What is this stretchy piece of plastic that smells like soap?

It looks like a torn piece of pink gum, pre chewed. It is about the same size as a US quarter. This pink thing can be stretched, but it goes back right away. It isn't like putty because it pops back to the original shape. The surface is smooth and seems to be some kind of soft plastic.

Also, it smells like soap, and looks like it was torn from something. Found it in my foyer, and worriedy dog ate the rest. Very concerned!

Thanks, y'all are the best!

Edit: These SUCH good guesses. I appreciate you all for taking the time to comment. No answer yet but I'm confident we will get there!

188 comments · 82% upvoted · source · other discussions

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scattywampus

Do you have any throw rugs in the bathroom that might have a pink non-skid backing?

waterbottlejesus [OP]

No, no rugs in any bathroom. Trying to think of what would have a non skid material that is pink, and can't think of anything at all.

Smolshy

Kind of looks like fake skin like from a doll or adult toy that’s been ripped off.

TheFredCain

The color alone makes it highly suspect.

waterbottlejesus [OP]

Oh jeez, no dolls here. Dog has squeak toys, they're all plush.

And it isn't a squeaker. Have repaired her toys when they stopped squeaking. Squeakers inside are see through.

Smolshy

Are you the only one that lives there? Could be something you’re not supposed to know about…

waterbottlejesus [OP]

Just me and my dog. She has no secrets!

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eveisout

Whatever it is, you could have brought it in on your shoes

Rogue_Spirit

To me it looks like a silicon mold that’s been trimmed away. That would explain why it smells like soap.

frickenrainbows

I second this, it looks like a piece of trimmed off silicone mold.

caillouuu

Mm yes, I concur. It appears to be a piece of trimmed silicone mold

TheRealStiffCookie

Hmmm.. yes, after some consideration I must agree. This looks to be a trimmed mould, made of silicone.

yourballsareshowing_

I'm in agreement that it's silicone bob mould

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Lazy-Engineer-4762

I know a piece of silicon mold that’s been trimmed off when I see one

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Culfin

Could it be part of an old push-up bra or 'chicken cutlets' that has been through the wash and absorbed the soapy smell?

waterbottlejesus [OP]

No but I'm cracking up at the cutlets! Don't have any of those. My detergent has no scent.

Hand soap, detergents, lotion, shower gel are all scent-free

TheSheWhoSaidThats

I deff think it’s silicone. I suspect it’s from the inside of something that went through your laundry that perhaps shouldn’t have, and the soapy smell is from detergent or dryer sheets. Do you have any items with a gel-like texture where the silicone would be hidden by fabric such as a knee/neck brace, a back support for a chair, perhaps a gel wrist rest for your keyboard, maybe shoe inserts… anything slightly squishy, normally covered in fabric.

waterbottlejesus [OP]

It definitely could be a thin silicone piece, but from where? That's the question. I can't think of an item that has pink silicone.

hippopotapants

Could it be a piece of a shoe insert? Maybe a nicely scented one since shoes are stinky?

waterbottlejesus [OP]

Will look into this.

universalExplorer92

Do you smoke weed? Dabs? I have to use silicone everything since I drop all glass and shatter it.

waterbottlejesus [OP]

No. I also drop glass all the time, but I haven't gotten any silicone items to replace what I keep breaking.

frickenrainbows

Most molds are made with plastics like this, so you could have bought something that didn’t get cleaned throughly enough after it got demolded.
I’d also say, this looks like the stuff I was taught how to make molds of for art school- Do you have any artists in your space?

LuxePanda

https://preview.redd.it/0lxejaokjtwh1.jpeg?width=1214&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4dedf8140adc748137c713bbed6a1a6ad78324e7

It looks like a torn off piece of this specific squishy toy. Especially since it smells like soap. I had this one, and I always used to say it was like playing with a big wad of bubblegum that smelled like soap.

Kids like to cut squishes open to see what’s inside, this strip looks like it’s been cut off. Maybe it was then thrown away and somehow tracked itself into your foyer.

Edited to add more of the thought process.

miscgeckos

Yep! I think it’s very possible it was broken and then thrown over a fence and OP’s dog got it

purplecactus617
waterbottlejesus [OP]

Nice guess, but no. I don't have any face masks.

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Consistent-Lion-7564

Do you have any air fresheners that have a gel type thing inside a plastic stand that lets off a scent (they get smaller over time and shrivel up), and kids in the house? I remember picking these in the 90s from my grandmothers bathroom - glade or some other similar brand in a white container usually?

waterbottlejesus [OP]

No air fresheners at all, anywhere in the house.

Consistent-Lion-7564

Damn, was hoping for my first Solved! there! One day….

Best of luck!

SoupyMillion55

Back in my day, kids could get novelty erasers that were scented. Could it have come from a toy or eraser?

waterbottlejesus [OP]

I do have erasers in my studio, a place outside of the main house, and none of them are pink.

