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This has got to have been covered before, but I couldn't find a thread-
I went looking in shops for a bottle of stamp cleaner, and couldn't find any. None in J's or M's. My local stamp store said NO! to baby wipes, they use Simply Green (?) bought in jug at WM. It made me think- why not just dish detergent and water in spray bottle? But that might not clean all inks...
So! How many different stamp cleaners do you have? Do they work on all inks or do you have multiple different cleaners?
I know Tim Holtz doesn't use any cleaner, but I worry the cloth used to wipe ink off would touch a card in process and ruin it-
As an aside, my stamp room has no sink or water and the closest seems about a mile away.
I have a Stampin' Scrub and Stampin' Mist cleaner, both from Stampin' Up! that I use for really gunky stuff, like pigment inks. I use a Staz-On cleaner for black Staz-On ink. I also use Simple Green cleaner in a spray bottle (I buy the cleaner for about $3 at Wal-Mart and use it to clean around my house also so I always have it on hand) and baby wipes from the Dollar Tree. And, like Tim Holtz, sometimes I just won't clean my stamps at all! Now, if my photopolymer (clear) stamps stop sticking to my blocks, I will wash those with dishwashing soap and hot water and that restores their cling.
I do not care if my stamps aren't squeaky clean. I just want to get enough ink off so that it does not transfer to my next stamped image.
If a stamp is really nasty with ink I'll do an initial cleaning with a baby wipe and then, if it's rubber, will use my Stampin' Scrub and Stampin' Mist.........it also conditions your stamps.......rubber can, and will, dry out. For clear stamps I keep a wet absorber on my Stampin' Scrub and will take them to the sink if that doesn't get them clean enough. I can't help myself......I have to clean them when I'm done.
I use regular soap (mostly liquid dish soap since I usually clean at the kitchen sink) and water. I also have an old tooth brush that I sometimes use to clean in the crevices.
It works wonderfully for me regardless of what type of ink I use. I use to have the SU scrub and cleaner, but it didn't seem to clean as well.
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Like Lydia, I use the Absorber and water... it does an amazing job of cleaning all my stamps. I cut it into 4-5" squares and store them in a sandwich container. When they start smelling funky, I toss them in the washer with jeans, etc. You can find the Absorber in the automotive section at Walmart, or from Amazon.
__________________ Broom Hilda
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Usually just water. Whether I use the wet absorber or drop stamps in a dish of water, that depends on what's right there.
However, I also like my stamps to be clean. So sometimes more is needed. Since I have purchased used stamps that were REALLY gunked up with versamark residue, I consider it vital to scrub stamps when they are used with versamark. I primarily use Suave Naturals Coconut shampoo. Or Simple Green. Or Dawn dish soap. I do a good scrubbing with a toothbrush to get the gunk off of every part of the stamp.
Sometimes I have been known to leave a stamp sit after stamping and forget to clean it. I use the shampoo on that stamp and it usually removes even the tenacious black inks.
My clear stamps still get some discoloration from inks. That can't be helped.
If a stamp is really nasty with ink I'll do an initial cleaning with a baby wipe and then, if it's rubber, will use my Stampin' Scrub and Stampin' Mist.........it also conditions your stamps.......rubber can, and will, dry out. For clear stamps I keep a wet absorber on my Stampin' Scrub and will take them to the sink if that doesn't get them clean enough. I can't help myself......I have to clean them when I'm done.
I do have to say that I have been stamping for 20 years, and cleaning all different kinds of ways. I have never had to throw away a red rubber stamp, and very few clear. I am thinking that all of the hoopla about right or wrong cleaners is just that- hoopla.
I think I might just put a teensy bit of dish soap with water in sprayer and call it good.
ETA: Looks like it is what I (and my Grandmother) would call a chamois.
Pretty much a chamois, the idea being it doesn't leave an fuzzies behind. I got mine from Amazon, but I am told that the wet absorb towels (the ones where you wet them and then it absorbs more) that you can pick from the dollar/euro/pound store work just as well, and I can believe that I as I have one that I use while I am working out.
