Removing Tape Residue?

[CHuDWah]

The previous owner of our house left several of those bolt/screw organizers with the little plastic drawers. They're the old style with metal case and hard plastic drawers. Both the cases and the drawers have some duct tape residue and some labels that I assume are self-adhesive. Problem is, they've been on there so long that the adhesive has hardened and the labels won't just peel off. Any advice on cleaning them up?

 

[The Cobbler]

could try baby oil & let it sit for a good while

 

[bob15]

Maybe a little heat from a heat gun or hair dryer for the labels. For the glue residue, try goof-off.

 

[4xdog]

Those drawers (if they're like the ones I have) are made of polystyrene, so they're both brittle and sensitive to some solvents. Be careful going after the adhesive residue with heat or with a "strong" solvent like acetone or some others.

What's worked for the old labels I took of my dad's metal-box/plastic tray setup was a combination of diesel fuel and several days soaking, followed up by mineral spirits for cleanup. That took off mine just fine.

Diesel is my go-to for slow solvation and degreasing. It's gentle and low volatility, so it doesn't hurt most things and stays around to work.

If a nonpolar solvent like mineral spirits or diesel doesn't work (sorry for inserting a little chemistry here...) you might try isopropyl alcohol as a polar solvent. Usually one or the other will dissolve old pressure sensitive adhesives.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

I've always sprayed WD-40 on the label and let it set for a while. Sometimes it takes multiple applications.

 

[DFB]

X2 WD-40 :thumbup

 

[alcorelli]

X3 WD40

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

X4 WD40
A buddy of mine says Goo Gone is also good.

 

[scg]

Naptha aka lighter fluid also works on glue residue.

 

[nimrag]

Rubbing alcohol

 

[HotWire]

Goo-Gone is my go to.

 

[James-W]

You might try going to a Goodwill store or a St Vincent store and see if they have any of those drawers. Many times you can get them for couple bucks each. If you can find some really cheap then I would go that route instead of trying to remove the gunk from the old drawers.

In the past I have tried removing glue or tape residue or whatever from plastic and it never seems to work as well as I would hope it would. The best thing I have found is to use some sandpaper and gently rub the tape residue. It will come off, but will leave the plastic slightly scratched. If you a label of some sort on it, then you won't notice the scratches.

 

[4xdog]

WD40 is a good thing to try -- it's a gentle solvent that (should) soften the old adhesive without attacking the drawers.

Your drawer box is like this old Akro-Mils in my basement, yes, ChuDWah?

...I've also got my dad's old 45-drawer model to clean up!

 

[rmanrman]

x5 WD-40. Goo gone works well on fresh labels not when the adhesive has solidified
Spray several times and wait overnight then I use wooden tongue depressors carefully not to crack the plastic. If all fails then I’d apply a new label larger than the old one. I’ve

 

[CHuDWah]

WD40 is a good thing to try -- it's a gentle solvent that (should) soften the old adhesive without attacking the drawers.

Your drawer box is like this old Akro-Mils in my basement, yes, ChuDWah?

...I've also got my dad's old 45-drawer model to clean up!

Yup - dunno the brand of mine but they're very similar to your dad's. Course I don't want to melt the plastic but I'm OK with a little scratching, etching, etc. I'll re-label them anyway - just want to get off as much of the old crud as I can. Looks like WD-40 is the place to start.

 

[4xdog]

The top box in my pix had labels that needed to be coaxed off each drawer -- similar to your project. Find the right (gentle) solvent, and you'll be home free. It'll be WD40-mineral spirits-diesel or it'll be isopropyl alcohol/goo-gone. I'd start with the first group, and give your choice a day or so to work.

You won't need to scratch them off -- let chemistry be your friend here.

PS: The handle on my box reads "Akro-Mils". Fershure other companies made knockoffs.

 

[PugetDude]

I've always sprayed WD-40 on the label and let it set for a while. Sometimes it takes multiple applications.

X2 WD-40 :thumbup

X3 WD40

X4 WD40

WD40 is a good thing to try -- it's a gentle solvent that (should) soften the old adhesive without attacking the drawers.

x5 WD-40.

Looks like WD-40 is the place to start.

It'll be WD40-mineral spirits-diesel or it'll be isopropyl alcohol/goo-gone.

Surprised no one has mentioned WD-40 yet.

 

[Norcal]

Surprised no one has mentioned WD-40 yet.

While WD-40 is not much of a lubricant it does excel at removing adhesive residue without damaging the surface it is attached to.

Off topic but someone at a former employer used WD-40 to clean and polish the coffee pot until they were caught, one of the side effects was the Hershey squirts. When I heard the story brought in a spray bottle with the WD-40 logo screen printed on it, was filled w/ water, and tagged w/ a label "Coffee Pot Polish", then set it behind one of the coffee pots, BTW, I do not drink coffee.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Maybe a little heat from a heat gun or hair dryer for the labels. For the glue residue, try goof-off.

NO! Goof Off will craze the clear plastic drawers. Stuff does more damage than good. It used to be mostly Xylol, and worked well. Now it's acetone and eats into just about everything. It ruins many painted/lacquered surfaces, plastic and breaks down most polymers. Someone gave me a small can as a gift. I tossed it immediately. Naptha is my go-to for removing adhesives. WD-40 works well, too, but then you have to take the additional step to remove the WD-40.

Tommy

 

[4xdog]

NO! Goof Off will craze the clear plastic drawers. Stuff does more damage than good. It used to be mostly Xylol, and worked well. Now it's acetone and eats into just about everything. It ruins many painted/lacquered surfaces, plastic and breaks down most polymers. Someone gave me a small can as a gift. I tossed it immediately. Naptha is my go-to for removing adhesives. WD-40 works well, too, but then you have to take the additional step to remove the WD-40.

Tommy

Tommy's right -- no acetone on polystyrene!

 

[SimS]

I have used citrus based solvents to remove sticky residue. BTW I just put a new label over the old one on my tiny bins to eliminate the hassle.

SimS

 

[evintho]

The best there is.....hands down!

 

[fsae0607]

WD-40, plastic scraper (or razor blade if you're careful at a shallow angle) then a bit of denatured alcohol on a paper towel to clean off the WD-40 residue.

 

[Doc995]

Go to a local paint supply store and pick up a tub of Lanolin (waterless hand cleaner) and apply a daub of it on the area. Wait overnight. It WILL work. Addionally, you'll have the most powerful grease remover in the house. It actually removed axle grease from my work pants, which is all but impossible!

 

[LS6 Tommy]

The best there is.....hands down!

I'll stick with naptha. That's about half of what the 3M stuff is (the other half is xyolol) and it's more spendy.

Tommy

 

[OutlawDrifter]

I have used WD-40, Goof Off, etc. When I was debadging my current F150, the WD-40 was taking too long, and I happened to have a bottle of Turtle Wax Bug & Tar remover...wow, is all I can say. Made short work of it!