Question for those of you using the Absorber

[Carol W]

I'm curious about how you are using it.
Am I right in imagining that you are using it damp to clean off the stamp while it's still on the lid of MISTI? The same way you might use a baby wipe?

And then because of its absorbing characteristics, you can rinse it out when it gets inky, wring 'til damp, and repeat -- then launder when it's really dirty?

I've got some "Sham-Wow" type cloths around the house and just wondering if I might try using one of them that way. But by all means, if the Absorber works better than that type of cloth, tell me more!

And please do tell if there are other nifty uses for the Absorber in connection with MISTI, or what makes it especially handy for stamping. People seem enthusiastic about it but I couldn't quite visualize what people are doing with it. I'm guessing the big feature is the ability to hold water and act like a perpetual baby wipe, but not sure and interested to learn.

Thanks in advance!

[Dragonwold]

What is an "Absorber"?

[tweedcurtain]

From Amazon, product description:
The Absorber is not a leather chamois, nor is it a terry cloth towel. However it could be one of the best drying tools you'll ever discover. The Absorber is made of a unique material called PVA (Poly Vinyl Alcohol). The secret of the Absorber's power is it's amazing uniform, sponge-like pore structure. This design enhances capillary action and gives the Absorber it�s super drying ability.

I love mine because it is lint free. It is pricey, but I cut it into sixths and use a small piece. I (guilt) bought one for my DH for drying the car off after washing it and he says it is the best thing ever.

[bbbp]

I bought one after reading about in the MISTI threads. I really like it for cleaning my stamps. I usually use my Stampin' Scrub but then wipe them off with the Absorber after. I am amazed at how much more it cleans the stamps. When using the MISTI you can just wipe the stamp clean or even the lid because there is only water on it. I highly recommend this product.

[Dianarmo]

I love it too but FYI it does not rinse out clean, it stains which is ok. That does not interfere with how it functions just looks yucky. Even when you wash it the stain stays in. It might depend on the ink you are using, I use a lot of memento black ink and that does stain. And if you leave it damp in a closed container it gets an oder to it. I just leave mine sit out and dry out them re wet it when I am ready to use it. Thats just my two cents worth.

[gregzgurl]

The Absorber has an almost rubbery feel to it when it's wet. I would recommend letting it dry out between uses, as it does get a musty odor over time otherwise. The staining doesn't make a lick of difference in its performance. The only drawback is that it will not get ink out of crevices in the stamps - you would still need something "scrubby" for that. That's more of an issue with pigment inks than dye inks, though.

[bonapartelady]

To the OP.....I am using a piece of "sham-wow" type material in place of the Absorber and it works just fine. I rinse it out after cleaning stamps and leave it to air dry each time.

[Carol W]

Thanks everyone for the info. I was wondering what the particular advantage of this item was in the realm of stamping and MISTI-stamping, so it's a bit clearer now.

So, to confirm, you use it the way you would use a baby wipe when cleaning off a stamp that's still positioned on the MISTI lid?

[tweedcurtain]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carol W

So, to confirm, you use it the way you would use a baby wipe when cleaning off a stamp that's still positioned on the MISTI lid?

That's what I do.

[MrsAngotti]

Just an FYI ... I found a "cooling towel" at Dollar Tree last week that is basically the same material as the absorber. It is in a scarf shape (narrow and long). To use as a cooling towel during a workout, you wet it and drape it around your neck. I bought one for a buck and it works exactly the same as the absorber.

[rschneder]

The cooling towel works great! Thanks for the suggestion.

[annie*]

Thanks for the storage information on the Absorber. I was trying to store my cut up pieces in a Rubbermaid sandwich container. Yuck! The cloths and container stunk terribly. I was wondering what I was doing wrong. The thing I find totally weird is even when wet, they don't get stinky when stored in the tube they came in. Now I know to just leave them out and re wet as needed. By the way, the smell disappeared after I washed them in the washing machine.Thanks for the info!

[Legojenta]

Could a window cleaning microfiber cloth (one without the texture that microfiber usually has, instead it is completely smooth) work for wiping off your stamps on the MISTI?

[annie*]

I would think any kind of microfiber cloth would work great. You could just rinse it out until it needed a deep clean and then just toss it in the washer.

[poppydarling]

After seeing a few YouTube crafters using The Absorber, I realized I had an old drying towel I had bought for the dog :-) that sounded very similar. And it works great in cleaning dye ink off stamps! I use mine dry. I wanted a non-wet non-messy option, and it works great. It also cleans other inks but I still use a baby wipe and my scrubby to get them as clean as possible.

[CherylQuilts]

What do you wet the Absorber with to clean your stamps? Do you use a general stamp cleaning liquid? I've been using the Wet Ones (plain), and they are working well. Thanks!

[bencer99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CherylQuilts

What do you wet the Absorber with to clean your stamps? Do you use a general stamp cleaning liquid? I've been using the Wet Ones (plain), and they are working well. Thanks!

Just wet it with water. It works great to get ink off stamps.

[CherylQuilts]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bencer99

Just wet it with water. It works great to get ink off stamps.

Thanks, Rebecca! I appreciate your response. I will definitely try it (and add it to my wish list and next Amazon order! (Just love Amazon Prime!)

[Gramma Sarah]

Yes, I just got my Absorber cloth. I think it will serve many purposes...I got it for stamping but will use the rest for all things needing cleaning or wiping dry. Also love love love my MISTI!!!!

