Peeling off stickers (know more) from price tags, cars, labels, custom mirror stickers, etc. can be messy. This is because they tend to leave behind gluey, gummy substances on surfaces. You will have to remove these gluey, gummy substances, also called sticker residues.
Sticker residues can be very difficult to remove sometimes. The mere thought of getting rid of this residue prevents some people from using stickers. Hence, the need to know the best ways to get rid of the gluey residue from your stickers on the mirror.
Items That Can Help You Remove Mirror Sticker Residue
There are many items that leave behind a sticky residue when removed. Such items include stickers, labels, and all manners of tapes. This residue is sometimes difficult to remove and requires some items.
There are a couple of items you could use to remove this sticky residue. The list below contains items that are not hard to come by at all. Furthermore, if you do not have them at home, you can get them from a store near you.
To avoid causing damage to the surface, you should first test the item in an unnoticeable area. Here are some of the items you can use to remove stickers and sticker residues:
- Art gum Erasers/Pencil Erasers
- Baby Oil (mineral oil)
- Baking Soda & Water Paste (gently rub it in, then use a warm damp cloth to wipe it off)
- Cooking Spray
- Duct Tape (press this firmly on the residue, lift off the tape immediately; repeat as required)
- Eucalyptus Oil
- Furniture Polish
- Goo Gone
- Hairdryer (This is best suited for surfaces that are prone to damage. Heat the residue with the hairdryer, then wipe off with a damp, warm, and soapy cloth)
- Hair Spray
- Hand Lotion
- Kerosene
- Lighter Fluid
- Margarine
- Mayonnaise (allow to set for a couple of hours; you may leave it overnight)
- Mr. Clean Magic Eraser
- Nail Polish Remover
- Paint Thinner
- Peanut Butter
- Perfume/Aftershave
- Petroleum Jelly
- PVC Pipe Cleaner
- Rubber Cement Thinner
- Rubber Eraser
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Tea Tree Oil
- Toothpaste
- Vegetable Oil/Olive Oil (allow it to set for at least 2 hours)
- Vinegar (soak a clean cloth in vinegar, apply on the residue, leave to set for a while, perhaps overnight)
- WD-40 (allow to set for about 5 minutes)
- Windex
Ways to Remove Mirror Stickers and Sticker Residue
Some sticker residues are harder to remove than some others. Residues from stickers on the mirror may prove difficult depending on the adhesive used. There are many ways to remove that gluey substance left behind by your custom mirror stickers.
Here are three main ways of removing stickers and sticker residue:
Method 1: Using Soapy Water and Vinegar
Steps:
- Get a large bowl filled with soapy water.
- This method is best suited for items that do not get damaged when submerged or soaked in water.
- Let the bowl you get be large enough to hold your item and some cups of water. Fill the bowl with hot water and add some dishwashing detergent to the water.
- Filling the bowl to the brim may cause an overflow when you insert the item.
- Leave the surface to soak for about 30 minutes.
- Be sure to completely submerge both the custom mirror sticker and the residue. Within the 30 minutes, the adhesive will dissolve. This should make the residue easier to remove.
- Use soapy water and a damp cloth to rub the surface.
- After about 30 minutes of soaking, any residue left should not be hard to remove.
- Dampen a cloth in soapy water and rub the surface until the residue is completely removed.
- Use vinegar to rub off any residue left
- If you can still feel some residue on the surface, fill a bowl with water.
- Add vinegar to the water and soak the residue in it. This will soften the remaining residue while the vinegar removes the residue.
- Vinegar can corrode or damage marble, cast iron, aluminum or stone surfaces. So, try not to use vinegar on these surfaces.
Method 2: By Rubbing the Adhesive, Pressing, then Scraping It Off
Steps:
- Roll the adhesive with your fingers to form balls
- This will be more effective if the custom mirror sticker residue is still fresh. It is also applicable when the mirror sticker residue is not very resilient.
- Apply constant pressure with your finger while running it over the entire residue.
- When you roll the residue into balls, it will be easy to pluck them off the surface.
