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Sticker Removal

5th Feb 2013, 7:40 PM		#1 REPORT
	Jock_Girl A girl who looks good in vinyl Member since Dec 2012 1544 Points Moderator	One of the things that really angers me is finding a great record and having its label totally ruined with some stupid sticker. Its bad enough when radio station did it, but when some eejit somewhere took a lovely piece of 78 RPM and plastered a sticker on it that screams "THIS RECORD BELONGS TO MARJORIE", I see red! So -- any tips on sticker removal

5th Feb 2013, 8:53 PM		#2 REPORT
	Whyperion SUBS Too Many Records , Too Little Time Member since Jan 2013 306 Points	Try ( on a test record ) meths. , but it does depend on the paper ( and any coating ) and the type of glue used , there may be a noticible residue left on the label where adhesive has soaked in. I think it might be best to leave the sticker in place and untouched and take it as part of the history of the record. Shop ( particulary resale or charity shop ) stickers can be a pain if not original , since they can really detract unneccesarily from value of the item )

5th Feb 2013, 11:21 PM		#3 REPORT
	nanocyar Member since Jan 2013 1178 Points	While it is true that a spirit like methane or lighter flued is needed to remove a modern self-sticking label. The old style, lickable label can only be removed by careful application of water.

6th Feb 2013, 12:49 AM		#4 REPORT
	Juke Jules SUBS Tell me he's lazy, tell me he's slow Member since Jan 2011 4138 Points Moderator	Vinyl records are pretty immune to most solvents, but caution is needed on a shellac disk as alcohols dissolve shellac. Water can cause the irreversible swelling of natural fibers which were used as fillers on the very early records I don't know how late this continued, but I'd be careful up to the 1920s

21st Feb 2021, 3:39 AM		#5 REPORT
	xiphophilos Member since Dec 2013 3351 Points Moderator	I would avoid any kinds of solvents on shellacs, for the reasons mentioned by Juke Jules. Unless your shellac is damaged by chips or cracks, though, you shouldn't have to worry about water reaching the fibers or cardboard inside. Most name stickers or numbered juke box stickers were attached to the labels with the same remoistenable gums that used to be used on stamps and are still used on envelopes. Other stickers may not be made of thin paper but some kind of white, textured material like a band aid. Paper stickers come off easily when you hold the record under a faucet and rinse it with hot water (not boiling hot, just warm enough to dissolve the glue again). After a minute or so, the sticker should be soaked enough that you can carefully start to loosen a corner of it with your finger nail. Hold the stream of water where you've been able to lift the sticker a bit. That should gradually loosen more of the sticker until the entire sticker just floats off. I've tried that process with band aid-type stickers too. When the gum is still relatively fresh, the rinse method works as well: Here's a "before" image: and here is the label after sticker removal: In other cases, the gum under the band aid sticker is so dried out that the sticker surface itself separates relatively easily from the dried-out gum. Then all that is left is to carefully scrape off the dry sticker residue with your fingernails. Finally, I've seen labels marked with grease pens. To remove these markings, I have successfully used a soft, white rubber eraser. Edited by xiphophilos on 21st Feb 2021, 3:52 AM

21st Feb 2021, 6:52 PM		#6 REPORT
	SeverlyWarpedRecord Member since Oct 2020 210 Points	I have read that lighter fluid works, although I have not tried it. I have just used saliva before and it works fine, just lick your finger than rub the sticker off the label.

22nd Feb 2021, 6:37 PM		#7 REPORT
	LaurenceD SUBS Member since Aug 2011 7708 Points Moderator	I have had good luck with most stickers on 78s using a few drops of water, and then waiting for a couple of minutes before attempting removal. However certain labels seem to absorb that water and become discolored, for example see the b-side of this one on the Glory label.

23rd Feb 2021, 11:55 AM		#8 REPORT
	carryonsidney a happy disposition is an omnious sign.... Member since Feb 2010 1707 Points Moderator	Friend of mine reminded me the other day not to use solvents on Styrene records, as solvent buggers those up as well. Although I suppose this wouldnt be very likely with 78's. Regarding labels, before cleaning take a minute to feel your label, a glossy smooth surface is the most likely to not absorb water or get a colour run. If you have whats called a MATT or rough paper label, this is guaranteed to soak up water and solvent. Especially bad will be labels that have a lot of RED for some reason, e.g., the 60's Atlantic label will practically dissolve if it gets too wet. The best way of protecting labels is covering them completely with something like the centre clamp you get in the Knosti LP-Cleaning Set - although this is expensive to buy new it is basically a cheapo plastic ronco type bit of kit (long overdue for an upgrade!) So if you can find one on ebay cheap, its worthwhile for the centre boss. Regarding stickers, lighter fuel or water but I find saliva & fingernail works best although not to everybody's taste, I expect! Edited by moderator on 14th Mar 2021, 3:25 AM

23rd Feb 2021, 3:42 PM		#9 REPORT
	j.monk Member since Sep 2017 167 Points	LaurenceD wrote: However certain labels seem to absorb that water and become discolored, for example see the b-side of this one on the Glory label. Mostly post WWII unvarnished labels, or budget brands. The 30's labels of major brands are really water proof ! Edited by j.monk on 23rd Feb 2021, 4:00 PM

24th Feb 2021, 10:54 AM		#10 REPORT
	j.monk Member since Sep 2017 167 Points	xiphophilos wrote: Paper stickers come off easily when you hold the record under a faucet and rinse it with hot water (not boiling hot, just warm enough to dissolve the glue again). I just tried on a copy that meets all conditions (varnished label, paper sticker) and it worked wonderfuly!

14th Mar 2021, 3:27 AM		#11 REPORT
	xiphophilos Member since Dec 2013 3351 Points Moderator	Glad it worked for you too, j.monk! Some of these stickers are just really ugly, and it's great to see them curl up and float away!

14th Mar 2021, 5:56 PM		#12 REPORT
	Fokeman I used to have a good memory but now I can't re Member since May 2011 5096 Points Moderator	Happy it worked for you. The key thing to remember is, not only must you identify what kind of label you have in order not to damage the label but also you must identify what kind of sticker you're trying to remove. I find that most stickers have solvent based glue, so using a solvent will melt the glue and allow you to remove the label. Be careful with the solvent though, the lighter fuel I refer to does no harm to almost anything apart from very weak ink which will be damaged by anything. On 99% of surfaces the lighter fuel leaves no trace whatsoever. Solvents to beware of are methylated spirits or strong solvents like this which remove ink from a laminate but only if it doesn't come in direct contact with the printed ink. The very WORST idea is to attempt to use Acetone, which has such a high level of solvency that it will probably damage anything it touches such as laminates (makes it cloudy) ink (makes it run and destroys it), and even the record itself (melts it!). If the sticker does not have a solvent glue then it was probably licked and then stuck on. At this point you need to use water. I find that just dabbing some warm water and allowing it to soak into the label and wet the glue underneath, is sufficient to allow easy removal of the sticker. No need to run the whole thing under the tap (it may work though) since this pushes much more water and heat over the label and is more likely to do damage to the label and record.

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