Cleaning the glue off Systainers from the Systainer Store.

richey

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Nov 20, 2019
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I bought a systainer and a t-loc handle from the systainer store.  For some asinine reason they use inventory sticker that's a pain to get the glue residue off.    Does anyone know if you can use Goof Off to get the residue off without damaging the finish?
 
Try pulling/lifting it off with a piece (or a couple of pieces) of clear packing tape.
 
Hi [member=71731]richey[/member],

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with me. I'm sorry to hear that you're having trouble removing the inventory sticker from your Systainer. We understand how frustrating it can be to deal with stubborn adhesive residue.

Regarding your question about using Goof Off, while it can effectively remove adhesive residue, I would caution against using it on ABS surfaces. Goof Off contains acetone, which can potentially damage the finish of your Systainer. Instead, I would recommend using a natural citrus-based product like Goo Gone or rubbing alcohol.

Another technique you can try is using the edge of a razor blade or plastic card to help scrape off any remaining residue.

I appreciate your feedback about the inventory stickers. Tthese are important for tracking inventory, but I understand the frustration they can cause when they are difficult to remove.  Tanos has experimented over the years with different labels and positions and I can certainly pass along your experience.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. I want to ensure that you're completely satisfied with your Systainer purchase.

Make it a great day - Sys Tim

 
Glue residue, especially on plastic surfaces, can be problematic.  Many solvents will not work because they will damage the plastic.

Vegetable oil, when left on the adhesive residue, will soften the adhesive if left overnight.  In the morning, you can wash off the oil and the adhesive will wash off also.

Unfortunately, there are many situations where oil is not practical as it will run off the surface.  In those situations, I use mayonnaise.  Mayonnaise is about 75% oil and will not run off.  I slather on about 1/8” thick coating of mayo over the adhesive and I leave it for 8 to 12 hours.  Wipe off and wash the area.

Abstract. Mayonnaise is a semisolid oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion which is made through the careful blending of oil, vinegar, egg yolk, and spices (especially mustard). In addition, mayonnaise traditionally contains 70%–80% oil, and egg yolk is a key ingredient contributing to its stability.

Additionally, when removing these labels, the application of dry heat will help considerably.  Using a hand held hair dryer set on high on the label will soften the glue.  It takes several minutes (3 - 5 minutes) to accomplish this.  At that point the label can easily be pulled off, usually in one piece.

You can use a heat gun, but with great care as the heat gun will generate enough heat to melt the plastic.

I routinely remove labels from bottles by pouring boiling water inside the bottle, taking care not to get the label wet.  After a few minutes, the label will pull off, usually in one piece. 

The hair dryer will work on bumper stickers on your car also.

If you ever get one of those labels on the window that says, “You are parked illegally”, you know that they are designed to be difficult to remove.  They use very cheap and weak paper and very strong adhesive.  The mayo trick works great on these because the paper is cheap and porous.  You can generally wipe the label off with a paper towel after 8 hours of mayo treatment.

It is a laughable way to clean off the residue, but I find that it always works, that most of us have mayo in the house, and it involves very little labor.
 
Just use white spirit on a cloth, it will dissolve the glue of most stickers, and it will not harm the ABS.
 
I've been using Coleman Fuel to remove glue residue for ages now and have only once or twice noticed any detrimental effect on the surface from which I wanted it removed. Systainers were definitely not among those cases.
 
Sparktrician said:
[member=74278]Packard[/member], does Duke's know about your mayonnaise trick?  [big grin]

Some day a company will make a non-edible version of this, add some colorant and charge twice what mayo costs.

I stand by my post.  It’s safe, you already have in your house, it’s not expensive, it is easy to use and it sounds ridiculous.

Other than sounding ridiculous and taking at least 8 hours, no downside.
 
Our photographer swears by lighter fluid. I've seen it remove smudges, marks and adhesives that nothing else would. I bought a can for my home shop and have found it very useful when other approaches fail.
 
White gas and Coleman fuel are nearly the same.

Old school lighter fluid and naptha are also nearly the same.
Naptha is a little less oily than mineral spirits.

None of them have acetone so they should all be safe and effective.

Mix with a little corn starch to make a paste and the resulting goo will stay around long enough to get the job done without a lot of rubbing.
 
Thanks for the corn starch trick! That could come in handy.
 
Packard said:
If you ever get one of those labels on the window that says, “You are parked illegally”, you know that they are designed to be difficult to remove.  They use very cheap and weak paper and very strong adhesive.

Sweet, where can I get those?

Alex said:
Just use white spirit on a cloth, it will dissolve the glue of most stickers, and it will not harm the ABS.

White spirit always feels greasy, at least to me. I use white gas in most cases.

But some stickers...  [dead horse]
 
The packaging tape or even in some cases the sticker itself can remove the residue by pressing and lifting repeatedly. Works most of the time and gets you close to 90% there and then you can hit it with whatever you want to finish it with.
 
We use eucalyptus oil to remove stickers and goo, best non-destructive removal fluid I've ever used, and works without issue on almost anything.
 
Systainer.Store said:
Hi [member=71731]richey[/member],
Tanos has experimented over the years with different labels and positions and I can certainly pass along your experience.

I'm not sure why they even need to do this to begin with.  There is no need to write the color of the systainer on the label.  Just seems rather redundant when you can just look at it to see the color.    That being said removable labels are easily found.  Sitting there for an hour picking the pieces off the systainer is ridiculous. 

It would be one thing if it was a professionally printed sticker like the Festool systainers but these are just written on with an ink pen.
 
Packard said:
If you ever get one of those labels on the window that says, “You are parked illegally”, you know that they are designed to be difficult to remove.  They use very cheap and weak paper and very strong adhesive.  The mayo trick works great on these because the paper is cheap and porous.  You can generally wipe the label off with a paper towel after 8 hours of mayo treatment.

That's pretty much the exact quality of the label and it kind of had the "How dare you remove me" feel to it.  :)
 
I recommend Goo Gone, it's totally benign as far as attacking the plastic surface. The secret is to apply a heavy coat with a paper towel and let it sit on the label for at least 5 minutes. After that, the adhesive will have been dissolved and the entire label can be removed in one piece.

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Goo Gone is my first choice. The old school methods work but are less convenient.

Adding to the suggestion to use tape to pull off the adhesive.
It’s best to rub the tape onto the adhesive then rip it off rapidly.
Some tapes work better than others.
 
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