Goo-Gone substitute(s)

[Uno]

Funny. I guess I didn't know your situation. I was using acetone all day removing goo from fixtures, the tub and the sink.

Yeah acetone + plastic = goo.

Cheers,

[Jim Yanik]

Sum Guy wrote in news: [e-mail]:

those solvents can also cause cracking or "crazing".

risky because of the fumes. it might also be absorbed by the skin,and give headaches,etc.

MEK is nasty on plastics.Risky.

you could also try vegetable oil,WD-40,isopropyl alcohol. Goo-Gone is an orange/citrus oil based product.

BTW,I use charcoal lighter fluid for bug and tar removal on my car. I think it's basically kerosene,or similar to it,but I haven't verified that.

[Jim Yanik]

Jeff The Drunk wrote in news: [e-mail]:

"decorative plastic" says nothing. Perhaps you mean styrene-based plastic?

[Jim Yanik]

Jeff The Drunk wrote in news: [e-mail]:

PB might work,shouldn't hurt the "decorative" plastic.

[gpsman]

Goo-Gone is kerosene. -----

- gpsman

[Jim Elbrecht]

Add mayonnaise & peanut butter [use either] to the list to try.

Jim

[Steve B]

isopropyl alcohol?

[Steve B]

Jeff, I got hundreds of those little squares that have alcohol on them. In a packet like a one time use for giving yourself an injection. Diabetics use them. I have used them to get a lot of sticky stuff off. They take off the glue left over from IV tape. It takes some rubbing sometimes, but the plastic, or whatever substrate seems unaffected, only the goo gets melted, and that slowly. So, for me, those work, only slowly. It may take you more than one. Or two. Or three. Or four. But that's what you want. Something weak and easy on the substrate. If you can't find the patches, get a bottle of isopropyl alcohol, and some cotton pads, or just use a small scrap of cotton rag.

Steve

visit my blog at

[Steve B]

I've had good luck with paint thinner, too. It doesn't work that fast, but it doesn't melt everything, either.

Steve

visit my blog at

[Stormin Mormon]

WD-40 and fingernails. What I'd try.

[Stormin Mormon]

Them suggestions be eight. Now, they be nine (benign; say it out loud)

[larry moe 'n curly]

Try WD-40, as Jamesgangnc suggested, or another oily substance, like mineral spirits. Waterless hand cleaner (Goop, Go-Jo) or lanolin should also do the trick. And then there's brake fluid, which can even dissolve paint off styrofoam without harming the styrofoam.

Most plastic cases are made of styrene, ABS, PVC, acrylic, or polycarbonate and are easily dissolved by acetone, lacquer thinner, some enamel thinners (that evaporate quickly and make your skin cold upon contact), carburetor/throttle body cleaner, and PB Blaster. These chemicals are so harmful to those plastics that they're often used for gluing them together.

Some plastics are really good at resisting most solvents: polyethylene (HDPE, LDPE, MDPE, used for translucent and opaque bottles), polypropylene (PP, used for Tupperware, plastic storage boxes), nylon (opaque), acetal (lots of plumbing parts), and PET (clear soda bottles)

Here are some databases for chemical compatibility of many materials. Unfortunately only a few plastics are included:

[Pete]

... and olive oil.

[clare]

And damages some plastics, which the GooGone does not.

[clare]

If he's going out to the store for anything anyway, why not just buy the Goo-Gone or Goof-off in the first place? It won't damage even Styrene plastic, which gasoline, acetone, and laquer thinners will disolve quite quickly.

[clare]

Much closer to Varsol, actually.

[Tony Sivori]

Dollar store. Goo Gone. One dollar.

[clare]

Definitely not. It is up to 95% Hydrotreated light petroleum distillate (This is a mixture of C10-C14 naphthenes, iso- and n-paraffins. Neither the concentration of aromatics nor of hexane is greater than 0.1 % by volume), ,up to 10% TriPropylene Glycol Methyl Ether, and up to 10% Citrus extracts.

Deodorized Kero, as well as many solvents such as stoddard solvent, fall into the hydrotreated light distilate category

[knuckle-dragger]

BINGO! The others *might* work on some plastics but on others they can dissolve the plastic or cause it to haze over. Why don't you simply check with someone who might know, like Rubbermaid. Reading their website a couple of years ago and they put out an FAQ on removing labels from their products (and by implication their competitors). Cooking oil (vegetable, olive, etc) is by far the safest and will eventually work on every adhesive likely to be used to attach labels.

Most vehicles these days have a list of chemicals that can be used on which parts of the car but unfortunately it's usually in the workshop manual and is intended for the body repair section of the dealer. Mine runs a couple of pages and contains such gems as "alcohol should not be used on the bumper bar covers except when completely dried off in a few seconds".

[Tony]

Paint thinner won't harm most plastics, they even sell it in plastic containers! Gasoline? Maybe on some plastics but not most. I've used lighter fluid to clean greasy buildup on "plexiglass" or something similar. No harm.

Test in an inconspicuous area if possible.