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

Your body needs moisture to work properly. So the grip of your hands is kind of determined by all the ridges, and their ability to sell swell and squish. All those little lines, like your fingerprints and such, they fill with water when there’s moisture, and then when you grab things, they are able to apply extra pressure, creating better grip. Obviously this swelling is near microscopic, but have you ever stayed in the water until your hands prune? That is your skin swelling to give you grip in such a wet environment.

I’m using this to train for teaching my kids, hope this is good.