Mariah asked: How do I remove stickers and tape from an old poster? When I was young, my aunt gave me a poster she used to have hanging in her room. This thing is from the later 80s/early 90s and has come to mean a lot to me. A few years back, I didn’t think much of it, and so I stuck some stickers and stuff to it. I now hate the stickers and regret putting them there and was hoping you knew of some way to get them off without ruining the poster. They’re all stuck on pretty well, and I imagine the poster is delicate.
It’s very difficult to remove stickers or tape from paper without causing damage, and the longer the sticker has been in place, the less the likelihood it can be done at all. If you’d like to give it a try, however, there is a process you can try. Proceed with extreme caution and work slowly.
You Will Need:
- Goo Gone Sticker Lifter
- Clean white cloth
- Hair dryer
- Thin-tipped paintbrush
Steps to Remove the Sticker/Tape:
- Apply heat to the sticker/tape with the hair dryer. Use the highest setting.
- Once the sticker is heated, use your fingernail to try to pull the edge up. Work slowly and carefully, checking frequently to see if the underlying print is coming up with the sticker. If this doesn’t work, move on to the next step.
- Use the paintbrush to precisely apply Goo Gone to the sticker or adhesive. Be very careful not to get Goo Gone on the surrounding area.
- Wait about five minutes, then rub the sticker with light, gentle strokes to remove it.
- Stop immediately if you notice tearing or other damage.
Additional Tips and Advice
- If you don’t have any fingernails, be extremely cautious with any other blunt-tipped objects. You have unique control over a fingernail, it’s much easier to keep from digging into the poster with a fingernail than it is another object.
- Some types of Goo Gone may leave an oily spot on some types of paper.
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