Top 9 most effective ways to remove double-sided tape

Getting rid of leftover duct tape is not easy. For example, it is unlikely to be washed off with ordinary soapy water.

But effective ways to deal with tape and traces of it still exist.

We will tell you in this article how and how to remove double-sided tape from various surfaces.

How to remove?

Before you begin removing double-sided tape, you must carefully read the instructions and removal tips, because any careless movement can ruin the surface, on which there are traces of adhesive tape.

There are dozens, maybe hundreds of methods for removing adhesive marks, but the most effective ones are revealed below. Let's look at each of them in more detail.

Stationery knife

The method is simple, but it is acceptable to use it if the likelihood of scratching the surface is minimal. Proceed with caution.

The paper or film base is pryed off with a blade. The loose edge of the tape can be easily torn off by hand.

If it was not possible to remove all the adhesive tape at once, and pieces remain, you need to lift the edge of the adhesive tape again with the tip of a knife, and so on until it is completely removed.

Rubber (caoutchouc) disc

Cut off adhesive tape from a large area a soft attachment for a drill or screwdriver will help. The rubber disc will remove the top sticky layer without leaving scratches on the surface.

The tool must be set to minimum speed. Plastic rubber will not harm even the paintwork.

Hairdryer

Glue heated to 80-100°C is removed faster. You can use either a hair dryer or a hair dryer to dry your hair. They can be replaced with an iron set to the minimum temperature.

The advantages of this method are the absence of scratches even on paper.. The most tightly attached tape can be removed without difficulty.

But there is no need to heat non-heat-resistant objects to high temperatures, especially with a powerful hair dryer - they will immediately deform. It is better to expose them to the sun for a short time or keep them under steam - the glue will noticeably soften.

Oil

The glue will slide off easily if you lubricate the area of ​​contamination with vegetable or essential (for example, eucalyptus) oil.. They contain organic unsaturated acids that can dilute polymers:

1. Wipe the sticky surface with a sponge and leave for several hours.
2. You can lay a rag soaked in oil on a horizontal tabletop or bedside table for about 20 minutes.
3. If the stain is stubborn, it is best to leave the greased stain on overnight. In the morning the stain will come off without effort.
4. All that remains is to wash off the oil. Easy to clean surfaces (glass, polished furniture, plastic) do not absorb grease, so there will be no problems.

This method is not acceptable for paper wallpaper.

Eraser

If you rub the remaining glue with a regular eraser, it will form pellets and come off easily.. Just rub it with a cloth.

Gasoline, acetone, white spirit

The main advantage of the method is the ease and speed of removal:

• It is necessary to moisten a rag in any of the existing types of solvents and rub the stain.
• The type of surface should be taken into account. Regular gasoline can leave behind greasy stains.

  It is better to replace it with a highly purified composition, for example, liquid intended for refilling Zippo lighters.

• Acetone easily dissolves paint and varnish, so it is not recommended to use it for cleaning furniture. The same goes for removing stains on wallpaper.
• White spirit is used to treat any type of surface, with the exception of those painted with unstable dyes.

Glass cleaning liquid

Most of them are made with alcohol, which is an excellent solvent.:

1. You need to rub the stain with a sponge or rag soaked in this mixture, and after a couple of minutes there will be no trace of the sticky stain.
2. You can replace the windshield wiper with regular drinking alcohol or ammonia. They can even cope with dried out, old stains.
3. More serious products are car glass cleaners. But it should be noted that, in addition to alcohol, they contain quite strong chemicals and ammonia.

Table vinegar or citric acid

Any acid can dissolve glue. In everyday life, vinegar or lemon is more often used.

You should rub the contaminated area with citric acid soaked in table vinegar or diluted water, and the dirt will easily come off.

This method has a significant advantage: the acid does not leave streaks.. The smell of vinegar will disappear in just half an hour.

Baking soda

The procedure is acceptable for hard surfaces such as plastic or tiles. After all, soda particles are, albeit small, an abrasive that can leave scratches. This method is not suitable for cleaning furniture and especially wallpaper.

The glue will quickly form into pellets. It is permissible to replace soda with tooth powder.

Features of cleaning marks depending on the type of surface

Before you begin to deal with tape residues, you should consider which method will be not only more effective, but also the safest and most gentle. It can be different for each type of surface.

Glass, mirror

Any removal method will do, except using abrasives or metal brushes, because it’s easy to scratch the glass surface:

1. The heating is allowed to be low, so a hair dryer will not work here. Otherwise, the glass product will simply crack.
2. You can use oil, alcohol, solvents or glass cleaners.
3. Baking soda, which is a weak abrasive, and a school eraser will not leave visible marks on the glass or mirror.
4. Paper tape can be soaked in hot water in advance to remove the top paper layer.

You can learn more about ways to remove tape residue from glass Here.

Plastic

It is even easier to damage than glass, so no brushes or scrapers. Products made from polymers should also not be heated - some types of plastic may lose their shape and warp at elevated temperatures.

Learn more about removing tape marks from plastic surfaces - here.

Tree

When transporting furniture, adhesive tape is used quite often. After all, it is so convenient to fix doors that are trying to open. But then the torment comes. It seems that the tape is firmly stuck to the smooth surface.

How to remove from a wooden surface:

1. Both polished and unvarnished wood is quite capricious. The heating method will not work here.

   The varnish will crack when exposed to high temperatures. In this case, there is no need to use active chemical reagents and solvents.

2. The ideal method for cleaning varnished surfaces from adhesive residues is vegetable or essential oil, alcohol or glass cleaner. They will not leave any marks on the surface.
3. It is prohibited to use vegetable oil only on unvarnished wood - the fat will be easily absorbed into it.
4. You can rub the contaminated area with purified gasoline. It is not capable of dissolving varnish and paint.
5. A rubber eraser can easily handle small areas. A dry cloth will help to completely remove any remaining tape.

For more information on how to remove tape and its residue from furniture, see this article.

Laminate

Even a coating with a high wear resistance class can be damaged by an overly sharp blade. Scratching a regular laminated panel with a knife is even easier. So no knives.

Treating the surface with a solvent to avoid removing the polymer coating is also prohibited.

Since laminate does not tolerate large amounts of water, this is done with a slightly damp cloth,

Painted or wallpapered walls

Removing tape from such a surface is most problematic. It will be removed along with paper, acrylic or water-based emulsion. It is especially difficult to remove it from non-uniform, uneven surfaces.

First, the glue is softened with an iron: it should be warm, but not hot.. Iron the problem area through gauze or a thin napkin. The softened tape will come off easily.

General Tips

For those who often face the need to remove glue residues, we can give several useful recommendations:

• when gluing tape to a painted surface, you need to be prepared for the fact that this area will lighten a little over time;
• fresh traces of glue are much easier to remove than old ones;
• Solvent 646, in addition to ethers and alcohols, contains acetone; this mixture will cope with any type of glue;
• There are special products on sale for removing adhesive tape, for example, Label Remover; you need to look for them in construction stores;
• Fire starter fluid will also help remove remaining adhesive tape; however, it is only able to dissolve certain types of glue;
• You can replace acetone with a more gentle composition - nail polish remover.

Useful video

The video will show you how to easily wipe off double-sided tape:

Conclusion

It’s possible to get rid of leftover adhesive tape. With some skill, you can remove even old, sun-dried tape.

The main thing is to determine the type of surface and use a suitable product.You can use one or several methods.