# Household tactic?



## needafix (Mar 23, 2005)

I find and keep plastic snuff cans since they make good storage containers for little computer bits and pieces. I wash them and after I get the labels off I'm left with the sticky backing on the can.

Does anyone know of some household chemical that will remove that?

.


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## Guyzer (Jul 3, 2004)

Lighter fluid works and so does WD40. Trouble is both smell like petroleum so you have to wash the item after you're done.


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## teengeekgrrl (Apr 14, 2005)

If you're bored and want something to do: 

Lots of Dawn and hot water. 

I would also venture to say that vegetable oil would work too. I've never tried it, but both the items Wimpy mentioned are oils and vegetable oil might be a better first thing to try than smelly petroleum.


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## Guyzer (Jul 3, 2004)

Lots of Dawn and hot water won't work to get the sticky off. Been there, done that.


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## teengeekgrrl (Apr 14, 2005)

It's usualy worked for me. I start peeling the label off while it's runing under the hot water. 

But then my definition of "works" may not quite be yours. Who knows.


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## MightyQueenC (Jul 7, 2004)

If you don't have the right chemical remover: Try a little baby oil (or cooking oil if you don't have baby oil), soaked up with a cotton ball and rub to remove the adhesive that way. It works on many things that I've wanted rid of label evidence, and may be worth a try.


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## Guyzer (Jul 3, 2004)

MQ you know of any other uses for baby oil.


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## Rockn (Jul 29, 2001)

Goo Gone works well to get the labels off.
http://www.organize-everything.com/googone8oz.html


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## needafix (Mar 23, 2005)

MightyQueenC said:


> ...It works on many things that I've wanted rid of label evidence, and may be worth a try.


Now is that where all that stuff at the flea market comes from? 

.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

I hear peanut butter works but it may be the oil in it that works.


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## needafix (Mar 23, 2005)

hewee said:


> I hear peanut butter works but it may be the oil in it that works.


I think I might opt for the lighter fluid since it has multiple uses. In the meantime I do to this can like I did to the last one and that was to smear the glue with tobacco ashes. That smoothes it over and doesn't rub off on the hands once it is stuck on the glue.

.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Well some chemicals may not be good on some types of plastic. So even if it clean it it may mess up the area the you cleaned.


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## needafix (Mar 23, 2005)

hewee said:


> Well some chemicals may not be good on some types of plastic. So even if it clean it it may mess up the area the you cleaned.


Yeah some of those petroleum products react with one another like plastic bobbers and rubber fishing worms.

.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

So many types of plastics out there you have to try it to find out what happens. 

So test a spot first.


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## Knotbored (Jun 5, 2004)

Try a stubby pencil eraser mounted in an electric drill. I recall using that once to remove sticker goo from a window when even solvents wouldnt get it off.


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## needafix (Mar 23, 2005)

Knotbored said:


> Try a stubby pencil eraser mounted in an electric drill. I recall using that once to remove sticker goo from a window when even solvents wouldnt get it off.


I use hard backed razor blades on flat glass. I really don't even know if I have a pencil in the house. They are a hexagon so they will fit nicely in a 3/8 drill chuck.

.


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## Guyzer (Jul 3, 2004)

Lighter fluid won't harm most hard plastics. I use it quite often to remove the stickies.
A rubber eraser on a pencil stuck in a drill will most likely damage the plastic in some way. Friction = heat = damage


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## Davec (Jan 27, 2001)

MightyQueenC said:


> Try a little baby oil


Do you buy that or squeeze your own?


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## teengeekgrrl (Apr 14, 2005)

The pencil eraser in the drill sounds like a lot of fun though


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## needafix (Mar 23, 2005)

teengeekgrrl said:


> The pencil eraser in the drill sounds like a lot of fun though


Being the holidays it would make a nice desktop gift for those who make a lot of typos. 

.


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## A_erised (May 24, 2004)

Acetone based nail polish remover.... BUT do a test spot.


