How To Remove Stickers From Vinyl Records

To remove stickers from your vinyl records you can first try to remove it with a quick pull if there’s already a loose part. If that’s not an option then you can use a cotton ball with some lighter fluid and gently dab the entire sticker and let it soak, finally peel it off. Alternatively you can use an adhesive remover like Goo Gone.

Method 1 – Using the Sticker Itself

Before trying any further methods, you can try using the sticker itself to remove the residue. Dab a little bit of water onto the sticker and gently peel as much as the sticker off as you can.

Now use the peeled off sticker to dab the sticker on the residue and quickly pull up. Do this until the residue is removed from the record cover. If the sticker is older, then try the other methods listed below.

Method 2 – Lighter Fluid

For this method, you will need lighter fluid preferably like Ronsonol and cotton balls. The lighter fluid is good for removing stickers as it is safe on nearly any paper or plastic surface.

It dries and evaporates cleanly, leaves little to no residue, and does not stain or damage record covers. A con to lighter fluid is that it does not do well with removing adhesive that you lick to adhere (i.e old stamps, or address labels). This is lighter fluid so it is flammable.

How to use the lighter fluid:
– Take a cotton ball and dab it in the lighter fluid. Then take the cotton ball and gently apply it to the entire sticker and let it soak it in thoroughly.
– For this to be effective, the lighter fluid will need to soak in through the sticky side of the sticker’s adhesive. If the sticker is made of paper it is easier to peel off rather than plastic stickers need to soak longer. Avoid getting any lighter fluid on the actual cover.
– Then you can gently start peeling the sticker off. If there is still a sticky residue on the surface, then put some lighter fluid on a wet paper towel and gently rub until the residue is gone.
– Be careful when rubbing on covers that have ink. Some ink can be soluble in the lighter fluid so before using this method check to make sure you won’t rub off any ink on the cover.

Method 3 – Adhesive removers

This method can be controversial within the vinyl record world. I’m talking about adhesive removers like Goo Gone. Many have used this method and said it was effective, while others said that it can be damaging if not careful. Personally I’d only apply this method if the first and second methods didn’t work out.

With store-bought adhesive removers, I’ve seen mixed reviews about them. In some cases, Goo Gone can remove print or ink on the cover which can take away from the artwork. I’d suggest using this method with caution as it can be effective in some situations. I just tested this out myself and it seems to be fine, but I can’t tell with certainty that it’s fully safe yet.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can make sure your vinyl collection is sticker-free. This should have prevented you from damaging your record while removing the sticker.

Thanks for reading this quick guide. Hopefully, some of these methods worked for you and were easy to follow. Check out my Educational articles section and if you have any questions or comments leave them below. Thanks for reading and enjoy the clean records.