How To Clean Sticky Stuff Off Plastic

Download Commodity

Download Article

Many common plastic items, such as TV remotes and other electronics with hard outer cases, accept a soft plastic blanket that can deteriorate and go sticky over the years. Plastic can as well get glutinous as information technology accumulates residue from your easily, if something gets spilled on it, or if there is leftover adhesive on it from a sticker or glue. Either way, try cleaning viscid plastic using ane of several simple methods that only require common household ingredients like baking soda, isopropyl alcohol, water, and balmy dish detergent. Soon enough, your plastic items will experience like new once more!

1
Mix equal parts baking soda and h2o to form a paste. Put some baking soda in a small basin, cup, or other container. Add an equal amount of water, then stir the mixture with a spoon until information technology turns into a paste.^[i]
- The amount of baking soda and water yous demand to employ depends on how big the plastic particular you want to clean is. For instance, if it is something minor, like a Television receiver remote, you can use about 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of water and i tbsp (xx chiliad) of baking soda.
- This method works to clean a variety of viscid plastic items like plastic kitchen utensils or dishes, TV remotes, plastic containers, toys, and many other types of solid plastic items.
Warning: Don't employ this method to clean something like the keys on a plastic keyboard because the paste could get inside easily and damage the electronics.
two
Scrub the paste onto the sticky plastic particular with your fingers. Scoop a bit of the paste onto your fingertips and rub information technology all over the detail y'all desire to clean using circular motions. Add more paste equally needed until you have covered the whole surface of the viscid item.^[2]
- Don't use anything abrasive like a scouring pad to scrub the paste onto the item because you lot could scratch the plastic.
Advertisement
3
Wipe off the paste with a soft, damp cloth. Moisten a clean, soft textile with water by holding it nether a running faucet until it is soaked, then wring it out so it isn't dripping. Wipe away all the paste from the plastic detail. Rinse out the cloth and echo as needed until there is no more paste on the plastic.^[three]
- If you are cleaning something with batteries, similar a TV remote, make sure to open and wipe out the bombardment compartment as well in case whatsoever paste got inside.
- If the detail has any cracks or crevices that you can't wipe the paste out of, you lot can utilize something similar a toothpick or cotton swab to achieve inside them and make clean the paste out.
4
Allow the item air dry completely. Fix the particular in a dry out place where it will get plenty of airflow. Wait for information technology to dry out completely before using it.^[four]
- If y'all wiped out a battery compartment with the clammy material, make sure you exit the compartment open up and then information technology can air dry as well.
Advertisement

1
Fold a make clean rag into a square or rectangle that fits in your hand. Grab a clean, soft material that you don't mind using to clean. Fold it in half once or twice so it fits neatly in your manus and is easy to piece of work with.^[five]
- If yous don't have a cloth you can use, fold upwardly some newspaper towels or napkins instead.
- This method works well to clean off agglutinative balance, such as that left behind past stickers or mucilage.
- If you are cleaning off an onetime soft plastic blanket that has become gummy, keep in mind that the appearance of the item will likely exist shinier and slightly unlike later you wipe information technology off with alcohol. Still, it won't exist pasty anymore after you remove the deteriorated coating.
two
Pour some isopropyl alcohol into the middle of the cloth. ^[6] Hold the material face-up in your dominant paw. Chop-chop tip over the oral fissure of a bottle of alcohol onto the middle of the cloth to dampen it and tip the canteen back again before too much pours out and soaks the cloth.^[7]
- Note that if you are using this method to clean a plastic detail that has crevices or sensitive parts, such equally a keyboard, make certain the fabric is only barely damp so no booze will drip downwards into whatever cracks. Be very careful to only wipe down the not-sensitive plastic surfaces similar the tops of the keys on a keyboard.
- You can also use rubbing alcohol for this, as it contains isopropyl alcohol.
3
Wipe down the unabridged sticky plastic surface with the alcohol. Pick up the sticky plastic item in your non-ascendant hand and hold it firmly. Rub the booze all over the plastic surface to clean it, turning the item in your hand as needed to attain all sides of it.^[8] ^[ix]
- Scrub firmly in back and forth or circular motions, paying special attending to the areas where the particular is most viscid.
- Booze evaporates very quickly, so you don't need to worry about drying the detail off after y'all clean it.
Warning: Keep in mind that alcohol tin remove the color from certain types of colored plastic. Test the alcohol out on an inconspicuous area of the item to see if it removes any color earlier applying it to the unabridged surface.

Advertisement

i
Make a solution of liquid dish detergent and h2o in a modest container. Squirt 1 United states tbsp (fifteen mL) of mild liquid dish soap into a small basin, glass, or other container. Make full the container up with warm h2o and mix the solution together with a spoon until it is foamy.^[x]
- This method works well for frail plastic items like plastic playing cards, ID or credit cards, or other plastic items that you lot are worried most dissentious the color or coating of.
2
Dip the corner of a clean, soft cloth into the solution. Hold the fabric in your dominant hand with your index finger pointed straight out and a corner of the textile wrapped around the tip of it. Dip the office of the fabric with your index finger inside information technology into the soap and h2o solution quickly and pull it out correct away so the cloth doesn't get likewise soaked.^[11]
- A microfiber cloth is perfect for this. Yous could also cut up an old cotton T-shirt into rags and use one of them for this task.
iii
Rub the damp cloth all over the plastic item to clean information technology. Hold the sticky plastic item in your non-dominant paw. Wipe downward the whole item with the damp part of the cloth using back and forth or round motions, re-wetting information technology as you go if needed.^[12]
- Make sure to scrub any particularly gluey areas, like where a viscid beverage got spilled on the plastic, until you get all the residue off.
Tip: If you lot're cleaning something apartment, like a plastic credit carte or ID card, yous tin lay it on a hard surface similar a counter or table and hold it in identify with your non-ascendant hand while you wipe it off.
4
Dry the plastic off completely with a clean dry cloth when you're done. Catch another soft, clean cloth and wipe off all the excess wet from the plastic item. Make certain to go in any cracks or crevices that may accept accumulated droplets of water.^[13]
- You can use paper towels or napkins if you don't take a spare dry out cloth. Go along in mind they might get out some lint behind.
Advertisement

Add together New Question

Question

Can I use regular alcohol if I don't have rubbing alcohol?

Ahmed Mezil is a Cleaning Specialist and the CEO of Hellamaid, a cleaning service operating out of Southern Ontario, Canada. With over four years of cleaning experience, Ahmed and his insured and bonded Hellamaid cleaning staff specialize in house cleaning, mail-structure cleaning, commercial cleaning, deep cleaning, and disinfection cleaning on diverse domicile/building surfaces. Ahmed holds a BASc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Waterloo, a MASc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto, and holds a Professional person Engineering license in Ontario, Canada.

Cleaning Specialist

Skillful Answer

Some people use vodka instead of rubbing alcohol. Annihilation that has at least 70% alcohol in it will work.

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to become a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertizing

Don't put pasty plastic things in a dishwasher or a washing motorcar to endeavour to clean them. E'er clean them by hand.
Alcohol tin remove color from certain types of colored plastics, so test it on a subconscious area of the item if y'all plan to utilise this method.
Don't try to dry plastic off after cleaning it by using a hair dryer or other heat source. Dry them off by hand with a clean material or let them air dry.

Advert

Things You'll Need

Blistering soda
H2o
Small container
Soft fabric

Isopropyl alcohol
Make clean rag

Minor container
Water
Liquid dish detergent
Soft cloths

About This Article

Thanks to all authors for creating a folio that has been read 111,105 times.

Did this article assistance yous?