Why are your hands slippery when dry, get “grippy” when they get a little bit wet, then slippery again if very wet?

Question

Why are your hands slippery when dry, get “grippy” when they get a little bit wet, then slippery again if very wet?

In: Physics

Answer 1

You know when your shoes get really really old and the rubber soles are hard like plastic? You try walking on the linoleum floors at school and slip if you’re not too careful? Or when your shoes are caked in mud, you run into the house, then slide on the wood floor and fall on your butt? That’s kind of what’s going on. Your fingers need a regular amount of moisture to work properly and grip stuff. Too much and you lose grip again.