Dear Donia,
Can I save items glued in a scrapbook using cheap glue?
Q. Dear Donia,
My mother has pasted wonderful momentos (diplomas, etc.) in cheap scrapbooks using cheap, acidic glue. How do I remove these items and the glue which I know will eventually eat through them. Thanks, Susan
A. Dear Susan,
I am not sure what you mean when you say cheap, acidic glue, but if it is something like rubber cement or Elmer's, you won't be able to safely remove it without chemicals that are harmful to you and can easily damage the items in the scrapbook more than the glue itself. Sometimes doing nothing is the best thing. To slow the deterioration of the adhesive, you can store the scrapbooks in a cool, dry place. However, over time, all things deteriorate no matter how well we take care of them.
I wish I could give you a magic bullet for removing the glue but there isn't one.