How to remove old Duck tape residue - a tip

[FairweatherDave]

Having had my windows out for a couple of months I used Duck tape to hold sheets of ply over the apertures (plus bits of wood on the inside). Of course I knew the Duck tape against the gelcoat might be a bit awkward - and sure enough the tape disintegrated to leave a gummy mess. Acetone was not impressive, nor IPA. What worked best was Soudal silicone remover - applied and left for a good 10 minutes plus ( as you would with silicone). Not cheap but by far the best method (combined with a bit of gentle scraping). Whether the gel formulation is the secret I don't know as obviously acetone doesn't hang around for long. I reckon the Screwfix No nonsense version would have worked too. Just thought I'd share. Glad that job is over.......

 

[MoodySabre]

Having spent hours removing it after having my windows reglazed I wish I’d known about that. It was the worst part of the job. I hope never to do it again but thanks.

 

[James_Calvert]

I can't remember for sure as I tried so many different things when I was struggling with this task.

I think paraffin worked a bit better than most, but it was fundamentally the elbow grease that did the job for me.

Thanks for next time...

 

[StefanSG]

White spirit works for me ! I use this type of tape a lot at work, and have found it the cheapest & best

 

[FairweatherDave]

I'll admit I didn't try white spirit....it was at home. But just to check, are you talking about Duck tape that has been left on for ages Stefan, like a couple of months?

 

[StefanSG]

I'll admit I didn't try white spirit....it was at home. But just to check, are you talking about Duck tape that has been left on for ages Stefan, like a couple of months?

Yes even hard dried on stuff, you may need to agitate the White Spirit into it with a fingernail, toothbrush, or steel wool to get it going.