Dear Donia,
How do I remove sticky residue from sticky notes on the pages of textbooks?
Q. Dear Donia,
I work in a high school library and am having trouble with students leaving sub-par or off-brand Post-it® notes in books. Once removed, they leave a sticky residue on the pages, causing them to stick together. Is there a way to remove this residue from the textbooks? Thank you, Nancy
A. Dear Nancy,
Post-it® notes are a problem because most people don't think they leave a residue, but you and I know they do. The easiest thing to use to remove the sticky residue is a crepe eraser. You can easily find them on Amazon or at a local art supply store. They may also be sold under the name rubber cement pick-up eraser or other such adhesive eraser. They are relatively inexpensive.
Once you have it, you gently run the eraser over the residue in short strokes. The eraser will cause the adhesive to pill up and stick to the eraser. The eraser will last for a long time so you likely only need to order one. Good luck!