How to Clean Tape Adhesive from Wooden Furniture

Co-authored by Raymond Chiu

Last Updated: May 8, 2023

Do you have some tape that you can't get off of your furniture? If so, you can clean tape adhesive to remedy this issue.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Prepping the Adhesive

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After a year or so of storage, the tape will not just pull off easily and "preconditioning" with WD-40 will loosen it right up.
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If you are careful, it may go faster if you use a single-edged razor blade as a scraper before spraying the adhesive reside with WD-40.

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For the single-edged razor you need to have a blade holder so you have a grip of some kind to ensure that you can control the angle of the blade. That will cost you less than $2 if you have to buy one.

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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Getting the Adhesive Off

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However, it will work if you don't "precondition" the tape with WD-40.
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Work with the grain of the wood, rather than working across the grain.
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Keep the razor at about a 2 to 4 degree angle to the wood. You don't need to get obsessive and measure the angle; just don't dig into the wood. If the blade starts to carve wood, you will feel the resistance to motion instantly.
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It may be very soft and ready to wipe off, or you may need to shoot it with WD-40 again. If you cannot wipe it off with a cloth, shoot it again and wait another 10 minutes.
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6
Keep in mind that the razor scrapper can be used on the softened adhesive residue very effectively. Use the same method: work with the shallow angle slowly, and with gentle motion.
- You will be amazed at how easy this is. The WD-40 softens the tape goop and lubricates the blade, so it is less likely to dig into the wood. It is smooth as silk, but it will still leave a very thin layer of tape goop behind.
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Wipe the remaining very thin, almost invisible, and with the layer of adhesive off.

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Tips

Use the DARK finish variety of Old English, and every home should have a bottle of it, along with a case of WD-40. That stuff has more uses that duct tape.

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Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
Some recommend nail-polish remover. That is usually Acetone, and it will almost definitely remove the finish from your wood. It may or may not attack the adhesive. It is a very "hot", volatile and combustible solvent, so you shouldn't mess with it.

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Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1
Try both sides of the razor blade scraper. One will usually work more smoothly than the other.

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Things You'll Need

A can of WD-40
A single-edge razor with a holder
A soft cloth
Some furniture polish

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Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about cleaning tape adhesive from wooden furniture, check out our in-depth interview with Raymond Chiu .

How to Clean Tape Adhesive from Wooden Furniture

Steps

Prepping the Adhesive

Getting the Adhesive Off

Expert Q&A

Tips

Things You'll Need

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