Thread: Tape residue removal...solution?

For those of us who use a Zippo and have the lighter fluid anyhow it is convenient and it works. This thread got me to thinking about the days when I was a carpet installer. If we were doing a direct glue down (gluing the carpet to the floor) and accidentally spilled glue on the carpet we kept a can of WD40 in the truck. Wipe off any excess and spray the stuff on the area and rub with a paper towel. The glue won't stick to oil and off it comes. Same if you get chewing gum on a carpet or tape residue on the spine of a razor. Any oily substance will probably remove the tape residue.

I like to use 3M tape. It may cost a bit more but it is made in the USA and for those of us who live here spending a few extra cents to help and support one of our own ain't a bad idea. They might spend some of the money they make where you work and help you keep your job.

Originally Posted by JMS

And where the hell have you been?

Nice to see you!!

Thanks for the welcome, Mark Yeah, I've made the biggest mistake of my life.. When the mineral exploration sector went into panic mode, I thought taking a few undergrad courses in spatial analysis would be a good idea... BIG mistake Working full-time was a heck of a lot less demanding on my time. Finally got a few minutes to wind down, but I'm already flyin' out tonight.. Gonna post up a thread with the reason for my travel as soon as I have a quick smoke break

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

For those of us who use a Zippo and have the lighter fluid anyhow it is convenient and it works. This thread got me to thinking about the days when I was a carpet installer. If we were doing a direct glue down (gluing the carpet to the floor) and accidentally spilled glue on the carpet we kept a can of WD40 in the truck. Wipe off any excess and spray the stuff on the area and rub with a paper towel. The glue won't stick to oil and off it comes. Same if you get chewing gum on a carpet or tape residue on the spine of a razor. Any oily substance will probably remove the tape residue.

I like to use 3M tape. It may cost a bit more but it is made in the USA and for those of us who live here spending a few extra cents to help and support one of our own ain't a bad idea. They might spend some of the money they make where you work and help you keep your job.

I keep rolls of the good stuff and the crap around, I just find that the cheap stuff is better for razors due to it's lack of sticky residue left behind. I save the good stuff for it's intended use in electrical purposes.

At my previous job, we had a 2-tiered tape system.. For quick temporary attachment, we used cheap Chinese stuff and for splices and any other electrical connections that were supposed to stand up to the elements in the bush, we used 3M Super-88.

Any organic solvent, preferably apolar (although some polar solvents work very well too). The most common are of course ethanol, (iso)propanol, ether, acetone, lighter fluid (which is propanol or butanol, or a mixture of something similar, IIRC), petrol, etc. Oils work as well, due to their apolar (hydrophobic) nature. Due to that nature, getting oil residue off is harder, of course.

As mentioned before, be careful with those solvents, they're all quite volatile and extremely flamable, and some of them indeed toxic. If you use them, do it in a well ventilated area, preferably outside in the shadow.
Ethanol is your solvent of choice. Low toxicity (just don't drink it and don't keep your skin wetted with it for hours), flamability is okay (you use small amounts, so any fire that starts should stop quickly...) and it mixes perfectly well with water, to clean afterwards.

I use Kroil or 3-in-1, whichever's closest, unless they're both out of reach, in which case I just take a fresh piece of tape, press it down firmly over the residue, then pull it off bringing the residue off with it.

I've found that just pressing the tape onto the residue and peeling it off again takes up any of the sticky residue.

"There is nothing worse than a man in the depths of an ether binge." Hunter Thompson 1968

WD 40 everbody has some wont damage scales,prevents corrosion,and works better than anything else...............Regards Gary

Originally Posted by rshaw

I've found that just pressing the tape onto the residue and peeling it off again takes up any of the sticky residue.

I absolutely positively endorse this suggestion. I tried it last night on four razors and it worked GREAT! When you peel the tape off, just press it against the areas with residue and it should pull off with one or two dabs! No muss, no fuss, no toxic fumes. It's easier, safer, and faster than any other method.