[EmbossingQueen]

I stored my new (wet) Absorber in the original tube. When I recently opened it to use the cloth it smelled musty.

Do I wash the Absorber with laundry detergent?

Air dry instead of putting back in the tube wet?

Thank you for your advice!

[Gramma Sarah]

I just rinse out or hand wash with a little soap and then rinse and hang. The stain remains but the color does not come off. I have cut mine into useable pieces.

[estamps]

Are their other brands of this type of cloth. I went to home depot and couldnt find it. There were other automotive cloths.

[lesliespringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EmbossingQueen

I stored my new (wet) Absorber in the original tube. When I recently opened it to use the cloth it smelled musty.

Do I wash the Absorber with laundry detergent?

Air dry instead of putting back in the tube wet?

Thank you for your advice!

Are there directions on the container ??

[bjeans]

Let it dry out or it can get mildewy. It will get stiff as a board, but that's fine. I don't generally wash, just rinse, though use a drop of Dawn at the sink once in a while. I don't know why I bother - it seems the same whether washed with soap or rinsed.

[lynkim]

for fellow Canadians (or those living closer to the border) the Absorber is available at Canadian Tire, three different sizes available at our local store. My sisters gifted me with Misti, love it! and introduced me to the Absorber. Great for cleaning stamps but definitely going to try it on my dashboard too!

[AussieJenny]

Here in the land Down Under, I have bought a Chux Bathroom Magic Eraser with drying chamois layer from the supermarket as it seemed to be a similar thing, so far so good, but I haven't had it long. It is a blocky sponge thing and I found I could use the corner to go into small gaps.

Carol W, the reason for using these products is that it is not recommended to use cleaning chemicals that might damage Misti's surface so these cloths that clean well with just water are a great idea someone had.

I think any cleaning cloth that is kept damp would get bacteria growing on it eventually. So they are better kept dry. Baby wipes have preservatives in the liquid to stop that happening, plus other chemicals which might not be good for the surface of the Misti.

[kiki_mac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AussieJenny

Here in the land Down Under, I have bought a Chux Bathroom Magic Eraser with drying chamois layer from the supermarket as it seemed to be a similar thing, so far so good, but I haven't had it long. It is a blocky sponge thing and I found I could use the corner to go into small gaps.

I'm in Australia too and I've been using a chamois I found in the car cleaning/car care aisle of the hardware store. Not sure if that's the same as the Absorber but it works a treat.

[lharnish]

I'm in Canada and love my Absorber. I'm on a well and septic system and our water is hard with things like iron in it. I found my Absorber was getting a funny smell but it wasn't the typical musty smell others have mentioned. I think one of the red inks I was using was reacting with the iron in my water. I was afraid to put it in the washer in case the inks spread and stained other clothing. I used a homemade cleaning product (Ultra Dawn mixed with vinegar half and half) and sprayed it with that. It worked like a charm to neutralize the smell.

For those mentioning the Shamwow, I tried that first and it is a very different beast, and does tend to leave lint/fibres/woolies on the stamps like some baby wipes do.

[harvestmoon]

I found mine in the Auto cleaning department of WalMart. Good price. The label says to store it in the tube. I had cut off a manageable sized piece and after using it I put it back in the tube. It got sour right away, so I put it in the wash with towels. Didn't need to put it in the dryer. Now I just wet a portion to use. It's So Handy to have around!

[chihuahua-mom]

There is a new one coming out soon called the EVO cloth. I got a small one to try and it's awesome for cleaning stamps. Wal-Mart and HSN.com should have it soon!
The full size cloths I got are fantastic for cleaning up spills on the carpet, common occurrences around our house with a 14 year old and a 5 year old and three Chihuahuas rampaging through the house lol

[Peezie]

Lawn Fawn makes a small "absorber", maybe 5x7 and sells for about $8. Absolutely love it. Its the perfect size!! But if you want to buy the absorber and cut it in smaller pieces to handle easier, I've done that too, to share with my stamping friends. Made a lot of ladies happy! I don't use very many baby wipes anymore. I wash it in a mild soap and rinse with warm water, squeeze and allow to dry!

[annie*]

Is the Lawn Fawn one just like the Absorber? I have been wondering about that but have never actually seen the Lawn Fawn product.

[Peezie]

Yes, the Lawn Fawn product is just like the Absorber, only mini and easier to hold in your hand and work with and not deal with the large Absorber. I bought an Absorber from the auto parts store and cut it up on the creases it was folded in the container. Save more for later and more to share with my friends!

[annie*]

Thank you for your response!

[Pamsertich52]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harvestmoon

I found mine in the Auto cleaning department of WalMart. Good price. The label says to store it in the tube. I had cut off a manageable sized piece and after using it I put it back in the tube. It got sour right away, so I put it in the wash with towels. Didn't need to put it in the dryer. Now I just wet a portion to use. It's So Handy to have around!

I saw them there as well after ordering mine from Amazon. I love them

[sheglie]

Iove the absorber! Saves $ on wipes! But got a cheaper one yet at Walmart... a cooling type towel. It is a little thinner and can get into crevices better than the other one.

I know this is a late post.... but have to post somewhere three times before uploading a pic url in a thread... lol.

[sheglie]

So here is mynpost number 2... please disregard. Lol

[sheglie]

And finally... post number three. Yay! Now I can enter the challenge and post my picture.