Put a sticker on my camera- must get goo off

December 13, 2005

I put a kodak sticker on the side of my K3 - I've since removed but the area still has gooey residue on the surface (surface has tiny bubbley relief). What solvent can I use to remove all residue? Thanks.

Trevor Greenfield · December 13, 2005

Rubbing Alcohol?

Mitch Gross · December 13, 2005

In the US there are products like Goo-Gone and Goof-Off that are citrus based and do an excellent job of removing such residue without causing damage. They are available from places such as Home Depot or Lowes. I use them to clean shipping labels off my cases .

LovinItAll · December 13, 2005

WD-40 works miracles! Put a little on a cotton rag and the "goo" will wipe right off.

Acetone or lighter fluid also work.

Preston Herrick · December 13, 2005

Use Goo-Gone. Good stuff for a variety of goo removal. Goof-off is a much stronger petroleum based solvent. I used it to remove undercoating on my project car.

Daniel Stigler · December 13, 2005

Acetone or lighter fluid also work.

Acetone is very agressive and will also remove or at least damage the paint. WD40 is a much better choice.

Erdwolf_TVL · December 13, 2005

I put a kodak sticker on the side of my K3 - I've since removed but the area still has gooey residue on the surface (surface has tiny bubbley relief). What solvent can I use to remove all residue? Thanks.

Try heating the goo with a hair-dryer and rubbing it off with a soft but non-disintegrating object.

Hands work, but it can be painful!

Trevor Greenfield · December 14, 2005

The heat may not be such a good idea because the bumpy covering they used on the sides of the K3 is held on with glue... and glue is not one of the Russian's strong points.

Tim J Durham · December 14, 2005

Use Goo-Gone.

Mark Wilson · December 14, 2005

I put a kodak sticker on the side of my K3 - I've since removed but the area still has gooey residue on the surface (surface has tiny bubbley relief). What solvent can I use to remove all residue? Thanks.

Pure peppermint oil is excellent and doesn't normally attack paint, smells pretty good, and a couple of drops on a handkerchief will do wonders for a blocked nose too :)

This is particularly recommended for getting adhesive goo off Perspex (Lucite) and similar shiny plastic surfaces.

Eucalyptus oil is cheaper but it isn't as fast-acting, although it will also do the job.

Mike Crane · December 17, 2005

Use some sulfuric acid and sand paper. Works wonders. :lol:

December 20, 2005

You know what Mr.Crane? Thanks for ruining my camera and my life. I tried your suggestion of sulfuric acid and sandpaper thinking that it might work and it did I guess but it also burned a hole through the side of my camera plus I now have severe 3rd degree burns on my hands. :(

I guess I could have read the other posts or realized that happy smile on the end of your post might have meant you where joking but should I have to?

You f-cked me bad Mr.Crane.

LovinItAll · December 24, 2005

You know what Mr.Crane? Thanks for ruining my camera and my life. I tried your suggestion of sulfuric acid and sandpaper thinking that it might work and it did I guess but it also burned a hole through the side of my camera plus I now have severe 3rd degree burns on my hands. :(

I guess I could have read the other posts or realized that happy smile on the end of your post might have meant you where joking but should I have to?

You f-cked me bad Mr.Crane.

I assume this was a joke, too. No one in their right mind would break out a bottle of sulfuric acid and start working on their camera body.

Seriously, Goo-B-Gone (or whatever you call it - I have used various "goo removers") is okay, but WD-40 is BY FAR the best substance I have ever used to remove sticker residue. Great for removing "permanent markers" like Sharpies, too (assuming the markings are on some type of plastic or glass).

Don't use it for a "personal lubricant", though. The fumes ruin the mood! :)

Hal Smith · December 28, 2005

[seriously, Goo-B-Gone (or whatever you call it - I have used various "goo removers") is okay, but WD-40 is BY FAR the best substance I have ever used to remove sticker residue. Great for removing "permanent markers" like Sharpies, too (assuming the markings are on some type of plastic or glass].

I've been using mineral spirits for years to take tape and sticker residue off of equipment. It works slower than Goo-B-Gone (and 3m's equivalent product) but is safe on most materials and slow can very much be a virtue working with valuable gear. If the residue is real old and hard, I soak a couple layers of cotton cloth with mineral spirits and let it sit on the residue for a while, even putting a piece of aluminum foil over that to keep it from drying out. I've used this technique extensively on high-dollar test equipment that makes film and video gear look cheap!