Without stains, scratches and harm: how to remove traces of tape on furniture without ruining it?

Scotch tape is in every home today. It is used for minor household repairs of furniture and various household items. It is also used for fixing drawers and hinged drawers when transporting furniture.

However, when it comes time to remove tape from surfaces, problems often arise. It either doesn’t come off at all or leaves dirty glue stains.

How to remove tape marks on furniture? To solve this issue, you can use one of the proven methods that will be discussed in this article.

Emergency removal methods at home

If you need to quickly remove 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 resistant to external factors.

It is suitable for cleaning traces of adhesive tape on glass, metal, and 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:

• lightly moisten a soft cloth or cotton pad with solvent;
• rub vigorously until the contamination disappears;
• Wash off any remaining solvent with a sponge.

Alcohol-containing compounds

Ethyl, ammonia and medical alcohol, as well as vodka can cope with glue residues on plastic and glass.

As in the previous case, treating painted surfaces is not recommended - alcohol can dissolve the paint.

Alcohol is applied to the surface quite boldly. It will not harm glass and high-quality plastic.

But in the case of plastic, it is better to first try to treat a small area in an inconspicuous place. You don’t have to remove any remaining alcohol or simply wipe it off with a dry cloth.

Special means

If adhesive tape is often used in the house and traces of it can appear at any time, it is advisable to have a special means on hand to remove glue residues.

Today there are special products on sale for removing tape, glue and stickers from furniture. They can also be bought in a specialty store or ordered online. These include:

• "ASTROhim" (available in the form of a spray, costs from 150 rubles per bottle);
• "Liqui Moly" (costs from 500 rubles);
• Scotch Remover (also a spray, costs about 400 rubles).

Fresh adhesive residues from tape are much easier to remove than old ones.

That's why It is advisable to immediately address this issue as soon as it arises. In this case, you can use simple means that are found in every home.

How to clean using household chemicals?

You can remove glue stains using cleaning products and detergents intended for other purposes.

Dishwashing liquid

This product can be used to clean almost any surface, except those that cannot be wet.

The method of use is simple:

1. pour warm water into the ladle;
2. add a few drops of detergent;
3. moisten a sponge in the resulting solution;
4. start rubbing.

After treating with a soap sponge for 1-2 minutes, you should collect the foam with a clean rag and see if the tape comes off or not.

If it is not completely washed off, but the stain has decreased, the procedure should be repeated.. If after rubbing the stain does not decrease, then you need to use another, more aggressive product.

Dry cleaning powders

The powder can be used to clean a hard, chemical and mechanically resistant surface. 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;
• left for a few minutes;
• then rub the stain with the hard part of the sponge;
• during friction, the powder turns into a liquid soap mass, it should be washed off with water;
• if the stain has disappeared, the surface must be wiped dry;
• If the contamination remains, repeat the procedure until it completely disappears.

Glass products

If the product contains alcohol, it can be used to scrub 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 treatment, allow the stain to dry. And, if traces of glue remain, you need to do the procedure again.

Soap solution

You can remove glue stains using a solution of water and regular soap:

1. the soap solution is applied with a sponge;
2. the surface rubs a little;
3. the remaining soap is washed off with a clean rag.

You can try to remove glue soaked in soapy water with a hard, non-sharp object, for example, 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 do not help, you should use the experience of other people and try different methods until you find one that works.

Soda

Soda is suitable for treating delicate polished and painted surfaces. It is used like this:

• make a thick paste;
• Apply the mixture to the stain in a thick layer;
• leave for a few minutes;
• Next, the contaminated area needs to be rubbed a little;
• wash off the soda with warm water;
• wipe dry.

The principle of using soda is similar to using dry cleaning powder. But, if the powder contains aggressive chemicals, soda does not contain them, which means it is suitable for washing a much wider range of surfaces. You can safely clean polishing, thin upholstery, etc. with it.

Vegetable oil

You can use simple sunflower oil, but essential oils have a better chance of removing dirt.

Cleaning process steps:

1. apply the oil to the surface with a cloth or cotton pad;
2. leave for 15-20 minutes;
3. gently wipe with a dry sponge or cloth.

At the end of the procedure, you need to 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 surface without the risk of ruining the coating.

Use an eraser to carefully remove any adhesive residue from the edge of the stain.

As the eraser wears off, it turns into small specks; they need to be swept away as you work, otherwise you won’t be able to see where the tape has come off and where you still need to rub.

Hairdryer

A hair dryer is used as a tool to prepare the surface for further cleaning. any of the above methods. Heating with a hairdryer softens the glue, making it easier to clean off.

Acid

Sometimes difficult stains that cannot be removed with special products can be cleaned with acid. To prepare the solution you need to mix citric acid with warm water in proportions of 1 to 2. Or you can take unstirred 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 easy to use:

• first the powder is mixed with shaving foam (1 to 1);
• apply the mixture for 5 minutes;
• rub the stain with a sponge;
• when the stain disappears, the solution is washed off;
• the surface is wiped.

Cleaning rules depending on the type of surface

The choice of cleaning agent should be based on the material from which the furniture is made.

Glass surfaces

Glass surfaces withstand intense chemical exposure. They can be processed:

• soap products,
• alcohol-containing compounds;
• special aerosols for removing glue.

Stationery 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 glass with powder and soda, since these products consist of small particles that can cause minor scratches.

Learn more about removing tape marks from glass surfaces - Here.

Wood materials: painted or polished

Painted or polished wood can be cleaned:

1. oil,
2. soda,
3. eraser
4. or liquid detergent (if applied very carefully).

It is not advisable to heat the wood and apply special sprays to it (only in case of severe contamination from double-sided tape).

Washing wooden surfaces using solvents or alcohol-based products is strictly prohibited., as this will damage the coating.

Plastic

Plastic furniture can be cleaned using a variety of cleaning products. It is undesirable to use only dry cleaning agents 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 it with soapy water. It is better to remove strong double-sided tape with a spray.

Learn more about removing tape marks from plastic surfaces. this articles.

Cushioned furniture

Upholstered furniture can be tidied up using:

• soap solutions,
• detergent,
• special sprays.

For severe dirt, you can heat it 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.

It is also undesirable to use tooth powder, since it is difficult to wash out from fabric surfaces and may leave a whitish trace.

Recommendations

When choosing one of the methods for removing adhesive stains, you need to take into account the characteristics of the surface, as well as the fact that the chosen product will also need to be removed.

Thus, it is especially difficult to wash off oil, solvent, and powders (cleaning and dental). This is definitely something to keep in mind.

Conclusion

Scotch tape often comes to our aid and helps us solve all sorts of small problems. To prevent it from becoming a problem, you should choose in advance the most optimal option for cleaning from glue residues, and, if necessary, remove dirt from the furniture as quickly as possible.