Without stains, scratches and harm: how to remove scotch marks on furniture and not ruin it?
Scotch tape is in every home today. It is used for small household repairs of furniture and various household items. It is also used to fix drawers and drawers when transporting furniture.
However, when it comes time to remove adhesive tape from surfaces, problems often arise. It either does not remove at all, or leaves a dirty glue stain.
How to remove scotch marks on furniture? To solve this issue, you can apply one of the proven methods, which will be discussed in this article.
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Home emergency removal methods
If you need to quickly remove the tape and traces of it, emergency methods based on the use of improvised means are used.
White Spirit
Solvent cleaning is very effective but not safe... It can be used on smooth surfaces with a coating that is resistant to external factors.
It is suitable for cleaning traces of adhesive tape on glass, metal, plastic. However, it is better not to use White Spirit for leatherette upholstery and painted furniture.
The solvent must be applied very carefully. This is done as follows:
- slightly moisten a soft cloth or cotton pad with solvent;
- rub intensively until the pollution disappears;
- rinse off solvent residues with a sponge.
Alcohol-containing formulations
Ethyl, ammonia and medical alcohol, as well as vodka can cope with glue residues on plastic and glass.
As in the previous case, the treatment of painted surfaces is not recommended - alcohol can dissolve the paint.
Alcohol is applied to surfaces boldly enough... It will not harm glass and high-quality plastic.
But in the case of plastic, it is better to first try to process a small area in an inconspicuous place. The remains of alcohol can be left alone or simply wiped off with a dry cloth.
Special means
If scotch tape is often used in the house and traces of it can appear at any time, it is advisable to have a special tool on hand to remove glue residues.
Today, there are special products on sale for removing adhesive tape, glue and stickers from furniture. They can also be bought in a specialized store or ordered online. These include:
- "ASTROhim" (produced in the form of a spray, it costs from 150 rubles per bottle);
- Liqui Moly (costs from 500 rubles);
- "Scotch Remover" (also spray, costs about 400 rubles).
Fresh adhesive residues from scotch tape are much easier to remove than old ones.
therefore it is advisable to immediately address this issue as soon as it arises... In this case, you can use simple tools that are in every home.
How to clean with household chemicals?
You can remove glue stains with other cleaners or detergents.
Dishwashing liquid
This product can be used to clean almost any surface, except for those that cannot be wetted.
The method of use is simple:
- pour warm water into a ladle;
- add a few drops of detergent;
- moisten a sponge in the resulting solution;
- start rubbing.
After processing with a soapy sponge for 1-2 minutes, you should collect the foam with a clean rag and see if the tape has moved away or not.
If it is not completely washed off, but the stain has decreased, the procedure should be repeated... If after rubbing the stain has not decreased, then you need to use another, more aggressive product.
Dry cleaning powders
Powder can be used to clean hard, chemically and mechanically resistant surfaces. For example, this method is suitable for cleaning kitchen appliances or bathroom surfaces.
It is very easy to use:
- first, the powder is applied with a damp sponge;
- leaves for a few minutes;
- then the stain must be rubbed with a hard part of the sponge;
- in the process of friction, the powder turns into a liquid soapy mass, it should be washed off with water;
- if the stain is gone, wipe the surface dry;
- if contamination remains, repeat the procedure until it disappears completely.
Glass products
If the product contains alcohol, it can be used to wipe off unpainted hard or soft surfaces... It is sprayed onto the contaminated area and then wiped with a sponge or soft cloth, depending on the type of surface.
After processing, let the stain dry. And, if traces of glue remain, you need to repeat the procedure.
Soap solution
You can remove glue stains with a solution of water and ordinary soap:
- the soap solution is applied with a sponge;
- the surface rubs a little;
- soap residues are washed off with a clean cloth.
Glue soaked in soapy water can be rubbed off with a hard, non-sharp object, such as a wooden kitchen spatula.
Folk recipes
The advantage of traditional methods is that there are many of them, and they are fundamentally different in the type of impact on pollution.
If emergency methods using improvised means did not help, it is worth taking advantage of the experience of other people and try different methods until an effective one is found.
Soda
Soda is suitable for delicate polished and painted coatings. It is used like this:
- make a thick gruel;
- apply the mixture to the stain with a thick layer;
- leave for a few minutes;
- further the contaminated area needs to be rubbed a little;
- wash off the soda with warm water;
- wipe dry.
