Removing Compeed from woolen socks

[HeidiL]

Some of my favourite socks have old Compeed stuck on the inside. Does anyone have a good method of removing the sticky stuff?

 

[David]

WD40 spray should do it as it dissolves old glue. Spray on and then rub it until it dissolves.
Also, some parents over here (UK) use peanut butter to remove bubble and chewing gum from their chidren's hair (true!).

 

[Purky]

Peanut butter actually works very well for removing adhesives. That, or a mix of baking soda and coconut oil. Let it sit for an hour and then remove the sticky bits.

 

[malingerer]

Peanut butter actually works very well for removing adhesives. That, or a mix of baking soda and coconut oil. Let it sit for an hour and then remove the sticky bits.

I hate peanut butter! I use meths to remove compeed . Just don't toast yer tootsies until u have washed the sox!!

The malingerer.

 

[auburnfive]

I successfully removed 2 year old compeed with a product called Goo Gone, ( read that you can use a paste made with vegetable oil and baking soda but didn’t try that myself)
On my recent Camino took Dave Buggs advice and used a sport glide on my feet each morning, resulting in no blisters or Compeed!

 

[henrythedog]

some parents over here (UK) use peanut butter to remove bubble and chewing gum from their chidren's hair (true!).

How on earth does something like that get discovered?

 

[Anniesantiago]

How on earth does something like that get discovered?

When I was a child, our neighbors greased their swingset with peanut butter. lol!

 

[lunna]

I successfully removed 2 year old compeed with a product called Goo Gone, ( read that you can use a paste made with vegetable oil and baking soda but didn’t try that myself)
On my recent Camino took Dave Buggs advice and used a sport glide on my feet each morning, resulting in no blisters or Compeed!

Just be careful, as Goo Gone is very flammable!

 

[Icacos]

Mayonnaise works well too, to remove sticky bits. And can be washed off relatively easily too.

 

[Turga]

Fwiw, something as harmless as olive oil (or rapeseed oil) is very effective for dissolving glue. I use it to remove the very sticky glue that is left on glass jars when the label is removed.

Rub it well into the glue, let it sit for an hour and wash/rub with some detergent.

 

[Donjek]

New socks.

 

[Icacos]

New socks.

What fun is that? My goal since my camino, is to see how long I can get my old stuff to last!

 

[Canuck]

Some of my favourite socks have old Compeed stuck on the inside. Does anyone have a good method of removing the sticky stuff?

Deepfreeze!

 

[t2andreo]

As the Compeed, or any adhesive on most any tape type product, likely contains petroleum ingredients, an appropriate solvent would be one that would emulsify petroleum residues. This is why WD-40 works, as well as a common food product like peanut butter.

In my experience, olive oil or other food / cooking oils also work. It also has the advantage of not stripping all the natural oils out of the wool. Commonly used soap products will also remove some or all of the naturally occurring lanolin.

My recommendation is to make this a two-step process:

1. Use a mild oil (olive) or a mild soap (baby shampoo) to soak, soften then remove the Compeed gunk. I save those tiny toothbrushes from airplane comfort kits to use in the laundry room to scrub spots before washing. "Works a treat..." as my Brit friends would say...

2. Use a gentle soap intended for use with wool that also contains lanolin. This helps rejuvenate the natural fibers.

Hope this helps.

 

[David with new Kit!]

Life is too short, throw them away. Use it as an excuse to refresh your trecking socks

 

[henrythedog]

It’s amazing what you see but don’t observe.

I’m in a bar in Valladolid and the camarera is cleaning out the coffee machine. To clean the ‘handles’ into which the coffee grounds are compacted prior to expressing (I’m a Brit, I drink tea - I’m doing my best) she just squeezed ketchup.

I’ve had a few scoops this evening, but that’s what she did.

It’s quite possible that she’s just loca, but it seemed deliberate enough to me.

 

[t2andreo]

I believe it is the vinegar in the ketchup that does the cleaning. The rest of it is to make it easy to work with. Straight vinegar would run all over the place. Ketchup has a more gel or cream like consistency.

Personally I would use a 3M scrubby sponge soaked in white vinegar.

 

[VNwalking]

Fwiw, something as harmless as olive oil (or rapeseed oil) is very effective for dissolving glue. I use it to remove the very sticky glue that is left on glass jars when the label is removed.

Rub it well into the glue, let it sit for an hour and wash/rub with some detergent.

Wow. Who knew?
(I love it how all the guys have all the good cleaning advice.... )

 

[Turga]

(I love it how all the guys have all the good cleaning advice.... )

We are great chefs too.....

 

[t2andreo]

I can barely make canned soups. However being a tad untidy, and having been raised in a very rigid and spotless home as a child, I can clean with the best.

My very frugal mother taught me all sorts of “life hack” shortcuts and “tips.”

 

[Adrian Harding 65]

Some of my favourite socks have old Compeed stuck on the inside. Does anyone have a good method of removing the sticky stuff?

Lesson for the future: next time you use Compeed, add an extra plaster on top of it to prevent the top surface sticking to your socks.

 

[HeidiL]

It worked!

The freezer made it possible to break off a little bit, an hour of olive oil seemed to dissolve the adhesive a bit, scrubbing with peanut butter removed more - and then I gave the socks a wash in too-hot water (along with sheets and towels) and they are now perfect.

Thank you to all!

 

[Turga]

It worked!

A happy little bit of news on a gray day: The favorite socks are saved - hurray!