High-tech ‘Sugru’ putty ‘an emergency fix for anything in the house’

Sugru - a sort of magic plasticine is being hailed as the universal emergency fix for anything broken around the house from a leaking tap to a broken shelf.

 

It’s a self-adhesive silicone putty that cures in the air, so once cured it will maintain the solid rubbery form of any chosen shape.

 

The material has been created by a small British company operating in the East End of London.

 

Founder and inventor Jane ni Dhulchaointigh, who was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, decided to produce, package and market it herself. The demand was so great that a stock of 3,000 packs, which was supposed to last a month, sold out in just six hours.

 

“It is a bit like plasticine when you take it out of the pack. It can be moulded into any shape and it sticks very well to things. The whole idea is that it is an easy way for people to repair things and adapt them to suit themselves,” The Daily Mail quoted Dhulchaointigh as saying.

 

“A lot of stuff gets thrown away not just because it is broken but because it has stopped being useful or fashionable. If you can adapt it or hack it that's got to be better than putting it in the bin,” she added.

 

Dhulchaointigh said it is part of a drive among people to repair and adapt products, rather than throwing them away and buying new.