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Is there anything WD-40 cannot do?

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.
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Comments

  1. bibliobibuli29/10/06 3:07 pm

    what is the stuff you used? i need it too

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ted Mahsun29/10/06 6:19 pm

    WD-40 and a piece of cloth. Works wonders!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Edmund Yeo29/10/06 6:36 pm

    Well... 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

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ted Mahsun29/10/06 11:15 pm

    Negative 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!

    Nevertheless, I quite enjoy you and Justin's posts... and the hawt asian chicks you post up always make my day :D

    Bash my favourite authors if you want to, but at least make it interesting and well-written.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Poppadumdum30/10/06 9:20 am

    Tape-head cleaning alcohol works as well, and it doesn't leave a residue of that weird WD-40 smell.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous30/10/06 10:11 am

    that's a good idea.
    last 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!
    :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ted Mahsun30/10/06 10:23 am

    Sympozium: Thanks! I shall try that... if I can find any lying around in the house.

    Laydiefa: 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.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Poppadumdum30/10/06 11:03 am

    Yes, quite difficult to find tape-head cleaning alcohol now, I would think - VCRs and music cassettes having been phased out.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ted Mahsun30/10/06 11:10 am

    I wonder if the CD lens cleaner would work though? I think you can still find those.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Poppadumdum30/10/06 11:33 am

    I 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.

    ReplyDelete
  11. bibliobibuli30/10/06 6:58 pm

    but what IS WD40??? where do you buy it??

    the times labels from warehouse sales are the worst to remove and i think this is a deliberate policy

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ted Mahsun30/10/06 7:08 pm

    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.

    I have it in the house to eliminate squeaks from the doors in my house, but it obviously has a new use for me now!

    ReplyDelete
  13. bibliobibuli31/10/06 10:08 am

    ahhhhhhhhhh! i'm off to buy some.

    (maybe someone should invest in shares?)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous31/10/06 4:45 pm

    I've heard that baby oil (Johnson's) can work wonders on the sticky bits left behind.

    There'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).

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ted Mahsun31/10/06 4:49 pm

    Ooh! I've heard of Goo Gone too but I never thought it would be sold in Malaysia. Thanks for the tip!

    ReplyDelete

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