The principle of using baking soda is the same as using dry cleaning powder... But, if the powder contains aggressive chemicals, then they are not in the soda, which means that it is suitable for washing a much wider range of surfaces. She can safely clean polish, thin upholstery, etc.
Vegetable oil
You can use a simple sunflower, but essential oils give more chances to wipe away dirt.
Cleaning process steps:
- oil with a cloth or cotton pad is applied to the surface;
- leave for 15-20 minutes;
- wipe gently with a dry sponge or cloth.
At the end of the procedure, remove oil traces with warm soapy water or water. Finally, wipe dry.
Eraser
This method requires diligence and free time.... But it allows you to remove old dirt from any surfaces without the risk of spoiling the coating.
With an eraser, you need to carefully clean off the adhesive residues from the edge of the stain.
When erasing, the eraser turns into small specks, they need to be swept away in the process of work, otherwise it will not be visible where the adhesive tape has left, and where you still need to rub.
Hair dryer
The hair dryer is used as a tool to prepare the surface for further cleaning any of the above methods. Heating with a hair dryer softens the glue and is easier to clean.
Acid
Sometimes difficult stains that cannot be removed with special products can be cleaned with acid. For solution preparation you need to mix citric acid with warm water in proportions of 1 to 2... Or you can use unmixed table vinegar.
The surface is treated and left for 10-15 minutes, then washed off with a wet sponge. If necessary, the procedure is repeated until the desired effect occurs.
Dentifrice
This tool is simple to use:
- first, the powder is mixed with the shaving foam (1 to 1);
- the mixture is applied for 5 minutes;
- rub the stain with a sponge;
- when the stain comes off, the solution is washed off;
- wipe the surface.
Cleaning rules depending on the type of surface
The choice of the cleaning agent option should be based on the material from which the furniture is made.
Glass surfaces
Glass surfaces withstand intense chemical attack... They can be processed:
- soap products,
- alcohol-containing compositions;
- special aerosols to remove glue.
Office tape can be washed off with regular soap. Double-sided adhesive tape, or rather traces of it, can be removed from the surface with chemical compounds.
It is not advisable to clean the glass with powder and soda, as these products are composed of small particles that can cause small scratches.
Learn more about removing adhesive tape from glass surfaces - here.
Wood materials: painted or polished
Painted or polished wood can be cleaned:
- oil,
- soda,
- eraser
- or liquid detergent (if applied very carefully).
It is undesirable to heat the tree and apply special sprays to it (only with heavy contamination from double-sided tape).
It is strictly forbidden to wash wooden coatings with solvents or alcohol-based products., as this will damage the coating.
Plastic
Plastic furniture can be cleaned with a variety of products. It is undesirable to use only dry cleaners and soda - scratches may remain. However, the concept of plastic is very broad, in some cases it is a rather capricious and delicate material.
Stationery tape can be removed by soaking with soapy water. Double-sided strong tape is best cleaned with a spray.
Learn more about removing adhesive tape from plastic surfaces from this articles.
Upholstered furniture
Upholstered furniture can be tidied up with:
- soap solutions,
- detergent,
- special sprays.
For stubborn dirt, you can heat it up with a hairdryer. It is better not to use a solvent - if it does not corrode the material, it will be absorbed into it and the furniture will smell bad.
Tooth powder is also undesirable., since it is difficult to wash out from fabric surfaces and a whitish trace may remain from it.
Recommendations
When choosing one of the methods for removing glue spots, you need to take into account the characteristics of the surface, as well as the fact that the selected tool will also need to be removed.
So, it is especially difficult to wash oil, solvent, powders (cleaning and dental). This must be borne in mind.
Conclusion
Scotch tape often comes to our rescue and helps us solve all sorts of minor problems. So that he himself does not become a problem, you should choose in advance the most optimal option for cleaning from glue residues, and, if necessary, remove dirt from furniture as soon as possible.
As they say, they knock out a wedge with a wedge. Glue a new tape on the traces and press harder, then turn on the hair dryer to the hottest setting, warm it up and slowly tear it off while continuing to heat with a hair dryer. Everything may not work out right away, you will have to repeat it several times.