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Scooped! I can't believe my ill-fortune this past month. I was all set to unleash one of the most impressive Contraption items of all time in this February issue, but, to my dismay, found a mega-huge business article on the very same device in no-less-than-The New York Times on January 18th! Unbelievable. So I'm sucking it up and writing about Un-Du Adhesive Remover anyway. I first came across Un-Du at the tunnel of temptation, the isle-of-impulse, the drawbridge of desire for the indiscriminate shopper: the check-out counter at Bed Bath and Beyond. Like most people, I looked over the packaging, smirked, and moved on. On another visit, I was mezmerized by the Un-Du promotional video that was looping in the cleaning supplies department of the store. But it was on the third visit that I finally succumbed to my craving and bought the thing--just on the off-chance that it would work, well, a miracle.
Now a miracle is a fair bit to shoot for. And miracles are supposed to be BIG. I'm not quite sure whether anybody would put the efficient removal of a price tag from an IKEA glass in the "miracle" category. It's now time to rewrite that category. There are three prevalent methods for removing sticky adhesives, tape and price tags in most households. The first is lighter fluid--not a bad solution if you've got a tin under the sink, but probably the only reason you own the stuff in the first place is for removing price tags. The second method is using nail polish remover, the efficacy of which is wildly uneven, and the fumes from which, I find to brain numbing. It can also be risky on many surfaces. The third method--and least-widely known--is the use of a blow dryer. With a nearby outlet and a ton of patience, directing the hot air, at close range, from a blow dryer at a price tag while slowly peeling it back can work very well. But this method, while a bit of a magic trick, is not terribly convenient, and all that heat may not be good for some select items. No, this product is the first and last thing you will ever need. So polish up your nails, pouf up your hair, and raise up your lighter at the rock concert for the new Mothers of Invention: Un-Du ROCKS! You've simply got to try the stuff to believe it. The clever dropper-style bottle comes with an attached "tool" that simultaneously acts as a solvent reservoir and lifting device. To use, you simply unscrew the cap, squeeze a few drops of Un-Du onto the tool, and work its edge under one corner of, say, a stubborn price tag. Applying more liquid as you lift helps the process, and in an instant you have a neatly removed tag and a nice, clean surface free of adhesive mess. Un-Du comes to the world from a company called Doumar Products, Inc. of Dallas, Texas, and is the invention of Charles Foley, whose son is a co-founder of Doumar. (Mr. Foley is also the inventor of Twister, the popular party game that was guaranteed to get our teen motors running.) How does it work? Well, graphic designers have long known that rubber cement thinner makes a terrific all-purpose solvent, and indeed, the magic ingredient in Un-Du is the merely-prosaic one in the thinner: heptane. Just remember that this stuff is extremely flammable, and shouldn't come into prolonged contact with your skin. From the package copy, Un-Du can be used on: paper, glass, plastic, walls, most clothing, finished leather, vinyl, upholstery, carpet, wood furniture, metal, and more! Also from the package: To remove duct tape, price tags, kids' stickers, name tags, bumper stickers, invisible tape, labels, masking tape, sticky residue, pressure sensitive labels, and more! With lists like that, this product is sure to have something for everyone, or at least be able to remove something from everything.
These days, I find that I can't stop walking around removing stickers wherever they're found. Hardware packages, book UPC labels, Post-it notes (okay--I'm going a little overboard here)--I just can't seem to get enough of this stuff. I am stuck on Un-do. I might even have a problem.
Doumar Products Inc.
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Contraption is a monthly review of remarkable products spanning as many
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what you've got now! Copyright 1997 Core77 Inc.
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