Acrylic Stamps
 

I just recently started using Close to my Heart stamps..I have always been very loyal to Stampin Up, but I wanted to try out something new and I liked some of their sets. Anyways...to get to my point of this post. Just a quick question about acrylic stamps...what is the best way to clean them and keep them looking nice or do they just pretty much turn the color of the ink you apply to them. Like tonight I was using a Thanksgiving set from Close to my heart and used my stampin up black in pad and when I used my stampin up mist and scrub my stamp that I used now looks a bit blackish purple. Does that always happen??? Any suggestions??

i usually just use warm, slightly soapy water to clean my acrylics. occassionaly i've noticed a slight coloring on them, but it doesn't affect their stamping ability!! :) HTH

Yes, they stain easily. Stamp just fine, though! Have fun with your new stuff!

acrylic stamps
 

I use a wipe--like baby wipes. I use Scotts, mainly because they don't have a scent. If you use wipes after you are finished using the stamp, they come really clean, even with black ink. I keep a little box of them on my craft table. Refills are under $2 I think any of the wipes work--I just don't like scented things.

Thanks...I will have to try the wipes out. Thats a great idea. I think I am just really **** when it comes to having clean stamps. All my stampin up stamps look so brand new and my acrylic ones look so "used"....haha. I have issues.:mrgreen:

Do not use baby wipes on clear stamps. It can cause you acrylic blocks to craze and the fibers can attach to the polymer in the stamp.

Clear stamps are just going to stain. The best way to minimize staining is to stamp the first time with a white pigment ink.

Maybe I'll just buy the Close to my Heart cleaning stuff. I don't know what else to do but keep the rubber cleaner seperate from an acrylic cleaner. I don't want to ruin my stamps with a baby wipe or anything so I'll probably end up doing that. Stamps aren't cheap...they need to be taken care of. OH my gosh..I sound like a nut job mothering my stamps..haha:)

You can dilute CTMH cleaner 50% with water and it works well enough for me. However, if you really are a pill about clean stamps, you might want to keep it at 100% power.

Thanks. I'll place an order for the cleaner.

I clean all my acrylic stamps with warm water and a tad of washing up liquid and gently scrub with a toothbrush. Certain inks stain more than others so you will get some coloured stamps - but as previous posters have said, it doesn't affect the stamping at all.

My craft room is right next to the bathroom so I just go in and use the basin in there - making sure I have the plug in! And I put any tiny acrylic stamps in a small sieve before cleaning - after a very anxious time when I thought I'd lost a tiny Papertrey flower centre stamp!

Some visitors do wonder why I have a bottle of washing up liquid in the bathroom though!

I've heard that StazOn cleaner can damage the clear blocks, so if you're going to use that on your stamps, remove them from the block first.

If you do use the staz on cleaner on a block just wipe it off right afterwards. I have never had a problem with my blocks. And as mentioned before acrylic stamps just naturally stain with use. Mine do especially with the dark inks. Black is known for staining acrylic stamps. Do worry about it as your stamp wil still stamp like it should.

Hi,
The Close to my Heart stamps will stain, when you first start to use them use a light color like light brown and do two stamp images on a piece of paper, clean with the CTMH cleaner or water and then use the color you want. This should cut down on the staining. Hope this helps. Kelly

Wow! :o I wish I had thought of this when I first started with the CTHM sets. Great tips.

I use Ultra Clean by Stewart Superior to clean all of my stamps. It even gets off old stains.

I think it is actually a benefit to have some staining on clear stamps, so they don't get lost so easily! That's the story I tell myself, anyway, to be able to live with stamps in not pristine condition :-)