How to Fix Common Dice Issues: Sticky, Chipped, or Faded

Quick answer

Most sticky dice just need a gentle wash with mild soap and lukewarm water, then a full air-dry before storage. Chipped or faded dice are usually permanent surface damage, so the practical move is to repair only if the chip is small and smooth, and replace the die if numbers are hard to read or edges catch. Match your care method to the material: metal, resin, and acrylic each react differently.

Dice problems rarely mean your dice are ruined. A sticky feel, a small chip, or a faded number almost always points to one specific cause: residue on the surface, physical impact, or long-term exposure to light, heat, or friction. Once you know which one you are dealing with, the fix is usually simple.

This guide separates each symptom from its likely cause so you can act with the right method and stop before you make things worse. It covers metal, resin, and acrylic dice, and it tells you when to keep caring for a die and when to retire it.

Sticky dice: residue, not damage

A sticky or tacky feel on dice is almost always surface residue. Oils from your hands, lotion, food, or leftover mold release from manufacturing can build up and attract dust. This is common on acrylic and resin dice, and it is not a sign the material is failing. The fix is a gentle wash, not a harsh scrub.

Fill a bowl with lukewarm water and a drop of mild dish soap. Rub each die with your fingers or a soft cloth, rinse well, and lay them on a towel to air-dry completely. Do not use hot water, alcohol, acetone, or abrasive cleaners, which can dull the finish or cloud clear resin. If the stickiness returns within days, the cause is likely storage, not the wash.

• Use lukewarm water and mild soap only; skip vinegar, bleach, and solvents.
• Dry fully before storing so moisture does not trap dust or cause spotting.
• Keep a velvet bag or case clean; a dirty bag can re-coat dice with residue.

Chipped dice: repair small edges, replace structural damage

Chips happen when dice hit hard surfaces, get dropped on tile, or knock against each other in a loose bag. A small nick on a corner or edge can sometimes be smoothed with a fine-grit nail buffer, working lightly in one direction. This is cosmetic repair, not restoration: you are reducing the sharp catch point, not rebuilding the missing material.

Do not try to fill chips with glue, paint, or resin. Filler rarely matches the original finish, can change the die's balance, and may flake off into your hands. If the chip is on a number face, if the die wobbles when rolled, or if the damaged area is larger than a pinhead, the die is no longer reliable for fair rolls. At that point, replace it rather than repair it.

• Buff only the raised burr, not the whole face, and check the number stays readable.
• Retire any die that rolls unevenly or has a chip through a numeral.
• Store metal dice in a case so they do not chip each other.

Faded dice: slow exposure, limited reversal

Faded numbers or washed-out colors come from UV light, heat, and repeated handling over months or years. Painted numerals on metal dice can wear thin at the edges, and acrylic or resin colors can lose saturation when left in direct sun. This is a surface change, not dirt, so cleaning will not bring the color back.

For painted numbers, a tiny touch-up with a matching acrylic paint pen can improve readability if you work carefully and wipe the excess immediately. For overall color fade on acrylic or resin, there is no safe home restoration method; the pigment change is throughout the material. If the fade makes a number hard to read at a glance, replace that die. If it is only cosmetic, keep using it and move your dice out of sunlight.

• Store dice away from windows and car dashboards to slow fading.
• Touch up painted numbers only when the recessed groove still holds paint well.
• Do not sand or polish faded faces; you will remove more color and detail.

Material matters: metal, resin, and acrylic

Metal dice are the most durable but the heaviest, so they chip other dice and surfaces when stored loose. They can be washed with mild soap and dried immediately to avoid water spots, and they belong in a case rather than a soft bag. Resin and acrylic dice are lighter and more prone to surface scuffs and clouding, so they need gentler handling and softer storage.

The Velvet Dice Bag - Medium Light Gray holds up to 10 standard RPG sets and is ideal for polymer dice, but the catalog notes that metal dice are better kept in a metal case to stay in top shape. That single storage choice prevents most chips and scuffs before they start.

• Match the storage to the material: soft bag for polymer, hard case for metal.
• Never store metal and acrylic dice loose together.
• Clean dice before storing them for a long break.

Dice problem diagnosis chart

• Sticky or tacky surface: Likely cause: hand oils, lotion, or manufacturing residue on acrylic or resin. Corrective action: wash with lukewarm water and a drop of mild soap, rinse, and air-dry fully. If stickiness returns within days, clean your storage bag or case next.
• Chipped edge or corner: Likely cause: impact with hard surfaces or loose storage with other dice. Corrective action: lightly buff a small burr with a fine-grit buffer; do not fill with glue or paint. Stop and replace the die if the chip is through a number or the die rolls unevenly.
• Faded number or color: Likely cause: UV light, heat, and long-term handling. Corrective action: touch up painted numerals only with matching acrylic paint; accept color fade on acrylic and resin. Replace the die if the number is hard to read at a glance; otherwise store it out of sunlight.

Products that help prevent dice problems

• Velvet Dice Bag - Medium Light Gray: The Medium Satin-Lined Light Gray Velvet Bag is 5 by 6.5 inches (15 by 17 cm), lined with silver satin, and can hold up to 10 standard RPG sets. A clean, lined bag keeps acrylic and resin dice from rubbing together, which is a common cause of scuffs and sticky residue transfer.
• Infinity d20 Set - O-12: This is a solid metal d20 die-cast from non-toxic zinc alloy and electroplated with a bright yellow and golden finish, made under license with Corvus Belli's INFINITY game. Metal dice like this resist chipping better than acrylic, but the plated finish should be washed gently and dried right away to keep it bright.
• The Cleric Dire d20 - Esoteric Ebb: This oversized metal d20 depicts the World's Worst Cleric and was made in collaboration with the makers of Esoteric Ebb. Oversized metal dice are heavy and can chip other dice or surfaces if dropped, so store this one in a case rather than a bag with lighter dice.

Most dice problems are maintenance issues, not lost causes. Clean sticky dice gently, smooth only small chips, and treat fading as a storage lesson. When damage reaches the numbers or the roll, replace the die and protect the rest with the right bag or case.