Hoarded the black pearl ones, and have a pliable one just for charcoal. That one is white and like putty.

Lina_read_it

What kind of art do you do? It kinda looks like easy cut linocut base for block printing.

waterbottlejesus [OP]

Right now I'm building a huge city out of wood. Have been working on it for months. Only items involved in this project are wood, knives, and glue.

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The_Goat_Rodeo

Do you use detergent sheets for your laundry instead of liquid soap? Kind of looks like one of those but the ones I’ve used don’t have much stretch.

waterbottlejesus [OP]

No detergent sheets. Soap I use is clear and allegedly plant-based.

I use pods for my dishwasher, but those are powder inside of the thin, clear plastic.

Smart_Imagination903

Do you have shared laundry though?

Polymathy1

It looks like some caulking or a piece of weatherstripping from something. It may be a seal that ripped loose from the bottom of a nearby door. I was also thinking caulking from around a tub or something.

I've never seen any of those things be pink though.

What kind of soap does it smell like? Something mild or something intense?

waterbottlejesus [OP]

It smells like something fake, like a smell from detergent or air fresheners that have names like Lazy Sunday or something. Don't recognize the smell at all.

Polymathy1

Hmm. Maybe it is an air freshener fragment that got tracked in on a shoe? Is there a community garbage area (like in an apartment) or maybe some more of it outside?

waterbottlejesus [OP]

It could be, only if someone threw something over the fence? I live in a house, each house is separate for trash pickup.

I couldn't find anything outside. Just cannot think of what it could be.

Just stumped.

Certain_Day_3758

Considering the color it looks like it might have come from an "adult toy".

waterbottlejesus [OP]

IF there were any adult toys here, hypothetically, the toy would be blue.

TechnoBeeKeeper

One of those twist up air fresheners that look funny? They dry up kinda rubbery and retain their scent after a while.

StrawberryFlds

Could it be the outer layer of a silicone spatula? Could be used for beauty supplies like face cream or cooking depending on what soap scent it is?

https://preview.redd.it/d0uramhzpowh1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=b4374da7600d994ad31a00de9d305d1c31ac24d7

waterbottlejesus [OP]

Unfortunately, no. All of my utensils are wooden or stainless steel.

Don't make anything that is scented, and don't use any scented products.

WRYGDWYL

If you say this it's highly likely it's from outside your home and you'll never get the exact answer 

waterbottlejesus [OP]

You are probably right. Perhaps I will find the rest of it, but it seems like a lost cause for now. I really appreciate all the guesses, so many good possibilities!

for2fly

That just looks like a piece of silicone insulation or interface from inside a shoe. Specially shaped sheets of it are used to give footwear semi-rigidity. I've also seen sheets of it used inside other apparel, like work gloves and purse forms.

Honestly, other than its fragrance, it is a rather unremarkable piece of material. It has hundreds of utilitarian uses.

Since you don't recognize the perfume, if I found that offgassing the smell of soap, I'd conclude it was deposited on my property having been discarded out of a vehicle owned by someone who marinates themselves and their possessions in perfumes.

Lavadonuts

Is it possible it's skin? The practice skin tattoo artist practice on or that med students practice their sutures. There's also children's toys that use something similar to simulate popping zits or to pick stuff out like beads and sequins

waterbottlejesus [OP]

You're on the right track, maybe? It definitely feels like how those feel, and I wish I had a pimple popping thing, but no.

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chase1420

The handle or Comfort Glide part of a pink razor blade, like Venus for instance.

Pitiful-Score-9035

It almost looks like a piece of an adult toy, the material looks like it could match, and the soap smell would be from cleaning it after use.

Far_Public_780

Maybe a silicone eye patch

waterbottlejesus [OP]

Nah, I have all my eyes.

Far_Public_780

No like a eyeshadow patch the things you put below your eyes

waterbottlejesus [OP]

Ooooh those things, I misunderstood. Alas, there are none of those patch things.

KittenVicious

When you say it smells like soap, do you mean a clean scent, a floral scent, Irish Spring, etc?

waterbottlejesus [OP]

It is like a fake scent that you can't easily place. Just like one of those air fresheners that are called Ocean Breeze or something.

It is a smell I don't recognize.

KittenVicious

Ocean breeze is a "fresh" scent

waterbottlejesus [OP]

Yes, you're right. It smells kinda fresh but also like a grandma's perfume. Hard to explain!

princessofpotatoes

Is it part of a shoe insert? My dollar store has scented ones that smell synthetically perfumey and looks similar in material. Maybe your dog tracked it in from outdoors?

Banakh

Any block printers in your life? Reminds me of Speedball's Speedy Carve.

skidasdfgh

Silicone paint mat?

waterbottlejesus [OP]

Never heard of that. I use cardboard when I pain, no mat, but now I want one.

