Ah! So WD-40 does the trick!
For years I tried to remove the huge ugly patch of sticker residue on the back of my white-covered copy of Philip K Dick's Man in the High Castle, and nothing worked. I don't know where I read about it. Perhaps on a forum somewhere but I admit I was skeptical.
I ain't now! No more stubborn sticky stuff! Bonus - it cleaned the book too. The only drawback is that the book smells weird now. I'm wondering whether I should spray Febreze on it now too.
UPDATE:
Just remembered... the stickers on the books from the Times Warehouse sales have the most stubborn sticker residue. Right, time to hit the library with a can of WD-40.
For years I tried to remove the huge ugly patch of sticker residue on the back of my white-covered copy of Philip K Dick's Man in the High Castle, and nothing worked. I don't know where I read about it. Perhaps on a forum somewhere but I admit I was skeptical.
I ain't now! No more stubborn sticky stuff! Bonus - it cleaned the book too. The only drawback is that the book smells weird now. I'm wondering whether I should spray Febreze on it now too.
UPDATE:
Just remembered... the stickers on the books from the Times Warehouse sales have the most stubborn sticker residue. Right, time to hit the library with a can of WD-40.
what is the stuff you used? i need it too
ReplyDeleteWD-40 and a piece of cloth. Works wonders!
ReplyDeleteWell... here's a Haruki Murakami entry. It ain't pretty. But hey, you're the biggest Murakami fan I know, so anything I write that's related to him, negative or positive, I'm obliged to inform you, no? :D
ReplyDeleteNegative or positive, I'm not the kind to mind too much. I think it's understandable why you guys aren't so hot and bothered by him. Seems the reasons why some people hate him is exactly why I like him!
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Bash my favourite authors if you want to, but at least make it interesting and well-written.
Tape-head cleaning alcohol works as well, and it doesn't leave a residue of that weird WD-40 smell.
ReplyDeletethat's a good idea.
ReplyDeletelast time the book shops normally used the tiny price tag stickers which can be easily removed. you know, the kedai runcit kind.
i stopped removing them after once i tried to remove the bigger sized tag and end up with dark sticky residue and glued-to-the-next-book cover.
i have the D-40 at home! which my dad used for the car. and i always thought it works only as lubricant.
thank you for the tips Ted!
:)
Sympozium: Thanks! I shall try that... if I can find any lying around in the house.
ReplyDeleteLaydiefa: I think the worst stickers are from Popular. Leave them on the book too long and they become really, REALLY stubborn. The small "kedai-runcit" kind can get nasty too but they're not as bad the ones from Popular methinks. The best stickers come from Borders. They always peel off nicely.
Yes, quite difficult to find tape-head cleaning alcohol now, I would think - VCRs and music cassettes having been phased out.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the CD lens cleaner would work though? I think you can still find those.
ReplyDeleteI think any form of non-staining alcohol should work. The good thing with alcohol is that it dries almost immediately so your book cover doesn't get damp. There were on occasions when I splashed a generous amount onto the price sticker and then as it dried off I peeled the sticker off.
ReplyDeletebut what IS WD40??? where do you buy it??
ReplyDeletethe times labels from warehouse sales are the worst to remove and i think this is a deliberate policy
WD-40 is a cleaner and protecter against rust corrosion. It comes in a blue-yellow spraycan and can be found in the hardware section of any big store. You can't miss it... it's very visible.
ReplyDeleteI have it in the house to eliminate squeaks from the doors in my house, but it obviously has a new use for me now!
ahhhhhhhhhh! i'm off to buy some.
ReplyDelete(maybe someone should invest in shares?)
I've heard that baby oil (Johnson's) can work wonders on the sticky bits left behind.
ReplyDeleteThere's also a product that I've heard book lovers swear by - Goo Gone. It's about RM18 at Ace (or any regular hardware store).
Ooh! I've heard of Goo Gone too but I never thought it would be sold in Malaysia. Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDelete