YSK: WD-40 is perfect for removing adhesive left behind by stickers

Submitted ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨LillyPip@lemmy.ca⁩ to ⁨youshouldknow@lemmy.world⁩

We all know WD-40 works for making things move when they’re seized, but it’s also works better than anything for getting rid of all traces of adhesive left behind after peeling off stubborn stickers from things you buy.

It works on nearly all surfaces* – even coated paper! (just be sure not to leave it to soak into the paper.)

Instead of peeling slowly for ages with your fingernail or doing that peel-stick-peel-stick thing for half an hour, soak a paper towel in WD-40 and dab it on the offending sticker remains, wait a few minutes, then scrub off.

*it’s best to test a small area first if the object is painted or porous, and be careful with items meant to be food safe, because WD-40 is obviously not food safe.

This is something I wish more people knew, because soooo many manufacturers and retailers put stickers in the worst places and with near-permanent adhesive. I hope this helps you!

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Comments

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DScratch@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
If you don’t have any, or want a food safe alternative, soak the remaining sticker in cooking oil.

Isopropyl alcohol also works.

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- LillyPip@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Oh, I didn’t know about cooking oil, that’s awesome.
  
  Alcohol works, but it will destroy many finishes (painted or stained furniture, coated paper, some coated metals, some plastics and rubbers, etc), whereas WD-40 is safe for most finishes.
  
  Sounds like cooking oil may be as well – gonna have to try that, thanks!
  
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  - msage@programming.dev ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    Let is know once you test it, thanks
    
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  - sik0fewl@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    Cooking oil helps with scrubbing it off so that it doesn’t continue to stick. Good for scraping off the residue.
    
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- BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Hand sanitizer frequently works too.
  
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  - Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    Too much water. Not good with paper labels.
    
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  - DScratch@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    That’s got 70% isopropyl in it. Sometimes perfumes too.
    
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ThatKomputerKat@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
YSK: it’s better to be cleaning with chemicals/liquids I won’t have to then clean up with other chemicals/liquids.

Stuff like Alcohol or Naptha which evaporate as don’t leave yet another residue to remove.

Same reason I don’t use goo-gone either.

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Ajen@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
WD-40 is a jack of all trades but master of none. There’s probably a better product, no matter what you’re trying to do, but everyone has a can of WD-40 lying around.

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- mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  This is largely because people misuse WD-40. It’s a solvent. It dissolves rust, which allows it to bust up seized joints. It dissolves oils, which makes it good for cleaning machine parts. It dissolves adhesives, which is why it’s so good at helping scrape them up.
  
  It’s not a good lubricant, because that’s not what it’s made to do. After you dissolve all of the rust, you need to apply a fresh coat of oil, or else the part will just seize up again after the WD-40 evaporates. Because the WD-40 didn’t just dissolve the rust; It also dissolved the oil that was lubricating it and protecting it from further oxidation.
  
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  - LillyPip@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago
    I feel like you’re the only person here who actually understands what WD-40 is and what it’s for.
    
    Thank you.
    
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  - rob_t_firefly@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    The company’s stance is fully against using it on arthritic joints.
    
    WD-40 Company does not recommend the use of WD-40 Multi-Use Product for medical purposes, and knows no reason why WD-40 Multi-Use Product would be effective for arthritis pain relief. WD-40 Multi-Use Product contains petroleum distillates and should be handled with the same precautions for any product containing this type of material.
    
    People who swear by getting pain relief from spraying and/or rubbing on WD-40 are actually getting that reliefe from the cooling and/or rubbing, and it’s nothing to do with the chemicals in the spray.
    
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- LillyPip@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Thanks, this exactly. Each material has its own ideal product or method, but a light rub with WD-40 works on nearly anything (but not what you’re thinking – it’s never lube. It’s poisonous.).
  
  It actually has interesting chemical properties.
  
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alsaaas@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Just use rubbing/cleaning alcohol, way cheaper too probably

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- Showroom7561@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Yeah, isopropyl alcohol is probably the best because it doesn’t leave any residue behind like oil, wd40, and other adhesive removers do.
  
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- RedIce25@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  I sometimes use both WD40 and alcohol, the former to losen the sticker, the latter to remove leftover residue
  
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  - nfamwap@feddit.uk ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    This is the way
    
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Etterra@discuss.online ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
You should also remember that it’s absolutely not a substitute for proper oil or grease lubrication. The WD stands for “Water Displacement.”

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- LillyPip@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago
  It’s actually a solvent, not a lubricant. It can unseize things, but you need to apply proper lubricant if you don’t want them to seize again.
  
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- kalpol@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Came to say this. It works well for displacing things, not lubrication.
  
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- Tikiporch@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  WD-40 and 3-in1 Oil, the olive oil and vinegar of the handyman world.
  
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tal@lemmy.today ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
I’ve had good luck with Goo-Gone.

It has an extremely strong citrus smell (which I don’t think is an additive).

kagis

No, according to them, it’s one of the solvents.

googone.com/…/goo-gone-goo-and-adhesive-remover-s…)

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- Nusm@piefed.zip ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  I came here to mention Goo Gone. Used it a lot.
  
