How can I stop this sticky substance?
November 19, 2011 6:47 AM Subscribe
How do I remove the glue residue left (and spreading) from plumbers tape? Challenge: I am in Germany.
The shower is leaking and plumbers tape was applied to try and stop the leak. The leak continued. Let us worry about that later. For now the sticky issue is a black glue residue that sticks to everything and is spreading - everything it touches it sticks to. It is now on the shower head, the floor of the shower and somehow it also got all over the putty that seals the shower. And I am in Germany - so those American made gloogone or goofoff (or even bleach) are not necessarily here. Please help.
The shower is leaking and plumbers tape was applied to try and stop the leak. The leak continued. Let us worry about that later. For now the sticky issue is a black glue residue that sticks to everything and is spreading - everything it touches it sticks to. It is now on the shower head, the floor of the shower and somehow it also got all over the putty that seals the shower. And I am in Germany - so those American made gloogone or goofoff (or even bleach) are not necessarily here. Please help.
oo- Just be really careful around the putty- it might be a little too corrosive. I'd try an oil-based cleaner on that.
posted by Blisterlips at 7:00 AM on November 19, 2011
posted by Blisterlips at 7:00 AM on November 19, 2011
Plumbers tape? This doesn't sound like any product I'm familiar with.
Acetone can damage many plastics; I would not use it on a fiberglass tub or shower enclosure. I'd opt for something along the lines of turpentine or mineral spirits, if you can't find a general-purpose goo removing product.
posted by jon1270 at 7:12 AM on November 19, 2011
Acetone can damage many plastics; I would not use it on a fiberglass tub or shower enclosure. I'd opt for something along the lines of turpentine or mineral spirits, if you can't find a general-purpose goo removing product.
posted by jon1270 at 7:12 AM on November 19, 2011
You can mineral or baby oil. I used that to get the stickiness from double-sided tape off our floors after an unfortunate bed bug incident. Just apply the oil to the spot, let it sit for a bit and scrape off (an old plastic gift card worked well).
posted by Mrs. Rattery at 7:43 AM on November 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Mrs. Rattery at 7:43 AM on November 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Spread some mayonnaise on the residue, wait a while, wipe it off.
posted by lulu68 at 7:48 AM on November 19, 2011
posted by lulu68 at 7:48 AM on November 19, 2011
d-Limonene is the active element in "orange" degreasers and hand cleansers. It's generally safe for most surfaces but is really good at dissolving glues. So if you've some hand cleaner or other stuff that smells citrusy, apply, let sit, and have a go.
posted by seanmpuckett at 7:50 AM on November 19, 2011
posted by seanmpuckett at 7:50 AM on November 19, 2011
Acetone is not a great choice for glue residue removal usually.
Googone and similar are a combination two things: a light distillate oil and d-limonene, a citrus cleaner. You can make your own with mineral oil from the drugstore/chemist and a small amount of a cleaner marked "citrus" or "orange peel" or similar. Don't but the "lemon scented" stuff, that's just perfume. Look for "limonene" on the labels or something similar to that.
posted by bonehead at 7:53 AM on November 19, 2011
Googone and similar are a combination two things: a light distillate oil and d-limonene, a citrus cleaner. You can make your own with mineral oil from the drugstore/chemist and a small amount of a cleaner marked "citrus" or "orange peel" or similar. Don't but the "lemon scented" stuff, that's just perfume. Look for "limonene" on the labels or something similar to that.
posted by bonehead at 7:53 AM on November 19, 2011
This link suggests cooking oil.
Goo Gone's actual ingredients list naptha, which is probably the solvent that makes it effective. The citrus oil is to mask and perfume the scent.
posted by IAmBroom at 9:07 AM on November 19, 2011
Goo Gone's actual ingredients list naptha, which is probably the solvent that makes it effective. The citrus oil is to mask and perfume the scent.
posted by IAmBroom at 9:07 AM on November 19, 2011
What kind of plumber's tape? Was it self-sealing silicone tape like this? That's the only kind of "plumber's tape" I can think of that would leave a residue.
