Command-strip conundrum

March 28, 2020 7:30 PM

I had a Command hook on the inside of my coat closet door, for hanging very light reusable bags. I say had, because someone who will remain nameless thought they'd hang up their heavy winter coat on it rather than on a hanger and snapped the hook part right off. But when I went to remove the remaining base with the usual pull-the-strip-one-way-and-the-thing-the-other technique, the pull tab came free, leaving the remainder of the adhesive strip securely buried under the hook base.

What's the least damaging way to get the remaining base/adhesive strip off? I'm reorganizing my closet and I'd like to fix this, but I'm genuinely uncertain. Try to apply alcohol? Blast it with a hair-dryer? What?

posted by praemunire to Home & Garden (8 answers total)

What substance is the door made from and how is it finished?
posted by bunderful at 7:38 PM on March 28, 2020

I had some adhesive on my painted wooden cabinets recently, and got it off by rubbing first with olive oil and then with alcohol. Took a little patience.
posted by bunderful at 7:44 PM on March 28, 2020

Best answer: Slide a used credit card between the adhesive strip and the door. Use cooking oil to soak any remaining sticky-ness.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 7:52 PM on March 28, 2020 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Use one of those snap off blade box cutters. Extend the blade such that you can cut between the hook and the adhesive. Cut the hook off and then you can grab the adhesive strip and pull it down like normal.
posted by Mitheral at 7:58 PM on March 28, 2020 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: bunderful: It's wood, I guess (cheap new "luxury" rental construction), and painted.
posted by praemunire at 8:00 PM on March 28, 2020

Response by poster: OK, I tried tipsyBumblebee's method with an old library card (Mitheral's sounded considerably cooler but much more likely to result in my having a Mensur scar), and it worked. Thank you, everyone, that's been annoying me since the holidays!
posted by praemunire at 8:08 PM on March 28, 2020 [4 favorites]

Best answer: For anyone else who may run into a similar situation, I’ve had great success with dental floss and “flossing” it free from the wall
posted by raccoon409 at 3:03 AM on March 29, 2020 [7 favorites]

Seconding raccoon409. Dental floss does a number on any of those foam tape or snot blob adhesives.
posted by flabdablet at 5:36 AM on March 29, 2020