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Okay...there's kind of a long story behind it, but I have left-over stickiness on the front of my alarm clock because it was bright, and I didn't notice a switch on it. It's from scotch tape that's been removed, and it's making the alarm clock rather hard to read.

I've tried cleaning it with a wet cloth, but it wouldn't get it off. I also tried scrapping it off with various things, but I couldn't get stuff flat enough so it only took off little strips. (Some things took off some of the alarm clock's plastic too...)

Any tips would be appreciated, and the easier/cheaper, the better. alt text

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  • Did you ever get this resolved? If so, please give a check-mark to the answer that helped you the most, or write up your own answer explaining what you did to get it fixed and give yourself a check mark. That will help others with this kind of problem know that this has a resolution and is a good place to look for their answer.
    – FreeMan
    Aug 17 '20 at 18:13

10 Answers 10

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22

Goo Gone! - they claim that it's safe on any surface, and I haven't used it anywhere that it's caused damage, but check a small spot first just to be safe.

If you want to try something cheap, you could always simply get the stickiness off with more tape, but that probably won't work with old grungy remains.

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  • 5
    +1: As soon as I read the title, this was my first thought. Great stuff!
    – Doresoom
    Dec 15 '10 at 19:57
  • 3
    +1 for Goo Gone, though I did use it to remove sticker residue from an HP printer once and it removed the very slight texture on the plastic leaving a smooth finish instead. Also, the "more tape" solution often works wonders especially with duct tape.
    – BQ.
    Dec 16 '10 at 21:04
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    Goo Gone is my goto for this kind of problem. Sometimes with stubborn labels and tape, it takes multiple applications, and sometimes you have to let it sit for 10-15 min before wiping.
    – myron-semack
    Dec 17 '10 at 17:57
  • Goo Gone! is great. Though be careful: it took the paint off my red metal filing cabinet. Do test first.
    – samthebrand
    Aug 7 '12 at 18:32
6

WD-40 works really well for this also.

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5

I suggest a white eraser. Just rub it and the glue will warm up just enough to stick to the eraser "shavings". (Works well on CDs, books, etc.)

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4

I always use turpentine. I've tried a bunch of others things but for me turpentine works best and fastest.

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3

I have used De-Solv-It to remove a lot of sticky substances. As previously mentioned, Goo Gone works well too.

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2

Almost any citrus based cleaner will remove glue traces. The stronger the concentration the better. It will not wreck the plastic like some harsher chemicals will.

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2

Cheap and easy is plain old vegetable oil. You need to let sit for a while so that the oil penetrates the glue.

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0

Peanut Butter

I use it to remove the label residue from glass jars. Just smother it all over, let it sit for a while, come back and wipe off.

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0

I use lighter fluid and a paper towel. Works great!

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0

nail polish remover works perfectly!

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