Someday you may find yourself in the situation where you have some tape residue on your hands, on your tools, on your glass table top, or anywhere else that tape residue can stick. Let’s face it, tape is sticky. If you don’t like the sight of white then read this article! It will tell you how to remove tape residue from almost any surface.
Tape residue leaves a sticky mess on everything it comes into contact with. A little elbow grease and some safe cleaners will remove it with relative ease, however.
Whether you’ve found the sticky substance on a piece of furniture or something you’ve just brought home from the store (tape residue is the same as the sticky residue left behind by adhesive price tags), you’ll be armed to clean it away when you have these safe cleaners on hand.
Table of Contents
Method 1: Cleaning with Rubbing Alcohol
- Scrape the residue off with a dull blade. A butter knife is ideal, but you may also use a putty knife or a razor with an attached guard. Hold the blade flat against the surface and slowly slide the knife over it to scrape off the residue.
- Be gentle to avoid scratching the surface. If you’re worried about scratches, skip scraping.
- Soak a soft cloth in rubbing alcohol and rub at the area. Dampen the cloth with isopropyl rubbing alcohol from the medical section at any drug or general store. Make sure the cloth is clean and soft to avoid damaging the surface you’re treating. Then, gently rub the cloth back and forth over the area until the adhesive comes off. The combination of the rubbing alcohol and friction from rubbing will remove most of it.
- Acetone or nail polish remover may be used instead, but are more likely to damage painted surfaces.
- Scrub the area with a mixture of dish soap and warm water. Place about a tablespoon of liquid dish detergent in two cups of water and stir until the mixture is bubbly. Then, dip a soft cloth into the soapy water and use it to gently scrub the residue. Keep rubbing the area until it no longer feels slippery or sticky to the touch.
- Any gentle or medium-strength soap can be used. Avoid ones that are designed for grease and other tough stains.
- Dry the surface with a cloth. Rub the surface with a clean cloth or paper towel to absorb the water. The surface should no longer feel rough or sticky from the residue.
Method 2: Treating Residue with Cooking Oil
- 1Soak a paper towel in cooking oil and lay it over the residue. Dab a paper towel into any type of cooking oil you have on hand. Lay the paper towel over the residue, then lift it after a few minutes. You can then rub or scrape the residue to get most of it off.
- Other oily products are also effective, such as baby oil, peanut butter, or mayonnaise.
- Be careful around absorbent material such as carpeting and clothing. The oil may cause stains. If you’re concerned, try a baking soda paste instead.
- Mix together some coconut oil and baking soda. In a small bowl, combine an equal amount of the oil and baking soda. Mix them together to form a paste.
- If you don’t have coconut oil, try mixing the baking soda or vinegar into warm water.
- Apply the paste and let it rest for 30 minutes. Dip something soft, such as a cloth or old toothbrush, into the paste. Transfer it over to the surface you’re treating and spread it across the residue. Come back within 30 minutes to an hour to finish cleaning.
- Wash off the paste with warm water. Get a clean cloth and dampen it in warm water. The remaining residue will likely come off as you rub it with the damp cloth.
- Dry the surface with a cloth. Use a soft cloth or paper towel to dry the water and check for any remaining residue. You may also use a knife or paint scraper to loosen any remaining residue.
Method 3: Removing Stubborn Residue
- Heat the residue with a hairdryer for a quick removal. Aim the hairdryer at the residue to soften it. After a minute, it should be heated enough to remove. Scrape it off carefully with a knife or other implement. If it doesn’t come off all the way, switch to a different treatment.
- Spray WD-40 to treat metal surfaces. WD-40 is available at most general and home improvement stores. You can spray it directly onto areas with a lot of residue or dampen a terry cloth to treat smaller patches of residue. Leave it on for a minute, then scrub it off with soap and water.
- WD-40 is perfect for surfaces such as cars. Read the warnings on the canister to avoid using it on surfaces that it’ll stain.
- Vaseline or car wax works as an alternative to WD-40.
- Apply a commercial residue remover for a stronger treatment. These products are also available at general stores. There are brands out there designed to remove the residue from commercial tape. Follow the directions on the label and the product will also work well for you at home.
- Use water pressure or sandblasting to clean rock and concrete. This can only be done on strong construction materials such as rock, brick, and concrete. Aim a high-pressure water system or sandblaster at the material. Briefly turn it on and off until the residue is gone.
- Be very careful when doing this. These machines can leave marks on most surfaces.
Safe Cleaners to Remove Tape Residue
So what exactly are these safe cleaners that clean the sticky mess away? And why are safe cleaners necessary?
First off, why use harsh chemical cleaners that are harmful to both your health and the environment when there are other options readily available? You’ll find you have some—if not all—of the following cleaners already in your home.
- Tape (Yes, tape helps remove tape residue—just wait and see how!)
- Liquid dish soap
- Sponge or cleaning rag
- Rubbing alcohol
- Baking soda
- Water
- Dry cleaning cloth
- Blow dryer
- Soft cleaning brush
- Paper towels
- Hand sanitizer
Start Simply
The chore of cleaning up tape residue is greatly lessened when removing the tape—or adhesive label—correctly in the first place. Much like removing a band-aid painlessly, you want to gently lift the edge of the tape, and then quickly pull the entire thing off the surface it is covering. Ripping off the tape in one fast motion makes for a much cleaner removal.
For the adhesive that is left behind, starting simply is the best way to dive into cleaning it up. Wet a sponge or cleaning rag with hot water and put a few drops of liquid dish soap on it. Scrub the area with tape residue. If it appears to be removing the sticky substance, wet the sponge or cloth again and continue the process until it is all gone.
This method works on glass, wood, acrylic, plaster, asphalt, marble, linoleum, enamel, pewter, plexiglass, and porcelain. Any surface that doesn’t appear porous is a candidate for cleaning this way.
Use a Blow Dryer
If the hot water and soap method didn’t remove the tape residue after a couple of tries, get out your blow dryer. Aim the dryer directly at the residue for about one minute. Then proceed with the soap and water method.
Always try the soap and water method before you use the blow dryer, however. There is a very slight chance that the blow dryer can mar the finish on wood.
Surfaces That Soap Might Damage
There are some materials and surfaces that might be damaged when using soap and water to remove tape residue. These materials include masonry tile, granite, terra cotta, limestone, brick, concrete, granite, and most types of stone.
When these surfaces become laden with tape residue, make a paste with baking soda and water. Spread the paste on the affected area with your fingers. Allow it to remain there for about a minute, and then scrub it with a soft scrub brush. Soak a clean sponge or rag in cool water, and use it to rinse the mixture away. The adhesive should rinse away right along with it.
Removing Tape Residue from Fabric
What happens when you get tape residue on fabric? How do you remove it from your clothing or linens?
Have you ever attended a meeting or event and had someone slap a nametag sticker onto your shirt, dress or jacket? If it stays there for several hours, you might be left with the same kind of adhesive mess as tape residue.
Start by picking off as much of the tape residue as possible with your fingernail. Squirt a bit of alcohol based hand sanitizer onto the residue and rub it with your fingers. Place the article in question into your washing machine and launder as usual. Don’t place the article into the dryer until you’re certain the residue is gone.
Conclusion
Tape residue can be a real pain to clear up. If I use duct tape on something I always manage to end up with gunk left on it. It’s the worst when you had no intention of leaving it there, but then you end up with that sticky residue that is such a pain to remove.