Cleaning Grubby Labels - Advice Please

[Premium Stuff]

Hi everyone

Is it possible to clean a grubby soiled label?

In this case I'm thinking about a well used record, stored badly that has quite bad soiling on both sides - basic dust and grime rubbed in over the years. The record is pressed on vinyl with otherwise a smooth moulded-on label. It's a 60s ARCHER pressing if that helps.

Any advice would be much appreciated please - including if it is best not to try anything

Cheers

Richard

Edited February 15, 2013 by Premium Stuff

[Pete S]

Try that stuff they sell on those tv adverts 'magic eraser' or something like that, it's white, looks like polystyrene I think

[Guest soulie75]

go to an art restorer who does pictures ,they will get pen marks and felt tip one out as well

[Citizen P]

Not that I have tried it...but,

I was told that dabbing with blu-tack lifts some of the sh*te.

[Steve Foran]

Hi everyone

Is it possible to clean a grubby soiled label?

In this case I'm thinking about a well used record, stored badly that has quite bad soiling on both sides - basic dust and grime rubbed in over the years. The record is pressed on vinyl with otherwise a smooth moulded-on label. It's a 60s ARCHER pressing if that helps.

Any advice would be much appreciated please - including if it is best not to try anything

Cheers

Richard

Dont they call this the patteener ( spelling) on antiques?

[Russ Vickers]

So what do art restorers use ?....it must be documented somewhere.

Russ

[Dave Pinch]

i just use a rubber on ringwear where the label is solid and not damaged..the trick is knowing how far to go with it though

[Premium Stuff]

Cheers guys - now how do I find an art restorer?

Cheers

Richard

[boba]

mr clean magic eraser is bleach based and very strong and will just take off the paper entirely. tack or flexible art erasers tend to tear the paper. dave's advice is good for ringwear but you have to use it lightly as you will tend to take off parts of the label text that it goes over.

[boba]

by "take off" I mean lightly fade btw

[Theresa]

Rich I've got one of those magic sponge erasers under my sink. They're very soft and very mildly abrasive. In the interests of science, I'll go find a grubby inconsequential record and see what happens, and report back, lol

[Premium Stuff]

Rich I've got one of those magic sponge erasers under my sink. They're very soft and very mildly abrasive. In the interests of science, I'll go find a grubby inconsequential record and see what happens, and report back, lol

Thanks gorgeous

While this was a cheap one - it was one I had never seen on any Detroit discog lists before - so it needs to be properly scientific and all that as I don't want to ruin it

I trust you entirely and look forward to hearing what happens.

R x

Edited February 16, 2013 by Premium Stuff

[Modernsoulsucks]

Luckily I've just patented the very thing.

Cleansing Alcohol Solution Hydrate.

Make cheques for £199.99 payable to Cleansing Alcohol.... or C.A.S.H. for short and send to myself at

PO Box 4675

Acapulco

Mexico

Allow 5 years for delivery as PO is quite a trip from the beach.

ROD

[boba]

The magic eraser sponge will scrape off the label, I was speaking from experience. Alcohol will also eat the label. However, I definitely think it's worth people trying for themselves on throwaway records to see how fragile the label is.

[Theresa]

Aim of the experiment

To test whether a proprietary 'magic sponge eraser' is an effective label cleaning medium

Hypothesis

That said magic sponge eraser will miraculously remove up to 50 years of accumulated grime from the label of Richard's cheap but potentially singular record, lol

List of equipment used

Busy Bear Magic Sponge - available to purchase on your doorstep from scouse scally with holdall, whilst his mate scopes your back gate for break-in potential. When making your purchase, be sure to call upstairs to your three imaginary teenage rugby-playing sons 'to see if they have any change' in the hope that the scallies will rob next door instead

Beaten-up Kent reissue with some dirt, ringwear and pen marks on the label

Method

Don suitable personal protective equipment - swimming goggles and kitchen apron will suffice

Cut small piece of sponge from block

Lick corner of sponge

Rub marks lovingly

Results

Magic sponge does indeed remove pen, pencil, ringwear and grime

However for anything more than very light soiling, its abrasive action also removes some of your paper, rendering your label clean but forever damaged

Conclusion

May work better moistened with a soupçon of alcohol. Let's face it, most things do.