I have the absorber....but if I am honest I am a stamp it off on scrap paper until it stops imaging and moving on kind of stamper lol!
I've used baby wipes for more years than I care to mention, as long as they are alcohol free there is no problem. There was a thread on here about making your own stamp cleaner- baby wash, distilled water and a couple of drops of Glycerine. I use that when I need to, which isn't very often when I've cleaned them with Baby wipes. You do need a specialist Staz-on cleaner for that ink.
I also bought a cheap Painting Pad- the sort you use on walls/ceilings from our Pound store, and use that with a little stamp cleaner squirted on if I really need to give a stamp a good clean, usually when I've used pigment ink on them.
My craft room is on the First floor of a 3 story house, so I'm either one floor above, or one below a sink & water!"
I also have used alcohol free baby wipes forever. I started out with a stamping scrubber and mist from SU and keeping the thing clean was too much of a nuisance.
But! I recently bought a Stamp Shammy (Lawn Fawn) and I am now a complete and total convert to the shammy stampstyle. I cannot believe how much faster and better it cleans my stamps than either Stampin Mist or baby wipes ever did. And no little fiber bits left behind.
Baby wipes work better for paint, though. And I occasionally stamp with paint.
The LF Shammy was pricey, so will soon get an Absorber and cut it up.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
I primarily use water and a microfiber towel or a Stamp Shammy - which is like an Absorber (that you can buy at the auto supply department of many stores).
Sometimes i use Ultra Clean, Hero Arts' stamp cleaner, for tougher ink. Stamps and the block or platform are dried with the microfiber towel and sometimes the stamp is cuddled in the microfiber towel to dry it more before putting it away in its pocket. Using the towel eliminates a glycerin-like feel some dislike.
Sometimes I use Costco alcohol free baby wipes that I buy on Amazon.
The microfiber towels are lint free, thick, and get UGLY. but they don't spread the ink around, and I toss a bunch in the washing machine once in a while. They still are ugly. I'm happy. And Jennifer McGuire recommends them. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
My stamps have never seen soap and water and except for occasional photopolymer stamps staining (some yellows!) look brand new. Find your personal happy place with cleaning.
I have a S.U. spritzer filled with water. Spritz on the stamp, wipe dry on a cloth. I've never had a lint problem despite using a washcloth to wipe dry.
I keep two travel sized squirt bottles next to my craft table. One is straight water and the other is SU Stampin Mist. I use an old washcloth to wipe with. I've tried other things, but always come back to the 'tried and true'. No lint issues at all. I will say, when I wash the washcloth, I don't use fabric softener on it--that seems to add to a lint issue if you ask me.
__________________ "I have cats, but they don't smoke or associate with dogs...."
When I referred to lint, it was from baby wipes, not a cloth. I don't know why, but it seems worse on my photopolymer stamps. The baby-wipe lint.
I have some of those microfiber cloths, for dusting. Never thought of using them on my stamps.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
I have a bottle of simple green Mix I use is 1 ounce simple green 10 ounce water and stampin up scrub.
Dry stamps by blotting on paper towels or I just turn stamp upside down to air dry.
__________________ The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable. Practice safe eating always use condiments
I've been stamping for a v e r y long time & have tried many different things. Everything from purchased stamp cleaners, to dish soap, to glycerin soap, to baby wipes, etc. Here is my take after it all...
** I was a much happier and more productive stamper once I learned to let go and not obsess over getting my stamps sparkling clean. It has not harmed them at all and many of them are old now. (mind you the stamps are old but I'm not ;) ) **
The Absorber is the handiest and best purchase for cleaning I've found. It may not always get all the ink stain off of a stamp but it does seem to get all of the ink off (clear as mud?) because there doesn't seem to be any residual ink left to ruin my next project. It is also the handiest "to go" cleaner if I am stamping somewhere other than home.
If I want to do a more thorough cleaning of my stamps then I usually use Simple Green diluted with water or very occasionally straight undiluted SG.
