I Need to Get This Gunk Off My Card

gregory said:

What else would anyone do with Wonderbread ? Anyway - how is it a waste to clean a card ?

Click to expand...

I'm just feeling all clucky and motherly, and I don't want the giant to come in the night and gobble you all up.

I can toss my used bread outside for the birds. That would make it less wasteful, yes?

I will try this out in the morning. Long day at work and I just want to relax. I want my mind sharp for this endeavor and I want better lighting.

The bread does nothing.

So whats the next step?

Slightly damp cloth?

You could try a simple eraser, I've removed simple age marks from some cards with one. You could also try to very slightly dampen a soft cloth with white wine or vinegar (not the dark balsamic kind, but apple or any other light kind), very lightly rub it down as best you can, making sure not to damage the card. Then, put the card in a pile of salt so that it is completely covered. Salt is a natural dessicant, which forms a kind of vacuum, and could help. Leave it overnight, see if it helps.

I tried a slightly damp cloth. This got some of it off.

I'm kind of afraid to do more. I'm going to leave ot out to make sure its totally dry before returning it to the deck. There wasn't a lot of moisture in the cloth, but I don't want to risk putting it back too soon.

I think I can live with it now.

I'd never heard of the bread trick--thanks for that, gregory and tarotbear!

Depending upon the gunk, the paper, and the finish, my go-to's for cleaning soiled paper:
1) white "mars" eraser
2) spot clean using isopropyl alcohol and a cotton ball or cotton swab (look for 90% or greater)
3) spot clean w/clean cloth dampened in clear warm water
4) spot clean w/clean cloth dampened in sudsy water (Dawn dishwashing detergent recommended)

I've also had success with the white vinegar process closrapexa recommends.

ADDED: If you think may be an oily stain, try placing the card on a white paper towel, sprinkle white flour or cornstarch over the stain, put another paper towel over it, and put a couple of heavy books on it. Leave it overnight, check on it, and replace the flour and repeat if necessary...unless it doesn't look like it's helped at all.

good luck with your project!

I have used Goo Be Gone with great success and doesn't do any damage to cards. Just a tiny bit goes a long way.

If it's gooey, gunky, or sticky you need to 'lift it' not 'spread it.' Have you tried sticky tape, or the sticky part of a post-it note? When I remove the labels from my RX pill bottles, I use the sticky part of the removed label to remove any paper that still adheres; I learned that trick from trying to remove retail labels from glass or plastic.

Just my two cents ....

Its old; the substance on the card is hard. Whatever it is has been there a long time.