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So I buy a DELL Inspiron iM101z then have to remove lots of stickers on plastic. I have used rubbing alcohol but had one really bad experience on plastic.

the Intel i3 one is truly nasty.

Any ideas on the magic product? Sticker seems universal these days.

Goo-gone, works like a champ on old adhesive residue.

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Solvents based on citric acid are good for some types of glues.

Isopropyl Alcohol or Acetone (spot test first - may damage).

googone

Rubbing alchohol (isopropyl)

Acetone might be a bit much...

Vodka (can also be drunk, till you are drunk, so you don't care about the goo... )

The old sticker is quite good. Using the old sticker press down again and lift straight up as if you were collecting bits of tack with a bigger tackball (don't try to wipe).

It doesn't always work, but it's good for a lot of those ugly, pointless, OH-GOD-WHY-DO-WE-STILL-HAVE-THEM? stickers.

Chrispy_ wrote:

It doesn't always work, but it's good for a lot of those ugly, pointless, OH-GOD-WHY-DO-WE-STILL-HAVE-THEM? stickers.

They're still there because people still like subsidizing hardware/OS. I think there should be better ways of this, unless you get a special arrangement with Intel and Microsoft, they aren't going to let the manufacturer ship without those advertisements.

And the major PC manufacturers are wondering why Apple is running away with the market. Making their products look like crap to save a few bucks.

As far as the stickers, if it's a smooth surface laptop I've had good luck with WD40 or similar spray on a paper towel, rubbing the label with it to neutralize the adhesive, then cleaning the lubricant off with isopropyl or glass cleaner.

The Way I remove sticker is by hairdryer. the heat warms up the adhesive to make easy to peel.

I would avoid acetone and other harsh solvents, they can damage many plastics.

Anything that won't come up with rubbing alcohol gets the packing tape treatment. The sticky side of a piece of clear plastic packing tape will lift most adhesives. You do need to work at it a bit, but the risk of damage is lower than with solvents.

A small amount of WD-40 with get rid of the sticker and residue. It works wonders and is cleaned up with most cleaners. You can search around the internet for examples of use.

I use lighter fluid. The Zippo brand works really well.

Use masking tape. Sticker residue likes the adhesive on the masking tape, but on the flipside, masking tape isn't strong enough to damage anything. Just take a small piece of masking tape and repeatedly stick it on to the affected area until the stuff is gone. Get a fresh piece if it stops working.

For more stubborn or decayed adhesive, I've never found a need for anything stronger than rubbing alcohol.

Friction, damp a rag with water. Always confused why some people have a hard time with these stickers...

Another vote for Goo-Gone. I have used on pretty much every surface including plastic laptops to remove badges.

I've tried goo-gone, fingernail polish remover, WD-40, iso alcohol, but none worked better than brake cleaner. Spray that stuff on the spot and the sticky is instantly gone! After you wipe off the residue, I use a damp paper towel (water) to "neutralize" the area just for good measure.

DPete27 wrote:

Spray that stuff on the spot and the sticky is instantly gone!

Uhhhhh, file this one under "use with all due caution." Things that come in aerosol cans and are intended for automotive cleaning usually include strong petroleum-derived solvents which are notable eye and skin irritants and can be hazardous to some plastics, and by design they can get all over the place when used. In particular, I would hate to see what that stuff might do to a laptop screen, particularly a matte screen, if the overspray splashed up there.

ludi wrote:

DPete27 wrote:

Spray that stuff on the spot and the sticky is instantly gone!

Uhhhhh, file this one under "use with all due caution." Things that come in aerosol cans and are intended for automotive cleaning usually include strong petroleum-derived solvents which are notable eye and skin irritants and can be hazardous to some plastics, and by design they can get all over the place when used. In particular, I would hate to see what that stuff might do to a laptop screen, particularly a matte screen, if the overspray splashed up there.

If you're going to use brake cleaner, spray some into a paper towel and then work on the glue. That stuff is pretty nasty and I can't imagine it working well with most laptop parts.

I'm going to second WD-40, since it's generally safe and works really well. Don't bother with anything else.

Captain Ned wrote:

If you're going to use brake cleaner, spray some into a paper towel and then work on the glue.

On second thought, thats probably what I did. I agree that overspray with an aerosol of that magnitude is very undesired. The chemical didn't have any effect on the glossy plastic finish but like I said, once the sticker goo was gone, I immediately cleansed it with a wet cloth to neutralize the cleaner. I spent probably 5-10 minutes of elbow grease with each of: goo gone and nail polish remover with moderate results but not achieving complete removal. Like I said, the brake cleaner did the trick MUCH faster. "Use at your own risk" perhaps?

http://www.brewracingframes.com/id75.htm

Though I doubt you guys are doing any spot-welding with the brake cleaner nearby, I would be incredibly careful with it. The heat produced by a laptop and the amount of atmospheric argon present is not likely to produce Phosgene gas, but due to its particularly low LD50 (4 parts per million) value I wouldn't take my chances.

BloodSoul wrote:

http://www.brewracingframes.com/id75.htm

Though I doubt you guys are doing any spot-welding with the brake cleaner nearby, I would be incredibly careful with it. The heat produced by a laptop and the amount of atmospheric argon present is not likely to produce Phosgene gas, but due to its particularly low LD50 (4 parts per million) value I wouldn't take my chances.

Or make sure you buy non-chlorinated brake cleaner. No chlorine, no phosgene (COCl₂).

Wow, sounds super nasty. Amazing that just that small puff produced that severe of an effect. Good to know, but like you said, VERY unlikely that you would produce phosgene from laptop heat. There's a reason why many cleaners have the "use in well ventillated area" warning on the label.

Petroleum jelly or mineral oil are good, safe, relatively inert solvents for use on plastic surfaces.

According to the Wikipedia article on phosgene, its creation from brake cleaner relies on the intense UV light produced by electric welding processes. Methinks laptop owners are safe.

OK. Thanks, high and low techers. So I pulled the stickers off the Inspiron's plastic case. Notably, the Win7 and Energy Star stickers were pretty well removed - traces only. Intel's i3 sticker left a hefty chunk. Go figure.

So I first tried 70% rubbing alcohol - no effect. (Saving my remaining 90% for CPUs only.) Next I tried WD-40 which got the traces fine, but only smeared the Intel goo around. Next I tried Oops - which did the trick on the remnants. Then a paper towel rub followed by soap and water (damp only) on a sponge. All gone.

No phosgene or brake fluid necessary. Keeping my few remaining brain cells, thank you.

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