People stick all kinds of things on keyboards, don't they? You may get a vintage keyboard where someone stuck tape, stickers, and other icky stuff—and it's been sitting there ever since, slowly turning into cement. Yick!
Tonight I decided to face the back of my '91 Model M—where, two decades ago, someone had:
• Attached two Velcro pads (known for their tenacity, as they must stay on when you pull the Velcro apart)
• Applied a piece of heavy tape, left it for
x years, then removed it, leaving thick residue
What's more, they'd applied the tape across the 1391401's lovely old-style label, protected only by its thin plastic lamination.
Tonight, I faced this mess with grim resolve, and a few good tools.
If you've never used
Goo Gone, you're in for a treat. It's a residue remover that's citrus-based, so it doesn't contain harsh solvents or emit toxic fumes. It works more slowly than the stronger stuff, but it's quite safe for most surfaces. (Disclaimer: Always test it on a hidden part of your surface first.)
I started by using a utility knife to pry up a corner of each Velcro pad, then used a square-nosed pliers to slowly peel each of them off.
With a Q-Tip, I then dabbed liberal amounts of Goo Gone onto all the residue, then let it sit for a few minutes to soften it.
Using a stout piece of nylon—in this case, a slider for an accordion-door track (it's what I happened to have around, and it was a good shape and size for a tool)—I carefully scraped off the bulk of the residue. It rolls up into sticky little balls that you can pick up with a paper towel. Be careful not to smear them, or you'll have to scrape them off again. Take your time; use even, non-excessive force, and pay attention to what you're doing—especially if you're scraping something more delicate like a label's lamination.
Where big glops of residue had been, there were now only thin patches. I applied more Goo Gone, let it sit again, then gently scraped some more.
I now reached a point where only stubborn, filmy spots of residue remained—so it was time to switch from scraping to wiping.
First, I removed the Goo Gone with a damp facial tissue (softer than a paper towel) to which I'd added a bit of soap. I then wiped the soap away with another wet tissue, then dried the surface with a dry tissue. (The Goo Gone people recommend you always do this.)
I now applied some isopropyl alcohol to a tissue and wiped the area with a gentle circular motion. I've found that this removes some of the finer residue, and clarifies the rest so you can see it better.
I now applied a final bit of Goo Gone to a tissue, and again wiped in a circular motion. This removed the remaining film. Once again, I followed the Goo Gone with a soapy tissue, wet tissue, and dry tissue.
If you're removing actual stickers, you'll may need to use a razor blade to get them started. (Be very careful and
take your time.) But try scraping them with the nylon first—you may be surprised, and it's much gentler and safer for the surface
and for you.
If your stickers have paper surfaces rather than plastic, try applying some Goo Gone right over them (with a Q-Tip or cotton ball, rather than paper, so you can really dab it on there). You may find it soaks through the sticker and softens the adhesive underneath, making it much easier to scrape off.
I hope this gives courage to anyone else who's taking on Vintage Sticky Stuff. Cheers, Ander
