Suction cups adhere best to smooth, non-porous surfaces such as tile, glass, fiberglass or metal. To ensure a firm bond, surfaces should be totally free of dirt and soap film before attaching the suction cup.
Some surfaces don't work well for suction cups. Start with a clean surface, and make sure it's completely smooth — not rough or textured. Even a little bit of texture can be a deal-breaker. If you're counting on a suction cup to stick to a rough plaster wall, you're setting yourself up for disappointment.
Boil the Suction Cups
The heat softens the plastic, which can help them adhere easier. You don't want to boil them for a long time. Remove the section cups after 30 seconds and pat them dry with a lint-free cloth. As soon as they're dry, stick them to your designated surface for the best suction.
The ideal surface for a suction cup is clean, flat, and completely smooth. Even the strongest suction cups won't adhere to a porous or textured surface for long, because it's next to impossible to achieve a bond that's free of air pockets. (Suction cups won't stick well to textured tile for that reason.)
Clean the surface you are applying the suction cup to. It won't adhere well to a dirty surface. To enhance suction, a tiny dab of Vaseline or cooking oil may be rubbed on the rim of the cup. Press the cup all the way down, against the surface.
Here's how the hack works: When your sponge holder won't stick to the sink, simply grab a paper towel (or your fingertip), dab it in petroleum jelly, and apply a bit to the inside of the suction cups. In the video, it looks straightforward — and hundreds of commenters seem excited that it works.
Wetting a suction cup makes it stick better because the water fills in the imperfections, and allows the small vacuum created by the elastic properties of the suction cup to be maintained longer.
As well as being flat, most suction cups can only handle non-porous surfaces, so bear this in mind when you come to lift an item or material. Being porous will affect your suction cup's ability to create a strong suction to the surface.
A flat suction cup is ideal for a uniform and smooth surface. With a round shape, an industrial flat suction cup is perfect for handling wood panels or wood sheets.
When pressing a suction cup down on a material, tiny irregularities in the material's surface may allow air to pass between the seal. Wetting the surface fills these small gaps so that the air cannot pass through.
Any impurities such as mineral deposits from hard water, soap scum or even traces of water on the tile wall will degrade the suction cup's ability to stick. Thoroughly clean the tile with water and a household cleaner of your choice. When you're done, dry away any traces of water using a dry cloth or a sponge.
Suction cups like warm surfaces. So if it's really cold outside, use any warming device you have to warm up the designated window- even with a hair dryer! It will create a stronger bond with the window.
The suction cup is more likely to fall if the surface has any slight curves or textures since it could let air into the suction cup and break the seal. If you're trying to get suction cups to stick in the shower, try putting them on the glass door, a large tile, or on a smooth part of the acrylic wall.
Some suction cup manufacturers suggest wetting or warming suction cups to get them to work better on rough uneven surfaces. You should not have to do anything! They should just work right out of the package!
Suction cups work best on warm surfaces when initially applying them. If it's cold outside on the day you are decorating, warm up the surfaces and the suction with a hair dryer. This will create a stronger bond.
Suction cup manufacturers suggest wetting the inner perimeter of your suction cups with with warm water to make them stick better and create a tighter seal.
Loss of suction power: over time, suction cups in the production field can lose their ability to create a vacuum seal, reducing their lifting power. This can be caused by wear and tear, damage to the cup or the sealing lip, or a buildup of debris on the cup's surface.
The Best Suction Cups To Stick To
FrogsFeet™ Suction Cups are multi-surface suction cups that will mount to just about all nonporous surfaces like painted walls however we do not recommend for drywall because it is porous and will not hold a vacuum tight seal.
“The subcutaneous tissue (the bottom layer of your skin) is pulled into the cups and held in place for a small amount of time—anywhere from 5 minutes to 15 minutes.” With dry cupping, the cups can slide across the skin or remain in place, known as dynamic and stagnant cupping respectively.
As the air inside the cup cools, it creates a vacuum. This causes your skin to rise and redden as your blood vessels expand. The cup is generally left in place for up to 3 minutes.
I have had success soaking the suction cups in hot water before putting them on the window too. Definitely a clean window and damp suction cups are a must. Make sure you push the cups completely to the window, with no air between. If the weather is especially hot, or cold, that can make them pop off too.