how to clean clear stamp?

It was my first time use clear stamp, got a couple of sets of MSE clear stamps from HL (1/2 price this week ), finally could try them today. I loved the stamps, ... and cleaned with baby wipes right after I used them, and also tried the soap and water, but ink is still there?

Could someone tell me how to keep clear stamps clean?

What kind of ink pad did you use? If it was Staz On, you need staz on cleaner to clean them. Try using an old toothbrush to clean it. It may just be stained, but won't transfer that ink color when you use it again. Try stamping it on scrap paper to see if there's still ink on it.

what about windex?

I have the clear stamps and bought some solution from Archivers. It seems to work.

I used ColorBox FluidChark, I have never had problem with regular rubber stamps or with foam stamps. So I don't think the ink brought me this problem. I tried brushes too ... I am kind of giving up, the stamps look like permanently stained. I will try stamp cleaner, but I don’t have it handy, will the cleaner work for the old stain too?

The very BEST system I have found is the CTMH stamp cleaner & scrubber. You don't even have to get up from your scrap table and it cleans them perfectly! And no, I'm not a consultant...LOL

Yikes...I haven't tried my new clear stamps either-now I am wondering if I will have the same problem? What is CTMH and where can you buy it??? I usually use baby wipes too on my rubber stamps and foam stamps-I sometimes clean the foam stamps with 409 cleaner. THe lady that worked at Archivers told me it was almost same to use 409 as using those stamp cleaners. So I thought I would try it. It worked ....but I would LOVE to not have to get off my scrap table and clean a stamp...so thanks for that tip. Another question too: can you ever really get those stamps completely clean???

oh, I had problems with the fluid chalk too! I tried baby wipes, soap, water and brush, stamp cleaner and it stained!

I don't staining is going to hurt them or transfer to your next project. As long as you have all the product you have used last off of them, you should be fine.

My clear stamps are slightly stained too but I expected that with some of the darker or more vibrant inks I have.

No worries... Happy Scrappin'!

I'm going to have to try the baby wipes idea. Thanks for the suggestions.

CTMH is great I have mine on order. Ive noticed that sometimes theres not much you can do. My RED and Purple always stain the stamp but it does not transfer to even the white or yellow.

I have the cleaning system from Stampin' Up, probably the same as CTMH, works great. I have found the clear stamps stain a little but like others have said as long as you get the excess ink off you are fine.

But I have been told under no circumstances to use windex on rubber or clear stamps because the chemicals are too harsh and will dry out the stamp and make it crack eventually!!

I use baby wipes on my clear stamps and have never had a problem with them not getting clean.Maybe it was the ink that you used?? Not sure.

I have a few clear ones that are stained.. but theyre all from using black ink. Havent had problems with any other colors.

Mine are all stained with black ink too. It doesn't seem to matter that I clean it immediately because the ink won't come off completely. I've been afraid to use them with another color ink, so I'm glad to know the old ink shouldn't transfer.

Old ink definitely does not transfer ... I'm shocking at cleaning my stamps, so they have old ink all over them. This morning I used baby wipes on my stamps for the first time and I am SO amazed ... they work so well! Some of the stamps have had ink on them for months (maybe more than 12 months for some of them) and the stamping surface cleaned so easily! Of course, the parts of the stamp that aren't the image still have discolouration, but not as much as before!

I think it must be the chalk ink. Pity, cause it looks great!

At either Hobby Lobby or Archiver's I bought a special cleaner for those clear stamps, it worked fine.

CTMH stands for Close to My Heart you can purchase from a consultants website online.

The scrubber is $14.95 and the cleaner is about $4.25

HTH

Lynne

PM if you want to view a site.

I've been stamping since 1988, and owned my own store for 5 years in the '90's, produced my own line of stamps for 6 years, and had taught then and since. I can tell you what I was taught, and taught my students.

Clear stamps are made from photopolymers which is a very different substance from rubber. They stain easily but as long as you don't get any colored impressions after you clean them, it won't harm anything. They are much more sensitive to inks than the rubber stamps, but they will last a long time if cared for properly.

DO NOT clean ANY stamp with window cleaner! There are solvents in the cleaner that will dry out and crack both clear and rubber stamps.

Huggies Natural Care baby wipes are my favorites... no soap in them to foam up, no harmful chemicals to dry out your stamps, and they're nice and thick which means that they're actually cheaper than "cheap" wipes. (Each one cleans more stamps than the cheap wipes which makes them last longer - cheaper)

Solvent inks and some chalk inks as well as paint on your stamps can be cleaned off with solvent cleaners. These cleaners are specially formulated to clean off the ink while conditioning the stamp so that it doesn't dry out from the stamping and cleaning solvents.

Just remember - your stamps are tools... they're meant to be used. If they get dirty, that means they've been used! Be Proud!! Wear that ink with pride!

Have Fun!

my lss says that you can use dawn dishwashing liquid to clean with and they will maintain their tackiness. I did try it and it does work. I have always used baby wipes they are wonderful except DO NOT use the one with Aloe on the clear stamps they will loose their tackiness due to the aloe. Aloe is ok for the rubber mounts works like a rubber stamp conditioner, know your products. No wipes with alcohol will ruin your stamps, it makes them dry and brittle. Have fun

Another vote for baby wipes...they work really well for me.

Jen

I just use water and a rag. