Adhesive glue removal presents special challenges for scrapbookers, but it is possible to remove stickers and other items without damaging your precious scrapbook layouts.
The Trouble with Adhesives
Whether you're adding photos and journaling to a layout or looking for the perfect embellishment, adhesives are an essential part of scrapbooking. Glue sticks, tape runners, photo corners, and glue dots offer many benefits, but sometimes it's necessary to remove your adhesive. For example, you may need to adjust a crooked sticker on a scrapbook layout or you might decide that you no longer want to include a particular photo on the page. Getting in the habit of using repositionable adhesives to create your scrapbook pages can solve some of these problems, but occasionally other methods of adhesive glue removal are required.
Un-du
Un-du is a special product for adhesive glue removal. It removes stickers, labels, tape, and other adhesives on contact-without harming the surface. In fact, you can use un-du to remove a sticker from one scrapbook layout and later decide to reuse the sticker on a different scrapbook project. Un-du is also great for removing labels from glass jars or tin containers that you wish to decorate for your altered art projects.
To use un-du, you simply pour a small amount of the product on the sticker or item you wish to remove. Then, use the product scraper to carefully lift the item up from the page. Un-du is photo safe and acid free. It evaporates completely after use, leaving behind no sticky or oily residue. To ensure your product lasts as long as possible, close the cap tightly when you're finished and keep the bottle out of direct sunlight.
Un-du was introduced in 1996 and has won many awards at hobby, craft, photography, scrapbooking, and office product tradeshows. Chuck Foley, the man responsible for inventing the party game Twister, created un-du.
Un-du was taken off the market briefly in 2007 due to some concerns about the environmental impact of the product. The California Air Resources Board claimed the un-du was not in compliance with their new Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) regulations. However, the company was later sold and the formula was slightly altered. The change did not affect the nature of the product, but it did allow un-du to be reintroduced to the general marketplace in 2008.
Other Methods of Adhesive Glue Removal
Un-du is available at most larger craft stores, such as Hobby Lobby and Michaels Crafts. It may be located in the scrapbooking, card making, paper crafting, or general art supply section, depending upon your store. You can also find un-du at any scrapbooking specialty supply store or Web site.
A bottle of un-du may seem expensive compared to other scrapbook supplies, but it's helpful to keep in mind that you only need to use a very small amount of product each time. In fact, most scrapbookers say a bottle of un-du will last for several months or through the creation of an entire album. However, if you can't find un-du or wish to look for a cheaper alternative, here are a few other options to consider:
- Stamp lift fluid, a product designed for stamp collectors, works to remove the gummed residue from stamps and stickers.
- Bestine rubber cement solvent and thinner was a popular substitute for scrapbookers during the time when un-du was off the market.
- Grip solvent, a product used for regripping golf clubs, is said to work like un-du.
- Lighter fluid is sometimes used to clean the adhesive residue off photos, although this product is much more toxic than un-du.
If you do decide to use one of these methods as an un-du substitute, remember that these products have not been tested for their safety in regards to maintaining the archival quality of your scrapbooking materials. This means they may cause damage to your photos or memorabilia over time.
