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Some of my clear stamps are so sticky that they pull up the paper I am stamping on and makes it very messy. With some of them even the super sized magnets on my Misti can't keep the paper from being pulled up.
Others are getting very stained and I am looking for a way to clean them without damaging them.
Hi Lucy, for some reason clear stamps do tend to lift the paper when stamping, no matter what the brand.Mine do it all the time, and watching other crafters You Tube videos, they have the same thing.
On the subject of staining, again, from respected You Tube crafters, the staining is actually an indication of high quality stamps. The better the quality, the more they will stain. I've seen this to be true, as cheap silicone ones- the ones typically given as magazine freebies- always just wipe clean, but many of my photopolymer are stained black,lol. Also, ink colour can play a part, as reds tend to stain worse than any other.
The simple truth is that the staining won't harm them, so it's a case of living with it.
Thank you for this information. I guess you're right that we just have to live with it. But I feel better knowing that I'm not the only one with these problems.
Lucy
I totally agree with silverwolf.
Though if the stained is on the 'extra' bit of the stamp (I mean the part that isn't part of the image -- the flatter part that has no raised image), sometimes a scrub with a rougher surface like a washcloth and some more pressure will take away a bit of the color. The reason I'd do this is if the staining is affecting my ability to see thru the stamp when positioning it, like if I'm layering stamps and not using my misti.
Just had a thought. Tim Holtz recommends using Hand Sanitizer to clean ink off the Stamping Platform, which he says should be wiped with a baby wipe/damp cloth after. I'm guessing it would also work with ink on stamps, but I reckon they would need a wash in soapy water after, due to the alcohol in the sanitizer. Whether it would remove the staining I don't know.
One of the things I have started doing with clear stamps in the Misti is instead of using the little circle magnets that came with mine, I use those shoot right angle pieces. ( they have this accessory set, I cannot think of the name of it off hand but, there are two 45 degree angles that are clear acrylic with magnets in the ends & the centers of them. and I use both of those to hold the paper I am stamping on in the Misti.
these things seen here (you actually get all those pieces but, I use the right angles every time)
When the urge hits, I clean all my stamps including clear with Simple Green or Judikins regular stamp cleaner and it has not hurt them but I always rinse my stamps with plain water. FYI, many of my stamps are very old, 10 - 20 years or more.
Thin bar magnets hold better than the little round ones that come with stamp positioners. Maybe try those? They can be found from various sources. Here’s a two-pack on Amazon that I have:
I put washi tape around it in the center and sticking up about an inch to make a handle. Jennifer McGuire idea.
Staining is fine - it’s not a problem, just shows well used (rather than just collected!) and well made. : ) Some people, though not many, put ink on new stamps in a color they know will stain to see the image better!
Seeing stampinstacy comment on stamp cleaners, I do (occasionally!) lol, clean mine with a homemade cleaner- there is a recipe on here I use. If I recall correctly, it's baby bath, water and a few drops of glycerine. They recommend using Distilled water if you are going to be keeping it a while. On another note, the one cleaner you should NOT use on clear stamps is Staz-on cleaner, and even the ink itself isn't recommended by most stamp manufacturers of clear stamps.
After stamping I generally just use a spritz of water and a small Zwipes microfiber cloth, or just the cloth. They’re the ones Jennifer McGuire uses; I’ve had mine for years. They’ll stain immediately but no ink will come off onto anything else. Eventually I toss them in the washing machine.
And occasionally I use Kirkland (Costco) baby wipes. They can be purchased on Amazon, are lint free, and stay moist even down to the last wipe even months later by pushing the top of the container down so the air swooshes out the opening. Then snap closed. I’ve also tossed some in a ziplock for a class and discovered the ziplock months later and the wipes are fine.
I also clean my stamps occasionally with Hero Arts stamp cleaner or use the Stewart refill, again with microfiber cloths. Stewart is what Hero Arts uses.
When you clean with the Hero Arts or Stewart Superior, what do you use to place the cleaner on while cleaning?--a microfiber cloth or something else.
__________________ Lisa Featured Stamper #671 Love sending BRAK cards. Dirty Dozen Alumni.CC927 Favorite Virtual Stamp Night April 19 - 20 Come Join in the Fun Here
When you clean with the Hero Arts or Stewart Superior, what do you use to place the cleaner on while cleaning?--a microfiber cloth or something else.
I just leave the stamp on whatever it’s stuck to - a block or stamp positioner. I wipe off the stamp and then the block or positioner with the microfiber cloth.
Occasionally when stamps from different sets, when done with a stamp I’ll stick it onto the top right corner of my glass mat (that I’m working on anyway) and spray them all at once. I don’t usually do that since I like putting the cleaned stamp on top of the acrylic sheet it comes on and then will put the set in its pocket when dry. Not that it ever gets that wet.
One of the things I have started doing with clear stamps in the Misti is instead of using the little circle magnets that came with mine, I use those shoot right angle pieces. ( they have this accessory set, I cannot think of the name of it off hand but, there are two 45 degree angles that are clear acrylic with magnets in the ends & the centers of them. and I use both of those to hold the paper I am stamping on in the Misti.
these things seen here (you actually get all those pieces but, I use the right angles every time)
__________________ Lisa Featured Stamper #671 Love sending BRAK cards. Dirty Dozen Alumni.CC927 Favorite Virtual Stamp Night April 19 - 20 Come Join in the Fun Here
I just leave the stamp on whatever it’s stuck to - a block or stamp positioner. I wipe off the stamp and then the block or positioner with the microfiber cloth.
