Lewis asked: How do I clean a baked-on adhesive label off a brass lamp? We were hanging a brass lamp and noticed that the adhesive label was darkened. Now, we can’t get it off!
Price tags, instructional highlights, and other features are stuck onto lamps for showroom displays. When these go unnoticed, they can quickly “bake” themselves into a permanent part of the lamp. Fortunately, this adhesive can be removed with a little effort and a few simple items.
You Will Need:
- WD-40
- Water
- Mild soap
- Brass cleaner (optional)
- Old soft cloths or sponges
Steps to Remove the Sticker Adhesive:
- Begin by scraping as much of the sticker off as possible with a plastic spoon. Do not use metal as it may scratch the surface.
- Spray a small amount of WD-40 onto the dried adhesive.
- Rub the area in small circular motions with a soft cloth or sponge.
- Repeat until the adhesive is removed.
- WD-40 can be used to polish brass lamps, but if you’d like to remove it after cleaning away the residue, wash the area again. Mix a small amount of mild soap with water and gently wash the area. The area can also be cleaned with a brass cleaner. Rinse with clean water.
- Dry with a soft cloth.
Additional Tips and Advice
- An optional step is to polish the brass with a brass polish to restore the shine.
- If the WD 40 does not remove the residue, try using a quality brass cleaner to rub the area clean.
Peanut butter. Work the PB over the spot with your fingers or rag. Wipe it off. It may take a few applications.
I successfully removed a sticker and its residue from a brass lamp, but now the area that was under the sticker is a brighter color than the rest of the brass. The lamp is clean, but you can clearly see where the price tags were. What do I do now?????
Thank you,
C. Bedford
C. Bedford,
It sounds like the sticker prevented that area from oxidizing (tarnishing), which is what you are seeing. Although the rest of the lamp looks clean, it likely can be even more clean (the same color as the sticker area), so try giving it a thorough cleaning (polishing, using brass polish) to see if you can get it back to the same color as the other area. Good luck!
Source: HowToCleanStuff.net – How to Clean Brass