See that closet door on the other side of the room here in the office? All the closets in this home badly needed to be painted, but that particular closet had another issue, and I’m not just talking about the bare bulb light with the pull-string that hung right in your face when you opened the door. Thankfully, that’s gone!
On the inside of the door, someone had stuck tape on the door and apparently, wrote something on it. It appeared they had tried to remove it at some point, but gave up when they realized it had become one with the door. I tried to scrape up the edge of the tape with my fingernail, hoping if I could get it started, I could peel it off in sections, even small sections, but that was a no-go. When I attempted to scrape up a section, the tape was so dry and brittle, it would immediately break off. I couldn’t even get a 1/4 of an inch started before it would break right off.
The tape wasn’t just on the center of the door, it was on side sections of the door in about 5-6 places. Maybe it once held a poster or something like that. It must have been up there for a long time because, as mentioned, the tape had decided to become one with the door and it really wanted to stay right where it was! I searched online about how to remove tape from a painted surface and saw several articles that recommended applying heat.
I grabbed my favorite blow dryer and my DeWalt scraper and went to work. (My favorite Blow Dryer ever is available here: Blow Dryer. The DeWalt scraper is available here: DeWalt Scraper.)
My scraping attempts were leaving grayish streaks on the paint, but I didn’t care since the inside of all the closets, including the doors, needed painting anyway. I couldn’t have those painted until the tape was gone, so that was okay. Surprisingly, when I was done, the gray streaks came off easily.
The process of applying heat with the blow dryer while scraping off the tape with my DeWalt scraper at the same time, worked beautifully! The tape still came off in tiny brittle pieces, but now it was coming off a lot faster and easier. The difference between trying to scrape it off without heat and scraping it off while blow drying/applying heat to the area was like night and day. In no time, I had all the tape off the door. Unfortunately, there was a very sticky glue residue left behind.
The blow dryer had heated up the glue on the tape, letting me scrape the tape off the door, but the glue had stayed behind. Ugh. BTW, I didn’t make that ugly gouge in the wood, it was already there.
I tried to think of what I could use to remove the glue residue, that wouldn’t take the paint with it. I tried my favorite Super Cleaner and though it removed the gray streaks left behind by the scraper, it wasn’t touching the glue residue. Then I got a crazy idea.
So, you’ll never guess what I used! Over the years I’ve heard that perfume can sometimes remove stains from clothing, so thinking I had nothing to lose, I sprayed some Chanel Eau Tendre on the sticky glue areas. I rubbed it all over the glue with my fingers and it worked! The glue started dissolving!
Not only did it work, it worked fast! It also smelled wonderful during the process. Ha! Here’s how the door looks now.
Again, the Super Cleaner removed the gray streaks left behind by the scraper and Chanel Eau Tendre removed the glue residue.
All the closets and doors still need to be painted throughout the house, but I’m so happy to not see black marker and stuck-on tape each time I open this door to retrieve something from inside the closet. So if you’re ever in a pinch trying to remove glue residue off a painted surface, you may want to grab one of your favorite perfumes and give it a spritz. 🙂
Chanel Eau Tendre is a wonderful perfume, I very much recommend it, and not just for removing glue residue. lol You’ll find it available here: Chanel Eau Tendre Eau de Parfum and here: Chanel Eau Tendre Eau de Toilette. I have both the parfum and toilette, and not sure why, but I tend to like the toilette better.
Happy weekend!
Goo Gone is a product I use frequently for removing sticky residue. You probably would have to score the tape in a few places, but I think that would have dissolved the glue.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any here at this house. I wonder if it would remove the paint. Have you used it on a painted surface before? I need to order some to keep on hand here.
I have been using Goo Gone for many years, and I suspect I used it on paint at some point, but I don’t recall specifically.
The label reads:
Do not use on leather, silk, suede, rubber, faux stainless steel, unpainted dry wall, unfinished wood surfaces, and unsealed stone.
Goo Gone works great and will not damage paint. I’m curious about the perfume working! I wonder if it’s the alcohol in it? I’ve used alcohol to remove residue in the past.
I’m guessing that it’s too.
It may have been the alcohol in the parfum that helped with the glue. I’ve also used Goo Gone to remove stickers from glass or plastic. It says it’s safe for painted walls or trim. You’d probably want to clean the area to remove any Goo Gone residue. Goof Off is stronger and may damage the paint slightly but if you are painting soon, it’s another option. WD40 is also an option. It says it won’t hurt paint but it is a little oily so you’d want to use your special cleaner after using WD40.
