Found a method to easily remove glue residues from labels

[tkamiya]

Since many of us buy surplus and preowned equipment, inevitably we are left with instruments that has glue residue all over the place.  Asset stickers, calibration stickers, etc, etc, etc.

I accidentally found, a small amount of Deoxit D5 works wonders.  Remove most of the label mechanically.  Then either a drop of D5 or what's already on cloth after wiping something else off causes those glue to just melt away and wipe off cleanly.  You don't need a lot.  So far, I have not seen any staining or damage to plastic or anything else.

[BocaDev]

Since many of us buy surplus and preowned equipment, inevitably we are left with instruments that has glue residue all over the place.  Asset stickers, calibration stickers, etc, etc, etc.

I accidentally found, a small amount of Deoxit D5 works wonders.  Remove most of the label mechanically.  Then either a drop of D5 or what's already on cloth after wiping something else off causes those glue to just melt away and wipe off cleanly.  You don't need a lot.  So far, I have not seen any staining or damage to plastic or anything else.

Thank you for the tip. I'll give it a try.

[MarkF]

I use WD-40 for getting off label glue.  Especially those store price labels.  Then a little isopropyl alcohol to clean the WD-40 residue.  After all, WD-40 was originally created as a cleaner.

[tkamiya]

Yes, I've heard of WD40, too.

I wonder which one of the ingredients (maybe common on both?) is doing the job??

Personally, I don't like the smell of WD40, so I don't use it much at home.

[GerryBags]

Lab grade isopropyl alcohol works for me. Certain paints can be reactivated by pure IPA, so try a tentative wipe first, but it's harmless to plastics and thermo-glues, and contacts of course.

[Brumby]

After all, WD-40 was originally created as a cleaner.

Not to my knowledge.

[MarkF]

After all, WD-40 was originally created as a cleaner.

Not to my knowledge.

Quote from WD-40 history: https://www.wd40.com/cool-stuff/history

"In 1953, a fledgling company called Rocket Chemical Company and its staff of three set out to create a line of rust-prevention solvents and degreasers for use in the aerospace industry.

Working in a small lab in San Diego, California, it took them 40 attempts to get the water displacing formula worked out. But they must have been really good, because the original secret formula for WD-40® -which stands for Water Displacement perfected on the 40th try—is still in use today."

[Brumby]

Quote from WD-40 history: https://www.wd40.com/cool-stuff/history

".... set out to create a line of rust-prevention solvents and degreasers ..."

That is talking about a line of products ... a range, not just a single product.

WD40 is one of those products and it was created, as its name suggests, as a Water Displacement product - for the purpose of inhibiting rust.  It was not formulated as a cleaner.

What it has been used for since its release to the public, however, is quite another story.

[David Hess]

The two tricks I use are a heat gun to initially help remove the label without leaving a lot of adhesive residue behind and then naphtha (lighter fluid) for cleaning which is commonly used in plastic safe contact cleaners.

[kaz911]

petroleum based products are mostly great for removing glue as it dissolves the bonds in the glue.  Lamp oil or Oder-less lamp oil is great as well. 

Brush it on the sticker before removing it and let it soak for a bit. Mostly stickers can come off in one piece with little residue and the remaining residue can be removed easily with a microfiber cloth.

[RoGeorge]

I have a LABEL OFF 50 spray can from KONTAKT.

Worked well enough so far, and smells like insect spray mixed with WD40, maybe a little like Chloroform, and a lot like a too sweet and cheap perfume.

[BravoV]

Alternative mechanical method, for sensitive surface that I don't want to be exposed with any chemical or liquid, I used labor intensive elbow grease + fresh duct tape, choose the one that comes with really sticky glue surface but won't easily peeled off, then just stick the tape on glue residues, pull the tape with jerky motion and repeat, replace with fresh tape if needed, until all residues are gone, pulled and cleaned by the tape's sticky glue.

