Glue residus on the screen

[hammam]

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I have wisely (I thought) protected the screen of my M9 with a transparent film. I just removed it, and to my horror, I saw it left very unsightly glue residus. All my cameras have had this kinfd of protective film but it's the first time this happens.

 

What should I do? I tried alcool, but it does not really work. Maybe if I rubbed real hard, but I'm afraid to do that.

 

Do you have any suggestions? Help!

 

Thanks a lot.

[jaapv]

The problem with these adhesive films it that they sometimes leave residue or attack the coating on the screen. Because of this coating you must be a bit careful when removing the adhesive.Mostly careful rubbing with your thumb will work. Alcohol is usually no solvent for sticky stuff. I would - but this is advice "at your own risk"!- try whire spirit. Be careful with more aggressive methods. The coating on the plastic is not that robust.

Giotto or Acmaxx protectors are better in my experience.

[gravastar]

As Jaap says white spirit/turpentine or it's substitute will usually remove most "tacky" type adhesives. Be careful though, you only need to gently rub with a slightly dampened cloth.You may need more than one application, the first to dissolve the adhesive and the second to remove any remaining traces. As usual - at your own risk.

 

Bob.

[Gosling]

Here's my order of experimentation for getting rid of soft glue residue:

 

First, try gently rubbing it with your finger.

If that doesn't work, try using a soft cloth with plain water.

If that doesn't work, try water with a little household detergent added to it.

 

If you're working on a synthetic material (as in your case), I wouldn't advise any of the following solvents without testing on a non-essential part first, otherwise you may end up dissolving the material itself. Unless you know for certain what the material is and that it will not be affected by the solvent, of course. Your call.

 

If you're a smoker, this is the moment to put out your cigarette.

 

Try alcohol (ethanol first, if that fails, methanol).

Try white spirit (turps substitute).

Try spot remover (tetrachloroethene; non-flammable, but why smoke anyway?)

Try petrol (the stuff that makes cars move)

Try acetone

Try cellulose thinners

 

If that still doesn't work, time to get out the hammer and chisel, I guess. Good luck!

 

Marcus.

[jaapv]

DON'T use on plastic (which this is): tetrachloroethene, acetone, cellulose thinner!!

You will damage the plastic.

[stussy2k]

+1 gently rubbing, water/mild detergent

 

before trying mineral spirits a trick which has worked for me often is to slowly soften up the glue with your gf's/wife's hairdryer and peel the residue away with a clean piece of scotch tape.

[Dannybuoy]

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Saphire screen upgrade? :-)

[jaapv]

The Scotch tape method has been known to strip the coating off.

[stussy2k]

The Scotch tape method has been known to strip the coating off.

 

Ohhh(!!!)... good to know! Thanks.

But I'm also thinking that by removing any glue residue with whatever method it will also take away the coating from the affected area? Nothing but to bite the bullet.

[bocaburger]

The cheap screen protectors have no adhesive, they're held on by static cling, and should not leave any residue. The ones like Best Skins and Zagg (same material) have an adhesive. From the Zagg FAQ:

 

Does removing the invisibleSHIELD leave sticky residue?

 

Removing your invisibleSHIELD normally will not leave any sticky residue on your device. If you do notice any sticky residue, we recommend removing it with a citrus based adhesive remover, such as Max Professional All purpose Ink Remover. You can also remove most residue by just rubbing it into a ball and off the edge of your device.

 

 

From Best Skins Ever (the kind I use, because it's available in sheet form, much more economical) FAQ:

 

Q: Are Best Skins Ever removable?

A: Yes, but only if you want them to be. Best Skins Ever are made to offer semi-permanent protection for your small electronic devices. If and when you’re ready to remove yours, it will come off.

 

Q: Will Best Skins Ever leave adhesive goo behind when removed?

A: Nope, never.

[adan]

Sometimes sticky residue can be softened and removed without chemicals - by warming it with a hair dryer.

 

That is actually the recommended method for softening glue and removing the hard glass LCD protectors from Giottos.

[250swb]

Do not rub it with your thumb. Only use a soft cloth with a tiny amount of white spirit.

 

Steve

[Bill W]

I use lighter fluid as a universal sticky residue remover on all types of plastics. It does not hurt the plastic. I have no idea what it might do to the coating on the cover though.

[sdk]

A lot depends on whether the adhesive is hydrophobic (organic solvent based) or hydrophilic (water based).

 

I would first try diluted dish detergent in distilled water applied with a soft, clean, damp cloth. This will work on many water-based adhesives. Make sure not to get water in the buttons and controls, as it could corrode the underlying electronics.

 

You could also try a bit of saliva applied with a cloth too, as your saliva has alpha-amylase, gelatinase and other enzymes that can help break down starches and proteins found in some adhesives. Follow up with a good lens cleaner like that made by Zeiss to get rid of the biochemicals. Many microscopists use this procedure to clean lenses that get gunked up in the lab from biological specimens.

 

If you have to resort to organic solvents like alcohol or acetone, be very careful not to get ANY on plastic parts of the camera like the control wheel and buttons. The plastic can easily be damaged by solvents. It’s always best to apply the solvent to a cleaning cloth and then wipe the screen with the moistened cloth, no matter what the solvent is.

 

Some materials may be more easily removed with an amphipathic solvent (mix of hydrophobic and hydrophilic) such as 50% ethanol 50% water, which can dissolve some chemicals better than either pure water or pure ethanol.

 

Since you can’t just guess which approach will work best, you might want to contact the screen protector’s manufacturer and see what they recommend.

[250swb]

If you have to resort to organic solvents like alcohol or acetone, be very careful not to get ANY on plastic parts of the camera like the control wheel and buttons. The plastic can easily be damaged by solvents.

 

Hydrophobic, or hydrophilic, or gelatinase, and enzyme this and starch that, the screen of an M9 is plastic.

 

Steve

[marknorton]

I think the lists of suggested solvents are bad news - acetone, white spirit, cellulose thinners? Are you mad? The screen is plastic (polycarbonate) and some of the suggestions will damage is, as will heating it with a hair dryer. The screen is held in place using a glue which softens under heat.

 

If a simple alcohol like iso-propyl alcohol doesn't work, the next I would try is the sticky label removing solvents you can buy from companies like Staples. These have a characteristic sweet fruit smell and are gentle in their action. Always apply using a soft cloth, never directly to the screen itself.

[jaapv]

White spirit is OK, Mark. For the rest I totally agree (see my earlier posts) Another no-no is ammonia-containing fluids, like many commercial window and spectacle cleaners.

http://www.wickes.co.uk/content/ebiz/wickes/resources/images/gil/52.pdf

[sdk]

Hydrophobic, or hydrophilic, or gelatinase, and enzyme this and starch that, the screen of an M9 is plastic.

 

Steve

 

I may be wrong, but isn’t the standard M9 screen covered by multicoated glass, not plastic? The M9P has sapphire crystal, also multicoated. The multicoating would be plasma deposited metal, and probably has no organic components like plastic either. Enzymes won’t damage these materials, nor will solvents, but oxidizers like ammonia or bleach will wreck the multicoating.

[jaapv]

No - plain and simple plastic, optically coated.

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[Bill W]

I may be wrong, but isn’t the standard M9 screen covered by multicoated glass, not plastic? The M9P has sapphire crystal, also multicoated. The multicoating would be plasma deposited metal, and probably has no organic components like plastic either. Enzymes won’t damage these materials, nor will solvents, but oxidizers like ammonia or bleach will wreck the multicoating.

 

I believe it is plastic and the reason that most folks use some sort of screen cover.