If so, the correct solvent is ethyl alcohol (booze, denatured alcohol). Soak a rag or paper towel with it, leave it on top of the offending residue for 10-15min, and wipe clean with an unsoaked rag.
Please report back if you are successful. I have done this in the workshop with other silicone rubbers, but I am not sure about the self-sealing types.
posted by fake at 9:07 AM on November 19, 2011
If so, the correct solvent is ethyl alcohol (booze, denatured alcohol). Soak a rag or paper towel with it, leave it on top of the offending residue for 10-15min, and wipe clean with an unsoaked rag.
Please report back if you are successful. I have done this in the workshop with other silicone rubbers, but I am not sure about the self-sealing types.
posted by fake at 9:07 AM on November 19, 2011
Also, try to find denatured alcohol (just ethyl with a bitterant) in a hardware store, or some equivalent product to everclear. 80 proof vodka could work, but the water content will hinder your success.
The good thing about this is that ethyl is going to mix with water and wash down the drain when you're done, so it's not toxic/gonna leave an orange-y stinkmess.
posted by fake at 9:09 AM on November 19, 2011
The good thing about this is that ethyl is going to mix with water and wash down the drain when you're done, so it's not toxic/gonna leave an orange-y stinkmess.
posted by fake at 9:09 AM on November 19, 2011
Go to an auto parts store and get a can of brake cleaner. That stuff takes of adhesive residue like magic.
posted by colin_l at 10:54 AM on November 19, 2011
posted by colin_l at 10:54 AM on November 19, 2011
Response by poster: Thank you, thank you, thank you for these tips. I tried all of them we had in the house and let them set for 30 minutes: mineral oil, beer, cleaner with real citrus oil, and mayo. Mayo is the clear winner - most effective (not only does most of the goo wipe off but if it is an area of too much goo for the cloth to adhere too the goo will easily remove with a clean part of the rag), can be used directly on skin and hair, and does not stain or corrode the caulk. A cloth with a lot of surface area (like a wash cloth) worked best.
(And I now believe that electrical tape was the tape applied. A typical can-only-read-part-of-the-packaging mistake. When my brother was here he washed his clothes in fabric softener for 2 months).
posted by mutt.cyberspace at 1:08 PM on November 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
(And I now believe that electrical tape was the tape applied. A typical can-only-read-part-of-the-packaging mistake. When my brother was here he washed his clothes in fabric softener for 2 months).
posted by mutt.cyberspace at 1:08 PM on November 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: (and we tried rubbing alcohol)
posted by mutt.cyberspace at 1:19 PM on November 19, 2011
posted by mutt.cyberspace at 1:19 PM on November 19, 2011
Sounds like you solved the problem, but in the future, unless you're in the middle of nowhere, Germany, you should be able to go into a hardware store (Haushaltsgeschäft bzw. Eisenwarengeschäft, or Baumarkt for the big box version), ask for someone who speaks English*, explain your problem, and get useful advice.
*I'm presuming the "challenge" in your question comes from not speaking German well. Otherwise, being in the country that invented the modern chemical industry shouldn't pose a challenge for solving a problem involving domestic chemicals.
posted by brianogilvie at 1:41 PM on November 19, 2011
*I'm presuming the "challenge" in your question comes from not speaking German well. Otherwise, being in the country that invented the modern chemical industry shouldn't pose a challenge for solving a problem involving domestic chemicals.
posted by brianogilvie at 1:41 PM on November 19, 2011
Response by poster: Ah, contrary to popular opinion not everyone in Germany nor every store in Germany has someone who speaks English (especially vernacular like sticky, goo, spreading) and our problem got much worse after noon on Saturday which means that there is no store to go to until Monday morning. And yes, our furnished apartment came with 32 different cleaning products (5 of them repeated) - none of them stopped the spreading of the goo. That is why metafilter is the intersection of practicality and knowledge.
posted by mutt.cyberspace at 12:28 AM on November 20, 2011
posted by mutt.cyberspace at 12:28 AM on November 20, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Blisterlips at 6:58 AM on November 19, 2011