I look forward to your updates on both of your homes. Can’t wait till the next adventure arrives in my in-box.
I just ordered some Goo Gone so I’ll have it the next time I run into something like this.I always wondered what the difference was between Goo Gone and Goof Off, so that is good to know! Thanks, Margaret! I have so many things still to share that I’ve been working on here, so no end in sight right now for posts. Ha!
I completely agree with Margaret….WD-40 would have taken it off without disturbing the paint! When my son was small, he used to put banana stickers on my refrigerator and the only thing that would take them off was WD-40! I’ll be a fan forever!
That is good to know, I should probably buy some just to keep around. lol That is so cute about the banana stickers! I love that! ♥
Only you would use expensive designer perfume to tackle a gooey substance, Susan. You crack me up. And I use Goo Gone ALL the time. It’s the bet thing to rid yourself of gooey price tags residue. Also I repurpose most jars and it really helps get labels off.
Hahaha, well, it’s all I had here that I though would work. I’ve ordered some Goo Gone now, though. 🙂
Goo Gone is absolutely great at tackling stickers adhesive. It will not harm laminated dust covers for books and you can then remove the oily Goo Gone residue with 409 or other similar spray cleaners. Do NOT use Goo Gone on anything that is absorbent because the oil in it will be absorbed and stain, and cannot be removed. Paper towels are great for getting the oily Goo Gone and adhesive residue up. Fresh paper towel for the cleaning spray. You might have tried rubbing alcohol also on the tape and adhesive. The rubbing alcohol evaporates.
Thanks for those tips, Linda! I wish I’d had some rubbing alcohol or Goo Gone on hand when I was working on that tape. I’m gradually getting stocked up with those type supplies here. I need to add rubbing alcohol to the shopping list, so thanks for that reminder. The Goo Gone should arrive today.
That is brilliant! I love that you’re so innovative when it comes to solving household problems. I’m not sure how willing I’d have been to use my Chanel, but I have a few perfumes I’d have been happy to experiment with! 🙂 Glad it worked out so well for you.
Always thinking outside the box!
The before and after pictures of that door are amazing!! Now it looks like it doesn’t even require new paint. Wonderful job, and so funny that you used perfume. How nice to open your closet to a pleasant fragrance.
In a pinch…I have used peanut butter to remove sticky residue! Anything with a bit of oil works…I spread a thin layer & let it set for a while. Then scrape it off & wipe the service with a bit of dish soap and hot water. Or…perfume works well too!!
I used rubbing alcohol in a squirt bottle to remove hair spray residue from my bathroom door and door knob….works like a charm! I even told my cleaning lady about my “trick” and she was amazed how good it works! The alcohol in your perfume probably was what removed that sticky stuff.
Hi Susan, I just tried to look up the product you recommended to clean my outdoor chairs with fabric cushions. I couldn’t find it under cleaning products you have recommended in the past. Could you tell me what the product is and how I can order through you so you get credit for it?
I’ve enjoyed reading your posts for years!! Truly enjoying you and your new home posts! Thank you and kind regards, Sally Ide
Thanks, Sally! Do you mean the Super Cleaner that I use so often? This is the one I love and use so much: https://amzn.to/4dyYPke.
It should work for outdoor cushions since it says that it’s great for upholstery. I use it for so many things, it’s my go-to cleaner.
Good job! The door looks brand new!
If Goo Gone, WD-40, and perfume all do the job, perfume would be first choice every time just for the pleasant after scent; the others are rather the opposite. Still, so clever to remember that tip. I would be so irked to see that mess too.
Goo Gone works great in situations like this…..better than using up your nice expensive perfume! But I’m sure it would make your closet smell wonderful! I recently did a deep clean in my bathroom and saw hairspray buildup on my brass shower frame….after trying several things, I discovered nail polish remover worked great and didn’t damage the frame! There are more than one way to skin a cat, or clean a shower frame or get a closet door clean of sticky stuff!
Your nail polish remover’s active ingredient was acetone that removed the hairspray. It’s unlikely that the “brass” or gold shower frame was truly real brass. However, if it really is brass it is usually lacquered or some other clear finish to keep the brass from tarnishing naturally. Using a product to remove hairspray or other residue might remove the clear finish. Test in a small area.
What a brilliant discovery! I have used Goo Gone for sticky residue and I hate the smell. I think I will buy a very cheap perfume and use it to remove sticky stuff off things. It will leave a pleasant smell around the house. Thank you for sharing, Susan. By the way, I am really enjoying your updates on the Doll House. It is coming along beautifully.
You are so very resourceful. I would never in a million years think to use perfume!