Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
I just dug out my acrylic mounts and they looked a bit worse for wear. I took them to the sink to clean them and STOPPED dead in my tracks. I thought I better ask you all if you wash/clean your blocks and with what? Do you clean your acrylic stamps with anything other than typical stamp cleaner. Also, I have unmounted stamps on "acrylic cling" that don't seem to want to stick to my blocks. I've given away almost 30 stamps on "acrylic cling" and I sure hope those people aren't having the same problem! Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks.
I've washed my photopolymer stamps with soap and water to help them cling to acrylic mounts. (MFT and Verve recommend you wash gently with soap and water if they're not clinging anymore.)
I have washed my acrylic mounts off, but I also do a rub on my Stamp Scrub as well to make sure there's no soap residue.
I clean my stamps after every use, and this isn't a problem. I just place them back onto the acrylic sheet they are attached to in their folder. I have Tack n Peel on my acrylic blocks and wipe this off with a baby wipe after every use as well. The TNP is a bit discoloured from black inks but still see through and usable.
I use normal stamp cleaner on all my stamps. I occassionally use my stamp pad when I have large numbers of stamps that I am using for a project but it annoys me having to wash it so frequently so for individual uses, I just use the stamp cleaner. This is for all my acrylic, polymer and rubber stamps. HTH
Thanks, Sara and Karen! I, too, have one of those scrubber thingies...wet on one side and dry on the other. I have to rinse it out and then use soap on it all the time. They do get dirty quickly when you're using black ink alot. This "acrylic cling" that I'm talking about is a "flimsy" clear sheet that I purchased over 13 years ago when I started buying unmounted stamps. I would buy the adhesive cushion to mount and then attach it to the acrylic cling sheet. I don't know if being in storage all those years did something to it or what. I tried rubbing both the mount and the stamp on my head like we used to do to make balloons stick to the wall for the kids, but it didn't do anything except mat my hair all up! I'll do as you both suggested and wash them and see how they do. Thanks so much.
I am lazier than most. When my clear stamps don't stick anymore, I rub them under running water (hardly considered "washing") - I don't even use any soap. When I can't see through my acrylic blocks anymore, I clean them with stamp cleaner.
Blot off the excess ink on a baby wipe before your using your stamp scrubber and it will save a lot of washing it out! I wipe my acrylic bocks off with a baby wipe before I put them away...
__________________ Karen
...My life is like a stroll on the beach...As near to the edge as I can go...Thoreau...
I use soap & water, baby wipes- just don't EVER use Staz-on cleaner on the acrylic blocks. It makes them look all crackled & cloudy. It took me ages to find out what was causing my blocks to go like that.
RavioliGirl...am I understanding you right...You have rubber stamps, foam cushion, and vinyl cling (which is a "flimsy" but thickish vinyl meant to cling to windows, etc).
My experience with the vinyl cling wasn't great, but you do have to keep it scrupulously clean. So wash with soap and water often. Your blocks can and should be washed with soap and water as well.
I ended up changing all my rubber to EZMount because of my frustrations with the vinyl cling. But if you have gotten it to work for you for 13 years you are very fortunate! Washing may take it back to where you were.
I use soap & water, baby wipes- just don't EVER use Staz-on cleaner on the acrylic blocks. It makes them look all crackled & cloudy. It took me ages to find out what was causing my blocks to go like that.
I was wondering why one of my blocks was cracking! I heard not use StazOn cleaner on clear stamps due to yellowing but I did not know about the blocks. Thanks!
Mary Beth
Glad to help- I finally read about it on one of the threads on here somewhere! Like you, I couldn't figure out what was causing it. I had to buy a new stamp positioner because the acrylic plate had gone almost completely opaque.
RavioliGirl...am I understanding you right...You have rubber stamps, foam cushion, and vinyl cling (which is a "flimsy" but thickish vinyl meant to cling to windows, etc).
My experience with the vinyl cling wasn't great, but you do have to keep it scrupulously clean. So wash with soap and water often. Your blocks can and should be washed with soap and water as well.