- Use scissors, a knife, or an old credit card to scrape off the residue
- If you are using a sharp object, ensure the blade aligns with the surface. If not, you may cut grooves into the surface you are cleaning. A credit card is a preferable option if you do not want to damage the surface while scraping the residue.
- It is risky to use scissors or a knife on a metal or glass surface. This may scratch the surface. You could use other methods to remove the residue from metal or glass.
- Also, scrape away from yourself so that you will not injure yourself.
- Wrap your fingers with masking tape and press it over the residue
- Use the masking tape to form a tight ring around both your index and middle fingers. Let the sticky side face out. Then press the wrapped fingers against the surface, and pull them away.
- You will notice that the mirror sticker residue will keep sticking to the tape. Continue pressing and lifting away until you remove as much residue as you can.
- If the tape is no longer sticky, rotate it or wrap a new length of it around your fingers.
Finally,
- Use a damp wipe to rub on the left-over residue
- You can use sanitizing wipes or wet wipes from your cleaning supply.
- Rub the remaining residue until all the stickiness is gone.
- You may allow the surface dry before rubbing it some more. This will help to completely get rid of the residue.
Method 3: Using Different Household Items
Steps:
First,
- Before you begin, wear latex gloves and cover your workspace
- Some items used for removing residues of mirror stickers may irritate your skin. Therefore, to prevent this, wear latex gloves.
- Also, protect your countertop or work table by covering it with newspapers.
- Get the right product for the required surface
- The type of product you use depends on the surface you are cleaning. It also depends on the amount of residue that you have to remove.
- Do not use oily products on surfaces that are porous. Also, do not use corrosive products like vinegar on stone or metal surfaces.
- Most household items are very effective at removing residues from mirror stickers. They are often more effective than products designed specifically for removing sticker residue.
Then,
- Make use of rubbing alcohol to remove residues from most surfaces
Rubbing alcohol is the best when it comes to neutralizing gluey residue. In the absence of rubbing alcohol, you may use vodka. Do not use sweet alcohols such as rum because they tend to leave behind their own stickiness.
- Moisten a cloth with alcohol then use it to vigorously rub on the surface.
- After rubbing for about 15 seconds, pause to assess how much residue is remaining. But, if the surface is not yet clear, continue rubbing it.
- Make use of cooking oil on surfaces that are not porous
Soak the gluey residue in cooking oil for some time. This will make it easier to remove the residue. There are no strong chemicals in cooking oil, hence it is ideal for sensitive surfaces.
Some may cause stain while absorbing the oil, so do not use them on porous surfaces like cloth or wood. If you are not sure of the surface, test the oil on a small spot on the surface that will not be easily noticed. If the spot wipes clean without any trace of residue, go ahead and use the oil.
- Dab oil on a paper towel and place it on the surface.
- Allow the oil to soak the sticky residue for a few minutes.
- Take off the paper towel, then rub or scrape away the residue.
Finally,
- Mix 2 Tbs of cooking oil with 3 Tbs of baking soda
- Form a paste by using baking soda with cooking oil. You can use your finger to rub the paste onto the residue to remove it from the surface. Then, the mixture will remove the mirror sticker residue without damaging the surface.
- When the residue comes off, use a paper towel to wipe off the excess paste.
- You can store any paste left inside a plastic bag so you can use it some other time.
- Spread some peanut butter on the residue
Peanut butter is oily, which is very effective at removing sticky residue. It is safe for any surface you want to use it on.
- Spread some peanut butter on the gluey surface. Allow it to sit for about 15 minutes.
- Subsequently, wipe the peanut butter off. Most of the sticky residue will remove along with the peanut butter.
Final Thoughts
When you apply your new stickers on the mirror, you do not expect them to stay there forever. Therefore, at some point, you may have to remove these custom mirror stickers and this may leave behind some residues. You can remove these sticker residues easily if you use the right items for the job. If you want to get quotes of custom mirror stickers, please feel free to contact Zigpac right away.
