Stripping the spine with a citrus solvent and got way cleaner results than acetone

I was working on an old 1970s textbook last week and the spine glue was this weird gummy mess. Acetone was just smearing it around. On a whim I grabbed some d-limonene cleaner I had under the sink for removing adhesive labels. Painted it on and let it sit for 2 minutes. The glue practically lifted off like a skin. No nasty fumes either. Has anyone else used weird household stuff for spine stripping?

3 comments

3 Comments

nina_taylor3d ago

D-limonene is just orange oil, right? It's funny how the best tools are often hiding in plain sight.

pat_murray533d ago

@nina_taylor I used to think it was just a citrus smell until I actually tried it for cleaning.

the_robin1d ago

Funny thing is, there's real science behind why it works so well - it's actually a powerful solvent that breaks down grease and sticky residues on a molecular level. Your mileage may vary depending on concentration, but a little goes a long way once you start using it for more than just the smell.