Thursday, November 17

How-To...Remove Icky Vintage Sticky Price Tags



See this pretty little lucite case?? A bad case of sticky price tag residue.

If you buy lots of vintage things like I do, I daresay you've had this problem too.

Here's the quick and easy way to solve it using just a couple of items you already have at home.



No matter what I did, this one wouldn't come off easily, and who wants to spend an hour cleaning something they've just bought, right?



Take some cotton buds and metho (white spirit)...







I always pour a bit into the upturned lid for ease of use.




Simply dip the cotton bud into the metho, and wipe the sticky stuff off.

Yes, it's that easy!!

As long as you're quick and gentle, this is safe to use on lots of different surfaces, including glass, leather, laminate, metal and all sorts of plastics.

15 comments:

DearHelenHartman said...

Not sure what the American equiv of that is! Maybe spirit of camphor? Any way - bought a magazine last week where the seller had taped a price tag right across the cover! The lady behind the counter worked diligently to get it off with almost no damage. Afraid de-tagging is part of the package with loving vintage!

mispapelicos said...

Amazing!!!
XXXXXXXXXXXX

Vix said...

Excellent tute! Don't those stickers drive you mad?
I always use acetone-free nail varnish remover on my buys (it's brilliant for cleaning leather, too)
xxx

Curtise said...

Good tip, thanks.
It wouldn't take much thought for sellers to put the stickers on the bottom of items, would it? Ah well...

polkadotpeticoat said...

I thought of you and talked about you yesterday I went through 4 consignment stores looking for a vintage dress for my cocktail party and in the last store I found my dress it looks amazing on but my gosh I tried on so many dresses really are hard.......My girlfriend and I drove 200 miles in 50 mile an hour winds below zero windchill for this dress and we had a blast....were crazy but we were woman on a mission!
I kept telling her I wish we could browse your shop I know you would have had just my dress!

Myrtha Meadows said...

Thanx for the tip! I hate those stickers with glue that doesn't come off! Now I have the solution to the problem. Splendid!...Love the lucite case by the way :)

citizen rosebud said...

In my country, we don't have anything called metholated spirits. Does it have another name, you know like how we say "baking soda," but you say "Bi-carb"? I love this tip!

Tomye said...

I believe the US equivalent would be "Denatured alcohol". This is a great tip for any sticky residue. -T

Anonymous said...

Thank you, I will be trying this for sure.
Can you tell me though if metho would work on a tiny pen mark on vintage white Italian leather gloves that are silk lined?

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa said...

great tip! i always find i take things home from a charity shop like vintage tins & boxes and when i go to take off the labels, half the print comes off with it :(

xoxo.

Unknown said...

That is a great top tip those labels drive me nuts some times. dee xx

Vintage Coconut said...

I will have to find the Canadian version of methylated spirits!
Hrrmmm will have a look next time I go out shopping.

the old boathouse said...

I tell you what else is great, you probably already know and that is lighter fluid. It is a bit gentler than metho, I buy it from a tabacconist in the large tin and it lasts for ages, xx Katherine

Zootsuitmama said...

Wow! Thanks! I hate that gunk...but it is WAY better than someone defacing a vintage goodie with a stupid permanent black marker!!

doradadama said...

great trick amor! I usually use vegetable oil or orange oil.
Oooooo your nails are so long and lovely. eyeing that lucite case too.
besotes