866-580-5261Businesses that sell products are often worried about its packaging. Many a times, even though the packaging is appropriate, it fails to strike a chord with the customers. This can be due to lack of customization or branding.
Using customized stickers as per your brand can not only enhance the overall look of the product but also adds a uniformity to the entire product range. Beast Branding provides graphic designing services at reasonable costs to businesses who are looking to create something unique for their brand.
Customized stickers can be applied manually or through an automated process. If applied manually, sometimes there might be a chance of sticker being applied haphazardly or applying a wrong sticker altogether. In such a case, one needs to remove the sticker as soon as possible so that it doesn’t leave a residue and render the packaging useless. But, sometimes its too late, and the sticker as well as its residue get stubbornly stuck to the surface.
In this blog we will talk about a few hacks to quickly remove the sticker from any surface and effectively wipe out any residue that it leaves.
Let’s have a look.
How to get rid of a sticker and its residue
The first instinct of every person is to get rid of any sticker residue is by hand, but after a while it starts accumulating into a gluey gunk instead. That is why avoid scratching with nails or hands, and get rid of the residue quickly by using some household tools.
No matter which of the below methods you choose, it would be wise to first test it on a small and preferably inconspicuous patch of the surface where the residue persists. The patch test will ensure that the surface will not be harmed when you go all out with the method.
If you’ve got residue stuck on a plastic surface, the best option to remove it would be by a plastic pan scraper or an old plastic credit card. Metal scrapers can cause damage to the surface; hence they are best avoided. Plus, plastic scrapers are more affordable too.
However, since plastic scrapers are relatively less sharp than metal scrapers, they might not be too effective on a stubborn or strong adhesive. It is important to be gentle and careful when scraping off the residue, especially when dealing with glass surfaces, as they are more prone to catching scratch marks.
Hot water to the rescue! Add few drops of a washing liquid to hot water in a container. Soak the item that has the residue for about an hour. The sticker glue will soften due to the hot water, making it easy to wipe out the remaining sticker or residue. You can use a soft cloth to wipe it out or use fingernails for the same.
An unconventional, yet effective method. Yes, the peanut butter you use for your sandwiches! It might seem like the least obvious choice but it is a good way to get rid of the sticky residue. Peanut butter is extremely oily and can be effective if applied on to the sticky residue for approximately fifteen minutes. Wipe it out with a mildly damp cloth and you will see that the residue comes off along with the peanut butter.
A common favorite and widely used remedy, rubbing alcohol is one of the most versatile solutions to get rid of sticker residue. Vodka and rubbing alcohol can be used on many distinct surfaces – plastic, glass and wood, to name a few.
Pour some rubbing alcohol on a cloth till it gets wet and then rub the wet portion of the cloth on the sticky portion of the surface. If it doesn’t come off, you can soak the entire cloth and place it on the sticky area for fifteen minutes. This will soften the stubborn residue and will let it come off easily when wiped again.
Perfect for any glass, plastic or metal surfaces, acetone or a nail polish remover can be used for getting rid of sticker residue. Pour few drops of acetone on a cotton pad or cloth. Let the cotton pad rest on the sticky area for a few minutes. Use a damp cloth to wipe off the acetone and the sticky residue off.
Hair-dryer can be used too. But note that it should not be used on plastic surfaces; especially electronics or those surfaces that could melt under the heat. Plug in the hair dryer and set the highest heat setting. Blast the sticky area for three to four minutes by keeping the hair-dryer at least two inches away from the surface. Now that the adhesive has dried up reasonably, you can use a plastic scraper or fingernails to scratch away the remnants.
The best thing about oil is that it is perfect for sensitive surfaces as it doesn’t contain any strong chemical or ingredients that could cause a possible reaction. However, note that it should be used only on a non-porous surface like plastic, metal or glass. Using it on materials like wood or fabric will lead to oil seeping into them.
Put a soft sponge of cloth, into a thin layer of cooking oil (coconut, olive or vegetable oil) and then dab it onto the sticker surface. Let the oil sit on the surface for up to 2 hours. Now soak a clean cloth in soapy water and use it to clean off the oil and the residue. In case you are worried that the oil will stain, pour a drop of oil onto an inconspicuous spot. If it is wiped off easily without a trace, it can be used for cleaning the residue without a worry.
You can also create your very own oil-based cleaner using cooking oil and baking soda. Combine and stir equal parts of baking soda and cooking oil in a container. Stir until a thick paste is formed. Apply the paste onto the sticky area of the surface and let it sit for about thirty minutes. Use a clean cloth to wipe of the paste along with the residue.
Ending Note
It is crucial to understand that using any sharp objects like knife or blade can potentially harm the packaging surface and render it useless. The surface might get scratched or even damaged, making it important to use tried and tested methods that are listed above. Also, ensure you do a patch test, before using any method expansively on the surface.