I also have a bottle of Judikins stamp cleaner I purchased at a stamp convention a long time ago that I revert to as a last resort. I'm a cheapskate and SG is cheaper and readily available but the Judikins sure does work well. Remember though I stopped obsessing about perfectly clean.
When I use either cleaner I rinse my stamps with plain water and leave them on an old towel face down to dry. The face down or up part probably doesn't matter except when letting a wood mounted stamp dry. I just don't like water pooling up on the actual stamping surface of my stamps, I'd rather have it run off onto the towel.
I used to use a Stampin' Up scrub pad and Stampin' Up cleaning mist, but the scrub pad took up too much "real estate" on my craft table (and was always annoyingly buried). Therefore, I bought a little pump bottle (typically used for nail polish remover) at the Dollar Tree for, um, $1 and filled it with my Stampin' Up cleaning mist. I just pump a small amount of cleaner on to a cloth that I have hanging from a Command Hook on the edge of my craft table. I've never had a problem with the cloth "contaminating" my works in progress, probably because it is hanging siightly away from my actual work area. When I run out of Stampin' Up cleaning mist, I plan to make my own cleaning solution as suggested on this site. I love my inexpensive pump bottle!
Have used regular soap and water for 20 years. No issues or problems. Cheap. Sometime grab an old toothbrush for a bit of scrubbing if needed.
I do the same. Have a stamp and scrub with just water for diluted dish soap on one side. I always have a microfiber cloth and absorber near by in the kitchen area where I mostly stamp (on the kitchen bar, as I like to stand up).No need to spend more money on a cleaner, if you were able to see the ingredients, it would probably be something easily home made.
I use baking soda disolved in warm water for a lot of cleaning, that would probably work great.
__________________ Ginny , A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be. -Douglas Pagels
Have used regular soap and water for 20 years. No issues or problems. Cheap. Sometime grab an old toothbrush for a bit of scrubbing if needed.
I do the same and If its Staz on I usually use Simple green. I also tend to have my Hampton Art stamp cleaner case like this one https://www.amazon.com/Hampton-Art-S...01F0EWMQalways on my desk. No need for a sink then.
I use plain water in a spray bottle for dye inks and Memento black and a toothbrush and Stazon All Purpose for pigment inks and Versamark. Used to spend money on more of the Stazon remover, thinking I needed it for black, but that's not true. Happy with my spray bottle and a piece of cloth. No lint usually.
Usually I just use the Absorber, but if I have stazon or another stubborn ink, I use EZ Duz It stamp cleaner from my lss. The stuff is amazing; I've even managed to get dried acrylic paint off some stamps (that I bought used). The best part is the cleaner is safe for acrylic blocks - it was recommended by the company where I bought my really, really nice acrylic blocks. You're supposed to be careful with Staz-On cleaner because it can damage acrylic blocks.
I use an absorber and water too. I keep mine in a small plastic container so it doesn't touch any of my good paper. I use a spray bottle to moisten it. If a stamp is really dirty I wipe it first with a rag then use the absorber. If it's really really dirty I use Hero Arts or Ranger stamp cleaner. I don't use them regularly because they seem to leave a residue I don't like. Similar feel to the residue from GooGone and other solvents.
Usually I just use the Absorber, but if I have stazon or another stubborn ink, I use EZ Duz It stamp cleaner from my lss. The stuff is amazing; I've even managed to get dried acrylic paint off some stamps (that I bought used). The best part is the cleaner is safe for acrylic blocks - it was recommended by the company where I bought my really, really nice acrylic blocks. You're supposed to be careful with Staz-On cleaner because it can damage acrylic blocks.
I was going to recommend EZ Duz It, but you beat me to it! I love the smell, the cleaning ability (even cleans Staz on, which I don't use anymore), and Memories, my fav for stamping when I want to color with watercoloring, and the fact I can use it on an old towel or cloth (my usual method of cleaning with just water). I keep an old toothbrush handy for paint or pigment ink that gets down in the grooves, occasionally. I have used the SU pad, absorbers, and baby wipes with all the various cleaners, but a wet towel or cloth is my favorite. Rinsing occasionally during a stamping session cleans out most of the ink, but if I have used EZ Duz It, enough remains to keep going and going and going. Just throw it in the wash with the rest of the rags and even though it stains the cloth, it doesn't transmit any color to my stamps
I use a microfiber cloth...cut into smaller size; keep it damp on my desk in a repurposed glass candle holder (larger sized one) with metal lid..I think it was from Bath & Body Works. I use a dark blue cloth...can't see all the ulgy that way. When dirty or smelling, hand wash it out with a little Dawn liquid. Works great for me.
