On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 16:45:44 GMT, "ben" wrote:

I clean control desks and where customers have put up little reminder
notes months previous often all the solvent has long gone just left a
crust of adhesive. I find "Label cleaner" made by electrolube,
available at Maplins, applied at 20 minutes intervals a few times
softens it to the extent it can then either be scraped off with a
thumbnail or attacked by an aqueous surface cleaner.

DG

Heh! you must be there all day?

I am paid by the hour ;-) ...

But I'm allowed 2 hours to clean 2x 250 feet of transparent conveyor
belt to medical diagnostic imaging standards. The clean up of the
control desk area is a bonus for the users.

Meths or surgical alcohol will get shut in seconds with a light rub.

I have the label cleaner with me, gallons of it, as meths just makes a
purple dyed pudding (which then gets dirty) of the other adhesive
residues I have to deal with, ones where the adhesive hasn't dried
out/fossilised. In these cases it is also vastly superior to (much
faster than) ethanol or isopropanol.

Although I have to agree meths has worked for me on masking tape
residues at home. But sparks had already suggested it.

cheaper as well.

I *like* label remover, the customers like the smell, so they remember
my visit favourably. It has a higher molecular weight and evaporates
more slowly, reducing the need to re-moisten. So I damp the adhesive
residues with it first and then come back to them after 20 mins,
plenty of other things to do, moistening with it again if necessary.

Once t' job's a good 'un, wiping over with an isopropanol swab, or "RS
electronic cleaning spray plus" removes all traces of the oily label
cleaner.

DG