Friday, June 1, 2012

Off Topic: Label Adhesive Removal

I bought a really nice storage box recently to store all of my unpainted jig heads.  A problem occurred when I attempted to remove the labels from the box lid.  The adhesive beneath the labels was so thick that I could not remove it using soap and warm water.  So, I attempted to scrape a small section with a razor blade and determined that I'd likely damage the lid.  Warm water and a plastic pan scraper (Pampered Chef?) couldn't get the darn stuff off.

Eventually. I thought about some information I'd read on the back of a carton of sticky traps used for mice control.  The directions suggested the use of vegetable oil to remove the trap's "goo" in the event that any of it should come in contact with something it shouldn't.  Why not try that?  I asked myself.

I did and it works well.  I peeled off as much of the labels as I could and then scrubbed the lid with a kitchen sponge in warm water.  Next, I poured the vegetable oil onto the areas covered by the adhesive.  Using circular motions, I scrubbed the adhesive away from the lid.  Then, rinsed the affected areas with warm water and wiped them off with a dry paper towel.

Finally, the remaining vegetable oil residue on the lid was removed by a spray and wipe with glass cleaner.  My box looks great and now nothing will stick to its lid. :)

Two thumbs up for vegetable oil!

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