Thursday, August 18, 2011

Removing stickers

A little household tip: the best way I've found for removing stickers is lighter fluid, which seems to be the same as "cleaning gasoline" as it's called in Danish. Pure gasoline, though I'm not sure what ingredients are missing which are in the gas we put in cars.

If there's a lot of glue, I put a patch of kitchen roll paper on top, and squirt some lighter fluid on it, and then put a plastic bag on top to hold the volatile fluid in place while it works. After a couple of minutes, the glue can usually be wiped off easily.

And it does not seem to swell or damage cardboard like water would, so it can be used on books or paper DVD covers, for example. (What a pity it is to design a beautiful cover, just so the next step in the selling chain can put a brazen sticker on it.)

Alex said
As well as purpose made solvents like "goof off" and "goo gone", the other one that works on plastics, china and glass is olive oil. Don't use that on your books though.

They have Goo Gone at Amazon UK, with great reviews, so I've ordered a bottle. Thanks. 

6 comments:

Michael said...

Lighter fluid is Naptha. It is also used to clean camera shutters that have grease on them. Good stuff.

CalgaryMark said...

WD40 works well on some surfaces (that don't mind oil). Another is rubbing alcohol in bulk,or use those little pads that medical people use before sticking a needle in your anatomy.

Alex said...

As well as purpose made solvents like "goof off" and "goo gone", the other one that works on plastics, china and glass is olive oil. Don't use that on your books though.

The one I don't like is when a sticker is put on the shrink wrap of an album, and the sticker is an integral part of the cover art. Like hte black bagged editions of "Wish You Were Here".

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

I haven't come across that, but it does sound like a dirty trick to make collectors buy twice.

Olive oil? Really??

TC [Girl] said...

Even peanut butter works: The "grit" from the ground peanuts can cause it to be easier to rub the sticker off, after it has sat on the sticker for a little while. Pretty natural stuff. :-)

I've even "lifted" a sticker off w/a razor blade. And...if a sticker is pulled off SLOWLY enough that time is allowed for the glue to "let go," nothing, atall :-) is needed; just MORE PATIENCE! :-D

Paul Perton said...

Save your cash guys. If rubber-based adhesive is the problem, use a dab to butter, or margarine. If the label is very unwilling to come off with all the glue, try scoring the surface with the tip of a knife (being careful not to scratch the product's surface underneath) so that the butter/marg can get through and work it's magic.

Once the label is off, you can clean up with a tissue or kitchen paper.