8 Comments for How do you get sticky stuff from a price tag off of a book?

• 1. Noah  |  December 27th, 2010 at 2:09 am

  Try using rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball. The alcohol will help take the sticky stuff off, and then it evaporates quickly, so you won’t have to worry about the smell.

• 2. Bubbles  |  December 27th, 2010 at 2:15 am

  finger nail polish remover.

  Do you lightly though, you don’t want to ruin the book.
  Also, googone might work. I have some, but i haven’t tried it.

• 3. WestMich01  |  December 27th, 2010 at 3:01 am

  Squirt some lighter fluid on it to soften the adhesive. Then wipe away.

• 4. Deke  |  December 27th, 2010 at 3:46 am

  You have to be careful what you chose so as not to ruin the cover.

  Not all cleaners will do the job without damaging the book, as it depends on the inks used and the finish on the cover.

  Alcohol, orange-based cleaners, lighter fluid, acetone (major part of fingernail polish remover), and goo gone will all probably remove the adhesive; but what will they do to the book?

  So, first, I would try rubbing off the adhesive, if you can. Wash your hands well (otherwise dirt and oil on your hands could transfer to the adhesive making it worse), then just rub repeatedly in one direction. Even if this doesn’t quite work, it should remove some of the adhesive before you bring in solvents. This is important because the longer you leave a cleaner on the cover of the book, the more chance it will damage or stain the book.

  If rubbing is ineffective, try the alcohol first. Dampen a cotton swab (e.g. Q-Tip) and test a spot on the back of the book. If it has a bar code printed on the back, experiment on that as I assume the appearance of that matters the least to you. If the ink comes off, try an orange cleaner next and so on until you find one that does not seem to damage the book. It would also be good to call the store you purchased it from to see what they use or recommend to remove their price sticker adhesive.

  Once you find a cleaner that won’t damage the cover, use it to dampen a cotton pad or ball or paper towel and dab the area that has the adhesive, then wipe it off. Make sure you get as much cleaner residue off as possible, because even if it doesn’t do any damage to the cover immediately, if you leave it on for an extended period of time it could still cause a problem.

  Good luck.

• 5. Lone Wolf  |  December 27th, 2010 at 4:15 am

  There is a product (2, at least, I believe) specifically made for that purpose. One is called Goo Gone. You can buy it at Wal-Mart in the paint dept. If the book has a shiny paper cover (dust jacket) there should be no problem. Very little is needed. If not – (was the sticker put directly on the front of the book? ((shudder)) – my mother was a librarian) spray a little on a piece of white cloth, if the color of the book starts showing up on the rag – stop. I would make a cover for it at that point. You can surely buy paper and/or plastic covers at a stationery or office supply store.

• 6. pebbles3023  |  December 27th, 2010 at 4:33 am

  Rubbing alcohol will do the trick..good luck

• 7. MailorderMaven  |  December 27th, 2010 at 5:17 am

  If you and your dad are worried about ruining the book, glue a small square of plain paper over the sticky spot, or put a plain sticker on. Then it will be safe for neighboring books. But itf the cover is glossy, goo gone or WD 40 will probably work.

• 8. Belinda Walker  |  January 27th, 2012 at 7:48 pm

  I got some used books that had tage on them and I tried to get them off, but the backs were just thick paper. So I took some clear packing tape, cut it and put it over the place after I pulled the tag off. Looks fine to me! (I had tried the suggestions, and was afraid the pages were going to tear)l

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