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waterbottlejesus [OP]

My title describes the thing. More information is that it could have been tracked in by my dog. I wear bare feet and can confirm that I didn't track it in. Looked all over my house and cannot find any place it could have been torn off.

stlayne

Could it be part of a silicone spatula or kitchen utensil? I have some in pastel colors and they seem to have a solid metal core and then some flexible material that could rip off and look similar to what you have.

waterbottlejesus [OP]

Unfortunately no. None of my utensils are silicone. I have one silicone trivit, but it is black.

Intelligent-Brush324

Kind of looks like hair removal wax. Maybe even some tiny hairs? You can get elastic/scented?

Myphia87

This is a long shot, but you mentioned having a studio. Do you use Pink Soap to wash brushes with? I don't know what it would look like if it spilled and dried out, but it has a soapy kinda smell to it.

https://preview.redd.it/kvvm7virjqwh1.jpeg?width=700&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b65b1fd79a7e419457c802f76b89ce32d66bceb5

bedheadbegonia

Looks like a piece of rubber carving block used for linocut block prints. Any artists in the house or vicinity?

naturaviva

Oh! I have a Kotamu hair wax warmer with a silicone insert that is about that same color and thickness. It also has a bit of a scent to it and has an annoying tendency to collect lint like your piece there.

TheLostEngineer

Any silicone or latex foam-filled pillows around? The edges look like shredded pillow stuffing and would make sense why it smells like detergent. Edit: forgot the word latex

dumbname7890

If it smells minty while wet it could be celluloid.

My mom had a bucket of buttons I sorted through and a tip was to get them wet and sort them. If they smell minty, celluloid, if they don't, plastic.

It's been like 5 years though and I could be wrong. But I did search to see if I was right.

Idk how that helps you solve this, but you never know.

Ignore me, I missed the stretchy part.

waterbottlejesus [OP]

No! I will not ignore you, and that is something I just checked. After putting it in water it still smells the exact same.

llovepicklejuice

Any kid toys or stuffed animals that are out and about?

CoconutMetal

Maybe a wham bar / chew sweet?

avtechguy

Any fake plants around the house?

Technical_Monitor_84

Do you have a candle wax warmer? Looks like a piece of wax broke off.

WRYGDWYL

What happens if you put it in water? If nothing it's probably silicone and hopefully not harmful for your dog. Silicone absorbs other smells really well

Headman70

Looks like a piece of chewing gum from an old pack of trading cards.

waterbottlejesus [OP]

Exactly! That is exactly what it looks like. The only thing is that after stretching, it goes right back to the same shape.

buddha2552

I'm on team "thin silicone" and seems like one smooth factory edge and it was torn, not cut away from the other part. Wondering if it could be a food container gasket of some sort which could explain the smell.

It living above your dryer or adjacent to the dryer vent could explain a baked in smell (had a terrible experience at my sister's place when the croutons were stored in the laundry room in a cupboard the dryer vent ran through).

Is the stretchy feel strong like it could be part of an exercise band?

White silicone can turn pink over time. So maybe think about what you may have that was white and now aged?

oldsaltylady

It somewhat resembles a piece of cut carving block. Use them to make stamps/prints.

oldsaltylady
waterbottlejesus [OP]

Did you make that?

oldsaltylady

Oh no, I wish. That was from a quick google search

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SometimesAwkward

Could this be from a waxing kit?

Or a skincare face mask? There are some that dry rubbery and you peel off in pieces.

bongour

Maybe part of a rubber glove?

celtica98

Not an answer, you did say you didn't trek it in on your shoe but maybe it hitched a ride on the bottom of a tote bag, or reuseable shopping bag or paper shopping bag. I think if the dog chewed on it it would look a lot more mangled.

Ithrowbad

Any friends who tattoo for a living? Looks like the artificial skin they practice on.

headylinton

Has anyone been to beauty school? Could be skin from one of those practice dummies.

frickenrainbows

I would bet that it’s a piece of a silicone mold made with this. https://www.smooth-on.com/products/mold-max-30/ that has had scented wax casted into it

CheeseAndMack

Linoleum? Not the hard flooring kind you’re thinking of—the stuff that’s used to carve art prints. It’s smooth, soft, and pink.

https://preview.redd.it/ln018r700xwh1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25c20cd5cd658b6b5e803554a47ecc1458a9e0cc

grandmagellar

Rubbery case for something? The silicone (I think) holders for hand sanitizer can be stretchy like that.

Culfin

Just another thought or two - do you have any drag artist friends who could have carried it in by mistake? It could be a torn bit of a breastplate (they split easily after a while). Alternatively, anyone who may have a packer (for transmasc men)? How about someone who may require artifical breast(s) due to surgical reasons? It definitely looks like silicon 'skin'.

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