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## needafix (Mar 23, 2005)

Ok I figured out what I am going to do. First I am going to rub it down with lighter fluid and when done I will cut the fluid residue off with WD40 then some Dawn and hot water to get down to the lower level sticky next to the plastic and try to soften that with vegetable oil and peel what is left of the label in hot water and baby oil with cotton ball but I can't afford Goo Gone and I ate all the peanut butter and the lady I live with forbids me to touch her nail polish remover and I will use the stubby pencil eraser mounted in an electric drill to get the plastic molding stubbies off the bottom of the can.

As a final I will buff it with the cat.

.


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## grewas (Nov 22, 2005)

Careful with the acetone, it'll damage most plastics.

I spent several years as a tech manager at Chuck E Cheeses and tried lots of things to clean up gum, sticker residue, etc. The best product I ever found is called De-Solv-it. It's citrus based so it won't harm plastics and it just plain works. :up:

Wal-mart usually carries it but if they don't here's a link to the De-Solv-it page.

_


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## teengeekgrrl (Apr 14, 2005)

Oh I forgot about that stuff... De-solv-it removed a thick layer of stickers from my desk and worked like a charm.


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## Space Cowboy (Apr 19, 2005)

Rockn said:


> Goo Gone works well to get the labels off.
> http://www.organize-everything.com/googone8oz.html


Yep I agree. I use it on all the AOL disks people used to give me then windex to remove the oil. De-Solve it and Goo Gone are pretty much the same thing and they are cheap and last forever. I've even used it to remove permamarker from a nice maple counter top. The key is to let it soak in.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Goo Gone is not safe to use on everything because it can eat into some things.


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## teengeekgrrl (Apr 14, 2005)

I think Goo Gone smells really nasty. But that's just me. 

There's also this stuff called Un-Du, which works fairly well.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Goo Gone is also oily so not good for cleaning all things and it will eat tru things too. Never use it on carpet because of the oil in it and because it will eat tru the glue in the carpet backing and you carpet will come apart.


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## MightyQueenC (Jul 7, 2004)

Wimpy369 said:


> MQ you know of any other uses for baby oil.


Yes, yes I do, Wimpy. 



Davec said:


> Do you buy that or squeeze your own?


Due to those pesky child protective laws  , I am forced to buy my own. 

I still stand by the stuff. Not icky smelling and does not eat through anything that I am aware of.


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## bordercollie (Oct 6, 2005)

needafix said:


> Ok I figured out what I am going to do. First I am going to rub it down with lighter fluid and when done I will cut the fluid residue off with WD40 then some Dawn and hot water to get down to the lower level sticky next to the plastic and try to soften that with vegetable oil and peel what is left of the label in hot water and baby oil with cotton ball but I can't afford Goo Gone and I ate all the peanut butter and the lady I live with forbids me to touch her nail polish remover and I will use the stubby pencil eraser mounted in an electric drill to get the plastic molding stubbies off the bottom of the can.
> 
> *As a final I will buff it with the cat.*
> 
> .


LOL :up:


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## Cosmic (May 5, 2003)

The super stuff for the purpose is a cleaner used in the auto body trade. DuPont Prep-Sol 3919. Will remove anything that is hydrocarbon based, things like tar, adhesives, waxes, etc. Takes off label adhesives with no rubbing fuss.

Is what is used to get a car super clean quickly for painting. Imagine trying to get all the wax off a typical car, not to speak all the road grime, tars, etc. Lots of uses around the house, good for computer cleaning. Excellent for cleaning the mouse.

You can buy it in any store that supplies the auto body trade. Or might just take a small jar to any auto body repair shop. Cheap, a gallon is typically under $10. I use it for many cleaning jobs. Especially on tough adhesives, just melts the stuff away.

Don't need any special handling, pretty non toxic, guys use and breath the vapors without any special protective gear on a daily basis. Excellent in it does not leave any type of film, does not vaporize all that easy. Just don't drink it.

Is pretty much a wipe and it is gone. Save the wear and tear on the cat, use her for shoe shining.


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