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- bassomitron@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Goo Gone is what I’ve used for years. It’s quite effective at the getting rid of the super stubborn ones.
  
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glitching@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
normal vegetable oil has the same effect on sticker residue, like on jars and such.

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Noerknhar@feddit.org ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Isopropyl alcohol is all you need, and is less aggressive than WD-40.

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- LillyPip@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Alcohol is far more aggressive and will ruin many plastics, rubber, painted surfaces, finished wood, and coated paper.
  
  Be really, really careful using alcohol on anything other than bare metal and some plastics. Many plastics and rubber will be made eternally sticky with alcohol (I made this mistake earlier today, which was why I posted this).
  
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Krudler@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Recently I discovered I could use a hair dryer from the thrift store that has a diffuser. I have been gently softening the adhesive and peeling them off, and I have been finding that in most cases, it no longer leaves any adhesive behind!

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FunnyUsername@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
but goo b gone smells so good

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Opinionhaver@feddit.uk ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Lighter fluid works great as well

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- LillyPip@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  True, but lighter fluid can ruin many surfaces. WD-40 is weirdly gentle on most surfaces (though it doesn’t seem like it would be).
  
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  - dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    I’ve never seen naptha (i.e. Zippo lighter fluid) do anything to any painted or finished surface, nor any of the plastics I’ve ever tired it on. I’ve been using the stuff in that context for decades, to the extent that I literally purchase it by the gallon. (I also use it in my lighters, because painter’s naptha is like 2% of the cost per volume of brand name Zippo fluid despite being the same stuff.)
    
    WD-40 contains nonvolatile oils that will leave a difficult to clean off residue behind and if you use it on anything porous it will soak in and possibly stain the surface while being functionally impossible to remove without using yet more solvents. For that reason it’s not really a great way to get stickers off of things, especially things that you’d like to remain non-greasy or may need to stick something to again at some point in the future (paint, tape, etc.).
    
    Naptha will evaporate entirely on its own given enough time, and you can even use it on paper and printed surfaces (excluding inkjet printed things, in my experience, which it will smear) with no harm done after it fully dries.
    
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hellequin67@lemmy.zip ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
It’s also great for taking crayon drawings off walls.

Have children to learn hacks ;)

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- LillyPip@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  More sticky children hacks, please. :)
  
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markovs_gun@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
I would not recommend it though, especially on items made of plastic, finished wood, or rubber. Heat and a scraping tool are better, and barring that, a more mild solvent. WD-40 is not intended to be a solvent, and isn’t formulated for cleaning household items. It will damage or discolor a lot of materials, and it is really not worth it.

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Ledericas@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
the goo be gone liquid too,.

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finitebanjo@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
It’s also flammable btw.

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fuckwit_mcbumcrumble@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
If you took the sticker off but the adhesive is left over just keep resticking and peeling it off. Do it quickly just push down and off.

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- LillyPip@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  That doesn’t always work. Some of these adhesives are stupidly sticky, and some leave all of their paper rather than giving up.
  
  If it’s a weak adhesive, that method is fine. This tip is for strong or obnoxiously sticky adhesives.
  
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ragebutt@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
xylene or toluene or denatured spirits or acetone or basically any solvent you can buy at hardware store works for this really

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- LillyPip@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  They often fuck up plastic, rubber, fake leather, definitely paper, and painted or finished surfaces. WD-40 is usually safe on those surfaces (or as others have said, Zippo lighter fluid and possibly cooking oil).
  
  Alcohol removes adhesive, but is likely to ruin the surface too.
  
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PlaidBaron@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
I found out bike chain oil works wonders for this as well. I also found out that bike chain oil will make you mildly high at the same time.

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- LillyPip@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  That’s a bonus. we-40 will likely also get you high in close quarters – it’s probably more expensive than weed, though, and likely kills more of your brain than is worth it.
  
  I recommend a high THC, mushrooms, or LSD instead. Combustibles are a worse high that will probably give you cancer. No bueno.
  
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  - PlaidBaron@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    Oh it wasnt on purpose. Im not advocating it.
    
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BagOfHeavyStones@piefed.social ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
It's also great for shitty faded headlights. It's not a long term fix but it's an immediate fix when applied. I redo every few months.

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- mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Yeah, the fog is caused by oxidizing plastic. In order to actually fix the issue, you need to apply some sort of protectant finish to prevent oxidation in the future.
  
  A thin dusting of clear coat spray paint typically works fine, but will obviously take nicks and dings as you drive.
  
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moncharleskey@lemmy.zip ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
My go to for cleaning sticker residue off glass is wd-40 and a fresh razor blade. Works like a charm and is scratch free.

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- Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Mine is either Isopropanol alcohol and/or hot water + a lint free rag
  
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Treczoks@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Yes, this works with most stickers, but there are some tough bastards that even resist that.

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HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
i use orange oil if i want it to smell nice, goo gone if i don’t care. both work great, the trick is saturating it with oil. mineral oil will work in a pinch too.

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Lemminary@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Thank you! I actually needed this for some things at work. Godspeed, kind internet stranger.

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