Occasionally when stamps from different sets, when done with a stamp I’ll stick it onto the top right corner of my glass mat (that I’m working on anyway) and spray them all at once. I don’t usually do that since I like putting the cleaned stamp on top of the acrylic sheet it comes on and then will put the set in its pocket when dry. Not that it ever gets that wet.
Clear as mud, huh.
ETA: I forgot, I sometimes rub dry the stamp in the microfiber cloth too. That sometimes also removes a bit of ink.
Microfibre cloths are great for removing any lint left behind from babywipes too.
That. ^^
And do you have Costco in the UK? Their wipes (under their brand name, Kirkland) leave zero lint. I get mine on Amazon because Costco isn’t fun for me, usually. And they last forever since you can very easily squish the air out of the container.
Someone told me Target wipes are also lint free, but I haven’t tried them.
Hi Ladies -
When I get a new clear stamp set, the first thing I do before stamping with them the first time is ink them up with versamark, stamp and stamp off, then ink up with your ink color of your choice and that helps with the stickiness. As for staining, if you ink it up with a light color ink and stamp with it first, it is less likely to absorb the darker inks later. But remember, even if they are stained, that does not effect the stamping image.
This is something that has been happening to me and I just saw this video yesterday on Youtube featuring Tim Holtz talking about oxides but, as always, he gave a few more gold nuggets one of which was how to get rid of the stickiness of photopolymer as well as making the stamped images from them crisp...this does involve staining your photopolymer stamps...I can't remember where on this video he shares the ink to prep your clear stamps with (which is why I saved this video on my favorites so I can watch it again) but here is the link to the video:
Some of my clear stamps are so sticky that they pull up the paper I am stamping on and makes it very messy. With some of them even the super sized magnets on my Misti can't keep the paper from being pulled up.
Others are getting very stained and I am looking for a way to clean them without damaging them.
I would appreciate any suggestions
Thank you, Lucy
One thing you can do, especially with new stamps, to take care of stickiness, is to rub them with your fingers. The oil from your hands will take off anything left behind from manufacturing and you will get a) no stick and b) great stamping, no odd missed places. I just use my thumbs and make sure I go all over the stamp. You can tell when you've gotten it done, because the stamp looks cloudy. That is when it is ready to use.
I always clean my stamps. I use Kirkland baby wipes, and if I need a bit of stamp cleaner, I try stampin up's first, and if that doesn't work, I try a little StayzOn. I will use the baby wipe to scrub, or a microfiber cloth...either works. Keeping stamps clean also reduces sticky stamps. Generally I find if I've been using a stamp and it is that sticky, it needs cleaning. Mild soap and water will work if the other methods don't.
My favorite inks for good, solid impressions are Colorbox and Ranger archival inks. They require some elbow grease, soap, terry cloth rag and hot water to get ink off rubber, but they do not come out of silicone. They seem to permeate the material.
I have found, though that my stam-a-ma-jig works great for placing stained clear stamps just like it does rubber stamps. It’s an oldie, and a cheapie, but it works great. It’s also really small and easy to store
I also heard that Stazon ink should not be used with clear stamps, however, I have many sets which are 10+ years old, stained with Stazon, and are still work perfectly. I initially tried Stazon with a set when I couldn't get a good image with other inks. Once the first layer of Stazon dried and coated the surface, the stamp performed perfectly every time. They do still stick to the paper but that is just their nature. You can still use Stazon cleaner, but wash the stamp with soap and water after.
Just as a word of warning on the Staz-on cleaner- this is what it does to acrylic blocks. I used to use it years ago, and despite wiping the blocks clean with a baby wipe after, this is eventually what happened.
I do know that Lavinia stamps, and Visible Image both advise not using Staz-on on their stamps. The problem, I think, is that there are so many formulations for clear stamps, and where the problems can occur. Some may be fine, others won't like it at all.
Hi Ladies -
When I get a new clear stamp set, the first thing I do before stamping with them the first time is ink them up with versamark, stamp and stamp off, then ink up with your ink color of your choice and that helps with the stickiness. As for staining, if you ink it up with a light color ink and stamp with it first, it is less likely to absorb the darker inks later. But remember, even if they are stained, that does not effect the stamping image.
I was going to suggest using Versamark first (if you can remember and take the time to do it!!) to reduce staining on photopoly stamps, but thpingel beat me to it! ;-) I also try to look on the bright side of a little staining: it makes it easier to see and find the clear stamps when I drop or lose one, which I inevitably do!!
Many of my clear stamps are several years old and I've always cleaned them and my rubber stamps at my kitchen sink with original blue Dawn dish washing liquid and a nail brush. Then I rinse them under the faucet well and set them on a kitchen towel to dry. Come to think of it, I originally used diluted Simple Green for a little while before that. I still have full bottles of stamp cleaner, never used. My stamps are still in great shape, too, other than the staining already mentioned.
sticky and stained clear stamps