I ended up changing all my rubber to EZMount because of my frustrations with the vinyl cling. But if you have gotten it to work for you for 13 years you are very fortunate! Washing may take it back to where you were.
Diane,
Oh, no...I had them stored away for 13 years and now I'm trying to get them out and play with them again. I'll try the washing thing. I may have to try to pull them apart and get some of that other product you talked about. Oh, dear...I have a nice little supply of unmounted rubber on that stuff. Thanks so much for alerting me to the failings of the cling. At the time, that was all that was available for unmounted. [Been stamping a long time.]
I just read my original post and I did present that poorly. I've had them stored for 13 years...have no idea how old that cling mount is.
shazsilverwolf!!! Thank you so much for that info. I sure would have reached for that. Cleaner is cleaner to me. The only reason I bought it was because I understood that you had to have it to clean stamps used with StazOn ink pad. You saved me a headache for sure. See...we learn so much from each other. LOVE it here!
Lorraine, thank you so much for the links. The tutorial was great. I'm going to stop at JoAnn's and check it out. I can see why you would want to use a coupon. I really appreciate your help. I'm hoping my "acrylic cling" isn't stubborn to get off. Thanks again!
I just use a small bit of ultraclean and voila! they look fab! I have been known to just rinse after with water and towel wipe dry after the uc to make sure it's all off also. HTH.
Many thanks to everyone for their input. I definitely want to get some Tack 'N Peel! Haven't had a chance to look at my acrylic cling to see if it will peel off easily, but I'll make it work.
Beverly...If you decide to go with the tack n peel, I don't think you would need to do anything with the stamps you have on the cling. I could be wrong...the cling might stick too well to the tack n peel...but the whole thing about using it on your blocks is that you don't need to have any mounting 'stuff' on the stamp itself. People usually use bare rubber with the tack n peel.
Beverly...If you decide to go with the tack n peel, I don't think you would need to do anything with the stamps you have on the cling. I could be wrong...the cling might stick too well to the tack n peel...but the whole thing about using it on your blocks is that you don't need to have any mounting 'stuff' on the stamp itself. People usually use bare rubber with the tack n peel.
Duh...I AM SUCH AN IDIOT! Thank you so much for pointing that out to me, Diane. NOT that you pointed out that I'm an idiot, but that I wouldn't have to peel off the acrylic cling. Sometimes it takes us oldtimers longer than it used to to figure out stuff.
I also use my regular stamp cleaner to wash my blocks. It is a home made knock off of SU! Cleaner. Baby wash, glycerine and water. I use a pink faux car washing chamois from Walmart in the automotive dept instead of a scrubber. Jody Morrow recommended it and I'm in love! No residue even if it is pretty dirty. The chamois and cleaner work most of the time but when they get grungy, I use alcohol to get them really clean. I hear Green brand cleaner works well too though I've not tried it.
Be sure not to use Staz on for any clear stamps either. It will destroy them over time according to Nichole Heady of PTI. Love those podcasts.
__________________ RebeccaEdnie Mixed Media Artist, Paper Crafter, Jewelry Designer SCSDirtyDozenAlumni Www.Boxofchocolatescrafts.Com YouNeverKnowWhatI’mGoingtoMake
I use two different homemade cleaners for my stamps, for rubber stamps I use a mix of 1 part simple green to 9 parts water and for clear stamps I use a mix of baby shampoo, glycern and water. They both work great! I spray it on an old towel and clean my stamps with that, when the towel is filthy I toss it in the wash and it is good as new. My stamps get cleaner that way. Before I used a scrubber but I stamp a lot and I was washing my scrubber all the time and it did not seem to clean it as well. Old towlels are cheap and work great!
Question for y'all who make your own cleaner--where do you get the glycern/glycerine? I've read about homemade cleaners alot, but can never find the glyerine that everyone talks about?
Thanks in advance!
__________________ Tish, a/k/a GaMtnScrap Be who you are. Those that matter don't mind, and those that mind don't matter.
