heather Johnson
Bathtub Fixed with Sugru 4 © 2012 Heather Johnson
Crack in Grout 1 © 2012 Heather Johnson
Fixing Grout with Sugru 1 © 2012 Heather Johnson
Crack in Grout 2 © 2012 Heather Johnson
Crack in Grout 3 © 2012 Heather Johnson
Fixing Grout with Sugru 2 © 2012 Heather Johnson

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