Air-Freshener Removes Unsoakble Stamps

Guest Columnist Peter Butler writes in It’s Like Magic: Removing Self-Adhesive Stamps from Paper, an article that appeared in the October issue of American Philatelist, that one of the products that seem to work well removing those pesky, unsoakable, self -adhesive stamps is an air-freshener called Pure Citrus.

Discovered in a casual visit to a Home Depot store while looking for another product called Bestine (a solvent that  also removes self-adhesive stamps quickly and easily), Dick Osman,from Glenville, Pennsylvania, was told by Home Depot employees that they didn't stock it anymore.

“What is it you want the solvent to do?” asked the clerk. After Dick’s explanation the clerk responded, “Oh well, if that’s what you need, try Pure Citrus. That’s what we use for that job.” While walking to the location of the air-fresheners, he further explained that the spray was used by employees to remove sale stickers from items needing new stickers for the regular price, the following week.

Peter concludes the piece by saying, "Pick up a non-aerosol, all natural, citrus-based air-freshener, and a tin of Bestine. Raid the medicine cabinet for a little talcum powder and an eyedropper, and you are ready for a very gratifying experience with many new issues. Your U.S. collection will be the better for it and you will be back in business with handsome used stamps in your albums."

To read the entire article, click here.