Dycem

So here’s a little something that I picked up reading about another amputee.  This is also something that I had wished I found out about sooner, because it’s a huge help.

Miles O’Brien is a reporter, he used to be a regular on CNN.  I haven’t seen him on TV in a while, but I believe he’s still a reporter.  At some point on an assignment, he had a medical problem that lead to the loss of his left arm.  He wrote an article about it for New York Magazine that can be found HERE. It’s a good read.

Anyway, in this article Miles mentions this Dycem material.  I looked in to it and bought some.  It’s a bit pricey.  This roll 8 inches wide by 6 and a half feet cost me $60 about a year ago from what I remember.  Although a quick Google search shows that it’s come down in price..

I spent more back then because I wanted Black.  Most of the colors are bright primary colors, so I paid a vanity tax for the color.  If you’re not picky about the colors you probably can get it for cheaper.

Also, It also comes in shorter lengths than 6 1/2 feet.  And I’m finding that I didn’t really need 6 feet of it.  The 3 foot roll would have sufficed.

Bla bla bla colors…  bla bla bla price…  what the hell is this stuff already?

Well I’m glad you asked, it’s a non-slip plastic material.  Out of the box it has a slight tacky feel to it, but it’s not “sticky”. It will pick up dust and dirt as it’s used, but the beauty of this stuff is that it’s also washable.  Just a little soap and water and you’re back in business.  So it’s reusable.

Here’s a picture of a piece of it on my desk.  I cut small patches of this from the roll to use around the house and at work.

I use it for a number of reasons.  One is for writing, I’ll place a piece on my desk for writing notes or checks. It’s also useful for when I might need to unscrew a cap for something like glue or white out.

I’ll use it under my dinner plate to keep it from sliding around the table while eating.

I also use it in the kitchen for opening jars and holding bowls still while I mix ingredients. Here, I’m using a jar lid tool (Opening jars and cans is an upcoming post) with the Dycem.  The Dycem keeps the jar from spinning on me.  BTW: can you see why I wanted black…

I use this stuff anywhere I need to keep things from slipping and to hold them still while I manipulate them with my only hand.

Lastly, you don’t need to be an amputee to get a benefit out of this stuff.   This is good for anywhere you need a non-slip surface.  I highly recommend Dycem.