It doesn’t matter what you purchase these days; they all come with stickers, barcode labels, or instruction labels on them.
Anything plastic should in many cases be easy to remove by peeling off the label to leave your new item, or kid’s toy clear of these annoying pieces of stuck on paper.
However, depending on the adhesive used, or how long the label has been on the item, removing stubborn stickers becomes much harder, and you often find residue left on your item. This adhesive residue attracts dirt and makes it look dirty.
You can purchase sticker remover chemicals, yet there are ways for removing sticker residue, which is better.
You can use household items from around the home, which you often use for home improvement or cleaning.
Here, we show you all the easy ways how to get sticker residue off plastic things, so there is no trace, and you are no longer in a sticky situation.
Remove Sticker Residue with Caution
Once you get your plastic, you may be tempted to remove stickers by reaching for the first thing you can for removing sticker labels and the adhesive.
Metal blades, a razor blade or putty knife, are all well and good, if removing sticky residue from glass, or jars, yet plastic is softer.
You can scratch or damage the material surface, and you end up worse than you were before.
How to remove stickers takes a little time, although taking the appropriate steps and following the quick tips below. (Learn How To Remove Tile From Wall)
One thing to note is before tackling the sticky area; it is best to test the method on an inconspicuous area before moving to remove the sticky residue.
Once you learn how to remove adhesive and residue, you will know all the cleaning tips, and the best ways to remove it from any material, and not only plastic.
Best Ways How to Remove Sticker Residue Without Damage
Plastic Scrapers on Plastic Surfaces
We just saw that metal could scratch plastic; however, using a plastic scraper could be sufficient if the surface is flat. Using a plastic knife or edge, such as that of an old credit card can remove most of the gunk. (Learn What is PEVA)
Once you get so far, you can rub the remainder with a pencil eraser. Once you do this, a quick wipe down with warm soapy water and paper towels can leave your plastic item sparkling clean.
The Power of Hot Air
Using a hairdryer can be one of the easiest means how to remove adhesive gunk. Switch on the dryer and point it at the label and residue.
The hot air will soon begin to melt the glue, and you can use a scraper from above to ease and scrape the soft adhesive from your plastic item.
Be careful the dryer isn’t too hot and your plastic too thin, or you could make it deform.
Hot Water
You can use this house cleaning method when looking at how to remove adhesives. However, it will depend on the item, because it may not be suitable for toys, or items that have electrics inside.
Fill a bowl with hot water and some dish soap; you can also add some washing soda to increase the effectiveness.
The residue should soften from the heat, and the soap prevents it from being sticky. Submerge it for a few minutes and peel away at the label or residue with your fingers, or use a scraper made of plastic. Once clear, wipe down with a clean cloth to dry.
Use Alcohol to Remove Residue
Rubbing alcohol (or Vodka) is one of the safest solvents you can use on plastic to remove masking tape residue, or label residue after peeling the label.
Soak a paper towel and gently rub the area with the residue. It should lift off as you rub, although, you may have to soak a paper towel a couple of times for best results. If it is stubborn, you can soak the towel and lay it on the adhesive for a few minutes before rubbing.
Peanut Butter and WD-40
The way both of these work is by softening the residue. All you need to do is cover the area with peanut butter (smooth works best), or cover the area with WD-40.
After a few minutes, both of these will make the residue soft and less sticky so you can wipe away the remaining residue with a microfiber cloth.
One thing worth knowing with both these is if you have stickers on your living room wall. These methods may leave traces of oil, and paint won’t adhere where these were, so use these on plastics. (Learn How To Remove Tiles From A Wall)
Cooking Oils
There are several different oils you can use to remove tape residue from plastic. Canola oil, olive oil, regular cooking oil, or vegetable oil will all suffice.
To remove adhesives, all you do is dab any of the oils on the sticker or residue. This will soften it and stop it from being sticky.
Lastly, wipe away with a towel and warm water to get rid of the oil. For added cleaning, you can add some baking soda to make a paste. You have the added benefit, and it stops the oil running off the side of the plastic.
When you come to remove adhesives, you may often see acetone or nail polish remover in use. However, you do need to take some caution with this.
Acetone can work wonders on items that are not plastic, yet there are many types of plastic, and you can find you damage the surface.
In the slightest, you may smear the surface of the plastic, or you can make soft or dissolve it altogether.
Sticking with the above natural methods are quicker and safer for you and your plastic item.
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