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I've used baby wipes for 12 years with no problems. I also use SU mist cleaner once in awhile. I have the stamp n scrub too, but never use it.
Oh, I also have the spawn Fawn whammy but don't use that either. I'm apparently so lazy it's too much work to wee it each time. I just love ❤️ easy stamping.
That's why I love ❤️ punches more than dies and wood mount over fooling with the on/off of cling and poly stamps. I buy only cling mount and poly tho as I want the savings over wood.l
Last edited by Allistamps123; 11-11-2017 at 03:10 AM..
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I'm on my phone and didn't see the typos! Darn auto correct! Now I can't edit! Spawn farm whammy! Oh my! That's funny! I meant Lawn Farm shammy! It's also supposed to say I'm too lazy to wet it, not wee it!
Last edited by Allistamps123; 11-11-2017 at 03:16 AM..
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Allistamps123
I'm on my phone and didn't see the typos! Darn auto correct! Now I can't edit! Spawn farm whammy! Oh my! That's funny! I meant Lawn Farm shammy! It's also supposed to say I'm too lazy to wet it, not wee it!
I found that a plastic container with about 1/2" water can sit nearby when I stamp. Then after using a stamp, I drop it into the water until I finish my project. There is also a cloth folded next to it for drying. This works well when using different colors with one stamp for a card. I did get a "can strainer" to set into the water... to keep from accidentally throwing out small stamps with the dirty water! This takes up very little space on the work table. The plastic container is from a frozen food item. The strainer is from the dollar store.
It is like a chamois, I purchased one at Amazon, and use most of it for drying my car. Since it dries hard, I keep it in a unsealed baggie, and it stays moist for a long time.
You can also find these in the automotive department of W-mart ... probably other such places as well. Sometimes there are more color choices online. ;)
I've used baby wipes for 12 years with no problems. I also use SU mist cleaner once in awhile. I have the stamp n scrub too, but never use it.
Oh, I also have the spawn Fawn whammy but don't use that either. I'm apparently so lazy it's too much work to wee it each time. I just love ❤️ easy stamping.
That's why I love ❤️ punches more than dies and wood mount over fooling with the on/off of cling and poly stamps. I buy only cling mount and poly tho as I want the savings over wood.l
I've used baby wipes for 12 years with no problems. I also use SU mist cleaner once in awhile. I have the stamp n scrub too, but never use it.
Oh, I also have the spawn Fawn whammy but don't use that either. I'm apparently so lazy it's too much work to wee it each time. I just love ❤️ easy stamping.
That's why I love ❤️ punches more than dies and wood mount over fooling with the on/off of cling and poly stamps. I buy only cling mount and poly tho as I want the savings over wood.l
I'm with you on the "easy stamping" style. I get my stamps mounted perfectly on the wood block so I'm sure they are straight and exactly under the index on the top (I put that on first). When I order now a days, I order the clear mount cling rubber without the blocks as many of my un-mounting friends are gifting me their bare blocks that I use to mount them. I also have been gifted, or just happened to have, a very few polymer stamps that I love the image. I even mount them. I never want to have too many stamps that I have to unmount only to have room for more. I have ample space and I figure I need no more room. If I want a new stamp that I can't fit in where it belongs, something has got to go, so I purge. Just did that with my boughs and cones that I'm using for Christmas cards this year. I have 2 large boxes of such stamps and had to purge to make room for the new set I just purchased. Not sorry at all as I can't use that many different boughs and cones even when I need to make 70 different cards. The ones I don't turn to, get purged!
Stamp cleaning?