Once cleaned, the surface is almost like new with no trace of any chemical what so ever.

[Electro Detective]

Not to steal OP  tkamiya's thunder   

but I've been using Deoxit and other similar (CHEAPER) contact clean/lube products for longer than I care to remember on annoying stickers   
when other methods (including heat and cold) either fail or take too long.

and yes I found it worked by accident too, when some of the stuff crept on to a sticker before I could wipe it off = hmmm... 


FWIW My latest fav is concentrated dishwashing detergent applied straight on and rubbed in

Not the best or fastest method, but gets the job done, and way cheaper than blowing money on overpriced Deoxit   

[IDEngineer]

Universal solution (pardon the pun): Mineral Spirits.

I've never found a label adhesive it doesn't remove, cleanly. It even removes the adhesive left over from car and boat registration stickers, those metalized nightmares that intentionally tear when you try to remove them. I remove last year's registration stickers from our boats using mineral spirits every year and the fiberglass hull underneath is left clean and shiny. So shiny I can't tell where last year's stickers were to align the new ones. I do rinse well with water afterwards to protect the gelcoat.

I've even used it on plastic surfaces. Those scared me at first, I worried about interaction between the two petroleum derivatives. But no problem all... the sticker came off, the residue wiped away, I rinsed with water, perfect.

[edavid]

Heptane is the best label/adhesive remover.  It works well, evaporates completely, and doesn't leave any odor.

In the US, it's sold as "Bestine thinner": https://www.amazon.com/Bestine-Solvent-Thinner-Rubber-Cement/dp/B004O7HM38

Since it's gotten a little expensive, for large areas you might want to try alcohol first.

[texaspyro]

Heptane is the best label/adhesive remover.

Heptane works by causing the adhesive to temporarily forget how to stick.   It is also sold in craft stores (in expensive little bottles) under the name UnDo.  I think they actually patented the use of heptane for label removal.

[DaJMasta]

I've had good luck between isopropyl alcohol and commercial "goo gone", which is an orange based cleaner.  The goo gone does leave some residue that you have to wipe off afterwards, but I've used it on many test equipment stickers and sticker residues so far and it's done great and never been harmful to the surface it was on.

[labjr]

I've always used lighter fluid. Leaves no residue or odor.

[Brumby]

I find Eucalyptus oil is worth a try for some types of stickers. I try WD-40 first.

I regularly use eucalyptus oil for the removal of stickers from printed paper and cardboard products.  You do have to be careful with some printing inks as it may react and any mechanical effort can result in smudging.  Aside from that risk, the oil will evaporate completely - in time - leaving no oily residue and a more pleasant aroma than WD40.

It can also react with some plastics, so caution is warranted.

[WhichEnt2]

No one mentioned the skin grease removed from nose with finger. Works very well for removing small amounts of residue.

[CopperCone]

how about goof off?

[Electro Detective]

No one mentioned the skin grease removed from nose with finger. Works very well for removing small amounts of residue.

That's the one real benefit from cheap oily pizzas   

It'll be later than sooner before I buy another suss pizza to try this    

[tooki]

Many contact adhesives dissolve well in oil (vegetable, mineral, doesn’t matter). So first use oil to dissolve the adhesive, then use solvent (or even dish liquid and water, for fabrics) to remove the oil-adhesive sludge.

[tkamiya]

how about goof off?

I melted too many plastic with that stuff.  Some plastic cases are textured.  Rubbing with Goof Off made it a smooth texture and the difference is quite obvious.  I guess I should have followed instructions.  Test before using....

[David Hess]

how about goof off?

I melted too many plastic with that stuff.  Some plastic cases are textured.  Rubbing with Goof Off made it a smooth texture and the difference is quite obvious.  I guess I should have followed instructions.  Test before using....

My Tektronix 2247A has a spot like that where the plastic softened and the texture was lost.  I have not had that happen with naphtha but it was before I knew better.