Sticker removal

[OilSheikh]

Some pimp has put stickers promoting his prostitution business on the Traffic lights poles in front of my local station. The sticker says - Call xxxxx no. New girls available regularly.

I am infuriated and rather than complain to the council and then they eventually sending someone to clean it up, I would like to do it myself to do my bit for my neighbourhood.

So, Hexites, what's the best way of removing stickers stuck on metal apart from scratching them with my nails ?

WD40 ? Nail polish remover ? I also need to look non-suspicious during my remedial adventure.

[Spreadie]

Isopropyl alcohol - like TIM clean

Spray it on the sticker, leave it for a few minutes to soak through (the longer, the better) and it'll break down the adhesive. After that, you can pretty much wipe the sticker off.

[OilSheikh]

Isopropyl alcohol - like TIM clean

Spray it on the sticker, leave it for a few minutes to soak through (the longer, the better) and it'll break down the adhesive. After that, you can pretty much wipe the sticker off.

Excellent idea, I shall spray on my way to work and then on my way back home, just peel it off. It's available at Boots, I presume ?

[GoNz0]

Isopropanol often doesn't soak through before it evaporates, sticker remover is usually a citrus based. spraying some on and wandering off for the day isn't going to do anything.

Halfods sell sticky stuff remover for under a fiver.

Or just phone the council graffiti team and let them come use the industrial stuff to get it off.

[DDY]

Label remover works wonders, it's a fiver for a 200ml can of the citrusy stuff at Maplin;

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/maplin-lab...er-200ml-n63an

Spray it all over the label, enough to soak it and leave it to work for a few seconds, the label can then be peeled off with very little effort and without leaving any sticky residue.

In my experience IPA and ethanol only work well in limited circumstances and usually requires a bit of manual scraping. The label remover linked above works much better but is more aggressive on some plastics and paints.

[Saracen]

....

In my experience IPA and ethanol only work well in limited circumstances and usually requires a bit of manual scraping. The label remover linked above works much better but is more aggressive on some plastics and paints.

Exactly. The best stuff, and exact technique and timing, seems to depend on exactly what glue the label uses, and what it's stuck to. Highly concentrated hydrochloric acid will remove stickers and glue, but probably also the paint and possibly a good chunk of the traffic light, not to mention the flesh from your bones and maybe even your bones, if you spill it.

I remember doing some research for a client a few years ago about the exact spec of a glue to be used for stickers on a product that, first, wouldn't come off accidentally and second, would peel off without damaging the product it's stuck on. There are thousands of available glue variants and the apparently simple job of getting the right glue turned out to be an unmitigated bleeping nightmare.

I've had a fair degree of success with isopropyl alcohol, provided the sticker doesn't have a plasticised surface, 'cos that prevents it soaking through the paper to soften the glue.

[ik9000]

you can also send the details to your local police who do follow this up (the prostitution e al not the fly postering). Maybe not in the time frame you might like, but they do need to know about it to do anything. It may be safer to get your council to act - depending on whether said pimp sees you removing them.

That it says "new girls regularly" suggests some form of trafficking is likely involved - do let the police know the details.

[virtuo]

I think you should be 100% sure it's not a legitimate advertising campaign first - just, er, let us know the number and I'll check it out for you.

[BobF64]

I am infuriated and rather than complain to the council and then they eventually sending someone to clean it up, I would like to do it myself to do my bit for my neighbourhood.

Careful with that. As some people found out, cleaning things owned by the council isnt always taken in the spirit it is intended.

Women who cleaned a dirty Taunton bridge rebuked by council 'jobsworth'

[Dashers]

Lighter fluid works a treat. I also use WD40.

They are both light and reduce the risk of damaging whatever is underneath. Acetone etc is pretty nasty stuff.

[snedger]

Evostik Contact Adhesive Cleaner will easily do the job - NEVER use it in a space that is not well ventilated and put the top back on ASAP.
You won't find it on the shelf in DIY stores, you have to ask for it - I used to use it for cleaning wood resin off of router bits and found out that it destroys sticky labels.
**edit - may not be as harmful as it used to be when it contained toluene, but then again it may not destroy labels so easily

[OilSheikh]

It turns out ist's juts not the two traffic lights but a number of lamp posts on that street. It will take me weeks to get rid of al the stickers!

I have reported it to my SNT ( Coppers ) , who should be in touch in 4 days. I have bene unable to get hold of anyone at the council for two days now. The phone system's button combinations end up in a dead end flatline tone :@

[ik9000]

ask at switchboard who to speak to. If they don't know trawl through website. If that doesn't tell you email CEO and ask them

[snedger]

Maybe put them out of business by posting some made up adverse reviews on www.trickadvisor.com ?

[OilSheikh]

Complained to Council this morning. They'll get the graffitti team to remove them. However, if in 2 weeks, nothing's been done, I'll have to deal with them.

[OilSheikh]

Council just removed the stickers and it was more of a claw attack rather than one of the discreet removal techniques we discussed here!

Meanwhile, my SNT ... still haven't heard from them! I doubt I ever will!