Gorilla Tape is incredibly useful, and you likely use it all the time for small repairs. It’s great to keep it around for when you need to repair something in an emergency situation.
This tape is so practical because it can be used in many situations. People use it for various projects, and it’s weather-resistant so it can be used outside if necessary.
When you go to remove the Gorilla Tape, it’s going to leave behind some residue. This can be problematic because the residue is sometimes a bit hard to remove.
How do you remove Gorilla Tape residue reliably? Is there a trick to it or do you just need to scrub really hard?
Read on to learn the best options for getting rid of this residue. It’ll help you to get the best results so that you won’t have to be concerned about using this tape for whatever you need to.
1 – Use the Tape Itself
One odd but useful idea is to try to use Gorilla Tape to remove the residue. The tape is very sticky, and you might be able to pull the residue up using the tape to blot the impacted area.
Get a strip of tape and start pressing it against the residue. You should be able to slowly pull up bits of the residue by doing this.
This process might take a bit of time when you have a lot of residue to remove. For some people, this might test their patience due to how tedious the work is.
Regardless, this is a method that can work quite nicely. If you’re willing to stand there and use the tape to pull up the residue, then you should be able to expect decent results.
If you’re not having good luck with this idea, then you might need to try some more complex options. Thankfully, there are many more ideas to explore that will help you to remove the residue.
2 – Try Using WD-40
WD-40 is a product that you might keep around in case you need to lubricate something. It’s fantastic when you need to fix a squeaky door knob, and it also has many automotive uses.
Did you know that WD-40 can be useful for those who are trying to remove tape residue? It’s something that can be used to remove adhesives reliably.
Simply get your can of WD-40 and spray the area that has the Gorilla Tape residue. Allow it to sit on the residue for at least five minutes before moving forward.
Get a clean cloth and start wiping the area down. Rub the area a little bit and you should be able to wipe things clean without it being too difficult.
If all goes as planned, then the area that had the residue will now be completely spotless. WD-40 is great for removing tape residue, and you’ll be able to count on it whenever you’re having issues like this.
The only potential problem is that it can harm surfaces that are made out of some types of plastic. It’s perfectly safe to use WD-40 on many surfaces such as wood, metal, rubber, and even plastic coating.
3 – Try Acrylic-Based Solvents
Acrylic-based solvents could work to help you get rid of the residue, too. You should be able to find what is called a mineral turpentine at the store.
You use this solvent along with a standard rag. Soak the area that has the residue with the solvent before wiping it down with the rag.
It might be necessary to put some muscle into the wiping process. Sometimes you’ll need to rub hard to get rid of stubborn bits of the residue.
Generally, using an acrylic-based solvent like this is going to get the job done. It isn’t necessarily any easier than using WD-40, though.
4 – Rubbing Alcohol
Have you thought about using a bit of rubbing alcohol? Sometimes something simple like this is all that is necessary to get the residue off.
You can simply soak a cloth in a bit of rubbing alcohol to get started. Once the cloth is soaked, you’ll be able to start rubbing the area that has the tape residue on it.
It should loosen things up and the residue might start coming off on the cloth. Keep working at it and you might be able to get everything to look clean.
Stubborn residue might not be able to come off when using this method. Even so, it’s worth trying since most people keep rubbing alcohol around to disinfect wounds.
5 – Citrus Cleaners
Citrus cleaners usually work pretty well as removal agents. You could spray a bit of cleaner directly on the surface to see if it will remove the tape residue.
Just treat it like any other mess that you’d want to clean up. Spray the area and then wipe things down with a rag.
If the tape residue comes up, then you’ll have done your job. Otherwise, you can keep trying to see if you get better results with a bit of extra scrubbing.
Depending on how stubborn the tape residue is, this idea will either work out nicely or it won’t help much. Hopefully, it’ll work for you and you’ll be able to move on.
6 – Try Using Goof Off
Goof Off is a well-known adhesive remover that people can count on. If you need to get rid of tape residue that just isn’t coming off, then you should purchase some of this product.
It’s an acetone-based adhesive remover that’s capable of working wonders. People use this stuff to remove adhesives such as glue, and it should be able to make short work of the tape residue.
The basic idea is the same as using the acrylic-based solvents. You’re going to soak the impacted area with the Goof Off before wiping things down with a cloth.
Wipe things down using the cloth and you should see that the sticker residue will be gone. You’ll only be left with some greasy residue from the Goof Off now.
It’s a good idea to go ahead and remove this residue now so that it doesn’t become an issue. Once the sticker residue is gone, it’ll be easy enough to just clean things up using an all-purpose cleaner.
Put all-purpose cleaner all over the area and then wipe it down with a damp towel. Be thorough with your scrubbing so that you can get all of the residue.
Get a dry towel when this is done to dry things off. You should see a smooth surface with no residue of any kind once things are completely dry.
You’ll need to remember a few things when using products such as this. Since this is an acetone-based solvent, it’s going to give off strong fumes.
The fumes can be bad for you, and it’s recommended that you don’t use this product in areas that don’t have proper ventilation. Open some windows to keep yourself safe while using Goof Off.
It might be appropriate to wear a mask when using this if the fumes bother you, too. Some people are more sensitive to such fumes than others, but they aren’t going to be good for anybody.
Most experts recommend using gloves when using adhesive removers, too. It’s just better to be safe than to run into complications.
Something simple such as gardener’s gloves or work gloves will be just fine for this process. You don’t need to buy anything fancy.
Don’t be afraid of using Goof Off because of the fumes. You just need to take the necessary precautions.
It’s also true that adhesive removers like this can be harsher than options like WD-40. If you’re worried about harming the surface while trying to remove the residue, then you might want to apply the Goof Off to a rag instead of putting it directly on the tape residue.
You can then use the rag to wipe things down and try to get the tape residue off of the surface. So long as you remove the greasy residue that is left behind everything will be okay.
Final Thoughts
Learning about the various methods for removing Gorilla Tape residue should help you out. You now have many different things that you can try to get the tape residue off of whatever surface it’s stuck to.
Sometimes it’ll be enough to just wipe the surface down with a cleaner. You could use a standard citrus-based cleaner and get good results.
Many people will utilize WD-40 to get the job done if they have some. You can spray it on the impacted area and then wipe the residue away.
Even something such as rubbing alcohol might be able to get the tape residue off of the surface. You’d just need to scrub the area down and do your best to get all of the residue off of the surface before stopping.
There are situations where the tape residue is stuck to the surface and won’t come off. In this situation, it’d be best to use a stronger adhesive remover. Acrylic-based solvents might work, but you can use an acetone-based adhesive remover such as Goof Off to get the job done for sure.
The only downside is that this adhesive remover needs to be used in a ventilated space. Some people might wish to wear masks when using them, too.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems and over 10 years of experience working in IT. As a homeowner, I love working on projects around the house, and as a father, I love investigating various ways to keep my family safe (whether or not this involves tech). I’ve also played guitar for almost 20 years and love writing music, although it’s hard to find the time these days.