For best results, stick to Manship's proven method of using twice-digested civet droppings, dried and mixed to a fine paste with the saliva of unmarried Polynesian maidens, applied with genuine 1960s deadstock Johnsons cotton buds.

[Premium Stuff]

Aim of the experiment

To test whether a proprietary 'magic sponge eraser' is an effective label cleaning medium

Hypothesis

That said magic sponge eraser will miraculously remove up to 50 years of accumulated grime from the label of Richard's cheap but potentially singular record, lol

List of equipment used

Busy Bear Magic Sponge - available to purchase on your doorstep from scouse scally with holdall, whilst his mate scopes your back gate for break-in potential. When making your purchase, be sure to call upstairs to your three imaginary teenage rugby-playing sons 'to see if they have any change' in the hope that the scallies will rob next door instead

Beaten-up Kent reissue with some dirt, ringwear and pen marks on the label

Method

Don suitable personal protective equipment - swimming goggles and kitchen apron will suffice

Cut small piece of sponge from block

Lick corner of sponge

Rub marks lovingly

Results

Magic sponge does indeed remove pen, pencil, ringwear and grime

However for anything more than very light soiling, its abrasive action also removes some of your paper, rendering your label clean but forever damaged

Conclusion

May work better moistened with a soupçon of alcohol. Let's face it, most things do.

For best results, stick to Manship's proven method of using twice-digested civet droppings, dried and mixed to a fine paste with the saliva of unmarried Polynesian maidens, applied with genuine 1960s deadstock Johnsons cotton buds.

:lol:

Pure dead brilliant

I especially like this bit: a soupçon of alcohol

Cheers T

Richard

Edited February 17, 2013 by Premium Stuff

[Theresa]

I've taken advice from Carol (Isis), she who knows all, and apparently for pure grime, baby wipes or glass wipes are about the most effective, done quickly and followed with a dry cloth to get the residue off immediately. I'll get her in the lab tomorrow to do a proper study x

[soulsalmon]

Try the staedler Mars plastic eraser ,bit at a time,works for me ,not on heavy soiling but never tried

[MotownDave]

it is possible to remove ball point pen ink from labels using isoprol , but its very time consuming and great care is needed ..and i'd advise practice on something of no real value before you attempt it on a prize possetion

atb dave t

[SHEFFSOUL]

Dont they call this the patteener ( spelling) on antiques?

patina..

[Steve Foran]

patina..

Knewit was incorrect.

[Tiberius]

It goes without saying always evaluate the label paper type before ever attempting to clean using whatever your preferred method. Glossy labels are usually much easier to clean than matt or rough textured in my experience, as there's less tendency for the paper to rub off or lift.....or disintegrate!

Obviously a plain colour label will be easier than multicoloured due to potential colour bleed problems. Labels stuck onto styrene can be problematic as often they're bubbled as well as often being quite matt. Finally it's worth bearing in mind some records are known to have very poorly stuck down labels, often turning up with one or both labels missing......I wouldn't advocate cleaning these at all.

Labels with ring rub, where the paper surface has been rubbed through, will pose a bigger problems than with just a ring mark, as once the surface finish is broken the paper beneath is very prone to further damage from even the most gentle cleaning and the printed surface comes away easy from around the rubbed area.....best left alone I think.....or perhaps, in the case of a valuable record, as mentioned above, refer to an art restorer or similar qualified person if you feel you have to have the labels clean.

For me, I'm generally happy if I can improve them a little and don't feel I have to get the labels spotless.

[Guest]

i just use a rubber on ringwear where the label is solid and not damaged..the trick is knowing how far to go with it though

I have had some great results with a rubber on ringwear and writting.

[Tony A]

Eraser for paper & film,

works well on most labels, if yer don't go beserk.