I buy glycerine at WalMart in the pharmacy section. Have also bought at CVS Drugs. If you don't see it ask at the pharmacy window. Usually comes in clear 6 oz. plastic bottles.
I found after a lot of uses the stamp cleaner spotted up the block. I had tried putting dish soap directly onto the block and washing but it still left a sticky residue. So then I tried some Dawn dishwashing liquid and soaked my blocks in the soap/water. Rinsed them off and dried them and they were perfectly clean.
I also use a window cloth from Norwex for drying them so it cleans them as well.
I have a question for those who use a towel for cleaning your stamps...I have a supply of cloth diapers that I had used for "spit up" when my girls were babies...I used them for dusting and cleaning around the house and I put then in the wash with clothes...If I start to use them for INK...they will be all BLACK with ink...if you was with clothes will the ink transfer...or should I wash them by themselves...I hate to wast water of SMALL loads if I don't have to.
Blessings,
Valerie
I clean my acrylic blocks from time to time by throwing them in the dishwasher! I take them out before the dry cycle (if I remember) and they are sparkly clean. I've left them in to heat dry and they also came out fine. Anyone know of any problems with that method?
I have a question for those who use a towel for cleaning your stamps...I have a supply of cloth diapers that I had used for "spit up" when my girls were babies...I used them for dusting and cleaning around the house and I put then in the wash with clothes...If I start to use them for INK...they will be all BLACK with ink...if you was with clothes will the ink transfer...or should I wash them by themselves...I hate to wast water of SMALL loads if I don't have to.
Blessings,
Valerie
I use old towels (diapers would work super, but my baby is 3 and just toss them in when I get a load of rags (for cleaning/scrubbing). I have enough to last until I get a load as I probably wouldn't put them in with clothes unless they were my really grubby outdoor work clothes.
What are the proportions for the homemade glycerine cleaner? It said above not to use Tack and Peel on your cling stamps but what about the cling stamps that won't "cling" anymore despite using all the recommended cleaning methods for them? Will it cause them to have unremovable residue on them? I use baby wipes also to take off the major part of the ink and then spray and use my SU stamp cleaner to get in all the nooks and crannies. Thanks for any advice...
I use towels/face flannels for cleaning mine all the time- I just chuck them in with wok jeans/black tshirts to wash & never had any problems. re the stamp cleaner, there are a few threads, I think in the Tools & Products threads, with quite a few different recipes.
Location: I live since 2004 in Bali, living in Paradise
Posts: 170
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by kphorse
Blot off the excess ink on a baby wipe before your using your stamp scrubber and it will save a lot of washing it out! I wipe my acrylic bocks off with a baby wipe before I put them away...
I used baby wipes to clean my rubber stamps and they turned into hard rubber.is there a difference in baby wipes?
Thanks,
Jogrybali
I have cleaned my acrylic blocks in the dishwasher, too. I just put them in the top rack when I was washing a load of dishes and they came out sparkling clean!
__________________ "When I do good I feel good, when I do bad I feel bad, and that is my religion."
--Abraham Lincoln
I used baby wipes to clean my rubber stamps and they turned into hard rubber.is there a difference in baby wipes?
Thanks,
Jogrybali
I believe there are alcohol based, and non-alcohol based baby wipes. I also believe that it is the cheapest babywipes that tend to have alcohol in them. It is the alcohol that will damage the stamps.
A lot of stamp cleaners contain Glycerine to condition the stamp- it may be worth trying that on your hard stamps. You should be able to get it either in the bakery section (its used to help keep icing soft) or at a pharmacy.
If you check out over on Tools & Products, I think it is, you will find a few threads about creating your own stamp cleaner, and almost all contain glycerine. One or two also use baby bath lotion.;)
Reading this thread makes me realize how little I really stamp. I have never used any of my blocks enough to need to soak or wash in the dishwasher, or whathaveyou. I just wipe it on my stamp cleaner/scrubby and dry it off before putting it away!
Do you wash your acrylic blocks/stamps?
Recipe for stamp cleaner
