The main thing — do not put off cleaning the windows of adhesive tape for a long time. The longer the adhesive remains on the frame and glass after tearing off the mounting adhesive tape, the more difficult it is to get rid of them later.
Another piece of tape
Or several segments, if the area of contamination is large. Just stick the new adhesive tape on top of the old one and peel it off with a sharp motion. Some of the old adhesive will remain on the new adhesive tape.
Repeat until the tape removes even a little of the dirt. You may need to replace a piece of duct tape during the cleaning process if most of the sticky layer is covered in glue or dust.
We recommend starting with this particular method, and only then move on to the next.
Stationery eraser
An ordinary eraser copes with tape marks as well as a pencil drawing. With a great desire, in this way you can get rid of even very old sticky marks. The only minus — if there is a lot of tape residue on the surface, it will take a long time to rub. In this case, we advise you to choose a different cleaning method.
Best of all, a soft and elastic eraser will cope with dirt, preferably — new. Use only the light half of the eraser for cleaning (pencil, not pen). When trying to wipe the window with the opposite, harder side, scratches may form on its surface.
Hair dryer
This method is very good because it makes it easy to clean glass and plastic, even from old adhesive tape remnants. If you have a steam generator, it will help to deal with pollution even faster.
How to properly clean the surface of the window with a hair dryer:
- Use a regular household hair dryer to thoroughly heat the traces of adhesive tape — this will soften the glue.
- Using a paper towel or rag, begin to manually wipe off the remaining adhesive. You can also use a glass scraper.
In the process of wiping, you need to periodically reheat the surface. The cleaning process will take much less time if you soak a rag in detergent (we will list the best of them below).
Scraper for cleaning glass and ceramics
Use the scraper — a very simple and quick way to clean a large area of the window at once from the adhesive tape that has not yet been removed and its remnants, as well as from fresh traces of the tape. How to do it:
- Pry off the edge of the adhesive tape with a scraper.
- Gently pull the tape over the edge. If you feel that the film is starting to tear, pry again.
- After removing the mounting adhesive tape, use a scraper to scrape off the remaining adhesive as far as possible.
If the surface is not completely cleaned, use an eraser or one of the detergents listed below to remove residue.
Vegetable oil
It's almost an all-purpose cleaner when it comes to removing tape from surfaces. Vegetable oil dissolves glue well, while not damaging plastic, glass and other materials. If a few drops of oil are dropped on the window sill, they will not damage the tile or paint layer.
Sunflower and olive oils are best suited. You can also use essential: citrus or mint.
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- Lubricate the dirty areas with oil using a cotton swab and let the solvent work.
- Periodically wipe the surface with a clean cotton swab and apply a little more oil. As a rule, most of the tape tracks fall behind within an hour or two.
- When the remaining adhesive tape is removed, clean the surface of grease. Normal dishwashing detergent works best.
Alcohol and alcohol-based cleaners
Medical alcohol is not in every home. But you can easily find nail polish remover: if not in your own apartment, then at least one of the neighbors or in the nearest store.
The main advantage of this method, in comparison with washing with vegetable oil, — no need to wait long for the cleaner to work. There is one more pleasant moment: if you took up wiping the tape from the old window, alcohol will help restore the whiteness to the yellowed plastic.
To clean, simply moisten a cotton swab with alcohol or nail polish remover, apply to the dirty surface and wipe with the same cotton pad.
Important: plastic of different density (especially colored) may react differently to contact with alcohol. It's best to wipe a small, inconspicuous area first and make sure the solvent won't damage the surface of the frame.
Special cleaner
Solutions like "anti-glue" available in many hardware stores. They are inexpensive, deal with duct tape about as effectively as alcohol, and do not damage the surface. If you need to wipe off too much adhesive tape, we recommend using this method.
Cleaning is carried out in much the same way as with alcohol: soak a cotton swab in the solvent or spray it on the dirty area (the method of application is indicated on the instructions), then wipe the window thoroughly.