Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Unsticks labels, Cleans grimey surfaces & lots more |
| Disadvantages: |
None |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
Do you bite your finger nails? Are your stubby little fingers not up to scratch when it comes to peeling off stickers and price labels on articles which you intend giving as presents or selling on ebay?
Read on - your frustrations are about to come to an end!
Even if you have perfect finger nails, surely you must have experienced the frustration when trying to remove difficult deposits such as chewing gum? Please, don't remind me about the ice-cube trick - I'm sure it works perfectly well, but what if you don't have any ice cubes ready?
Then there's makeup spills on the dressing table or grease spots on clothing when you quirt your body oil in the wrong direction.
Even candle wax has met its match with Sticky Stuff
Remover. We've had a splodge of candle wax on the carpet since Christmas and although we'd got the worst of it off with ice-cubes and a sharp knife, I used this clever solution on the still highly visible residue and, hey presto! All gone! Our carpet is neither rubber nor foam-backed, so it was OK to use it .. see the exceptions later in review.
Sticky Stuff Remover has been around for years. I first came across it at least 15 years ago from the nice Kleeneze man who pops by regularly. Actually, our Kleeneze man has now defected to Betterware and they have it their catalogue too. I give a list below of the other places you can purchase this product from - and you'll be pleased to know you can now buy it in the shops.
It's made in the UK and comes in a 250ml white plastic bottle with a child-proof lid. The only ingredient it lists is 'Petroleum Distillates'. It has a pleasant, citrus smell which I take to be a derivative of orange as orange seems to be a natural source of grease remover. If the product contains anything else, they are keeping it a closely guarded secret as I could find no information on their website (www.desolveit.com) - but they do boast that it is a 'natural solution', so one must assume there are no harmful chemicals - although on the bottle there is a warning that if swallowed it may cause lung damage (so, I'd stick to the Vodka if I was you).
It tackles gum, tar, adhesive, wax, wet paint, crayon, grease, labels and grim grime (sorry, been watching too many Kim & Aggie episodes).
I have used it on those dreadful fluorescent 'Only £1.99! labels found on the cover of paperback books which normally sell for £6.99. Having read the book, I then want to either sell it on ebay or Amazon - but do I want the world and his wife to know exactly how much I paid for it? No. Do I attempt to peel off this sticker and most of the cover beneath? No. Sticky Stuff to the rescue, and the book is undamaged. The solution, although liquid, does have a slightly oil feel to it, but not unpleasantly so.
The next thing I tried it on was the Sellotape residue left on the glass window of my office door (where for years I have stuck the 'Gone to Lunch - sod off!" sign). I poured a little of the solution onto a soft cloth and gave the sticky area a good rub, and found that the Sellotape residue lifted off easily once I had left the solution to soak into it for a few minutes. I did have to use my thumb nail to work on it, but it wasn't hard work and for those of you who don't have a decent thumb nail (a) stop biting your nails because it's gross and (b) you could always use one of those ice scrapers you use for your car windscreen.
That's the sticky labels dealt with, what next?
I tried it on my computer console at work - the surrounding plastic casing where I had a lot of biro marks, and which didn't come off with anything else I'd used (spit, screen wipes and their ilk). A quick rub with the solution and the computer looks like new - which is a shame because I'm trying to talk my boss into buying a new one.
I also tried it on the office door, where mucky hands over the years had left a black and disgusting gunk. The gunk was removed in seconds, without harming or lightening the wood - and I have a tangy smelling office as a bonus (the only bonus I'm likely to get at work).
Sticky Stuff is compatible with most surfaces but is not recommended for use on silk, leather, suede, polystyrene or rubber/foam back carpets.
Before you start, it is recommended you test on a small unobtrusive area. Also, because the product is so effective, you should use it sparingly in most cases. Washable items such as fabrics should be washed thoroughly with warm soapy water after use and then rinsed in clean water.
For articles such as non-washable fabrics and foam/rubber backed carpets, they recommend you use De.Solv.It Stain Wipes (which I haven't tried)
You can use Sticky Stuff Remover on the skin and hair (remember how 2-year-olds love to dip their heads into finger-paints?) but it's important that the treated area is washed thoroughly with soap and water after use.
On reading the instructions, however, I think the company is leaving itself wide open to litigation! Along with the list of the types of stains/residue it
will remove, it says it will also remove 'make up'. Well, we know they mean the make-up residue on your dressing-table top, or perhaps lipstick some oik has used to write his latest literary offering on your car windscreen, or even the inebriated guest at a wedding who writes "JUST MARRIED!" on the newly-weds' going away chariot. But someone out there might just try it out on their face, and even though it can be used on the skin, I don't think I'd like to try it out on my porcelain complexion!
Directions for use are clear and easy to follow. The warnings I mentioned say that repeated exposure may cause skin dryness or cracking (so if you're going to be using it for any length of time, it might be wise to use disposable gloves). Avoid contact with the eyes (another good reason not to use to remove make-up from your face). After contact with the skin, wash immediately with plenty of soap and water … and this is where I make a dash for the bathroom and wash my hands as once again, I have discovered something, before it was too late, which I would never would have noticed if I hadn't gone carefully step-by-step for the purposes of this review, because now my fingers have a white residue on them - and that's why you need to wash your hands immediately.
One day, I'm going to come to a sticky end!
Stockist information:
Available from Kleeneze, Betterware and Lakeland Ltd catalogues and
Nationwide from John Lewis, Homebase, Focus - Wickes
Cost approx. £4.00
