Can one use safely WD-40 to remove sticky goo from duct tape and electric tape on computer soft plastic wire? And how do you properly remove the WD-40 once the job is done?

Thanks
Frankie

Use lighter fluid, it works to dissolve the glue and evaporates to nothing in a min or so. I use it all the time to remove all kinds of labels and glue residue.

Denature alcohol. Evaporates in a minute or two, leaves no residue unlike petrochem derivatives (WD-40, lighter fluid).

Lighter fluid leaves no residue, I've been using it for years and have never had any.

Goo Gone or De-Solv-It work really well for removing that kind of stuff. (I degrease my entire bike during overhauls with De-Solv-It.) It shouldn’t hurt the insulation on the cords or wires, but it may leave a residue that can be wiped away with a paper towel after a few minutes.

I’ve also had really good luck with Simple Green. No residue… bit more work than with Goo Gone or De-Solv-It… signature Simple Green smell.

In my experience, the result depends on a particular cable material. Some rubber imitating soft plastics are slowly decomposing in contact with adhesives from duct tape or electric tape. At some point of time nothing will help to restore such a plastic to a "dry" condition, it will stay "wet" forever. Moreover, the alcohol based cleaner may trigger some sort of other chemical reaction on that "goo", which will make plastic crumble.

Never tried WD-40 on those cables, though.

If it’s a cable or wire that is mounted in something and not easily removed (replacement not an option) and you want it to not be sticky. Remove all residue with lighter fluid, if it’s a case of the plastic or rubber coating degrading and is the cause of the stickiness. Give it a rub down with wipe-on-polyurethane. It will seal it and provide a protective coating to slow or stop the degrading.


But for the most part just wiping it down with the lighter fluid should work.

OK how do you use the lighter fluid ? You dont break a Bic lighter do you ? Do you use a re-fill canister for the purpose and what is the best technique to do it. ( Now it sounds like rocket science LOL).

BTW, wont the fluid evaporate at once ?

I've seen it used by others for years. And opened several cases that smelled like Zippo fluid as late a week after it was used in them. Sure, no sticky residue, but if you can still smell it, that means it has either accumulated in or between components, or it has infiltrated the insulation.

On the other hand, denatured (unless you just pour it in there) is gone in under five minutes. No scent, no muss. And it doesn't weaken as many synthetics as petrochem-based agents.

some plastics breakdown when WD-40 or that bane of techies 409 spray cleaner is used try olive oil or other light veggie oil.
I would highly recommend CRC 2-26 for all electrical and outdoor gear it is a silicone base food,plastic safe, spray. If you have a Home Depot nearby look in the Electrical section the stuff is wonder full, use it on my cars engine to clean and prep for the winter to protect from the salt put down for snow.have used it for 20- 30 years.
http://www.google.com/search?q=CRC+2-26&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a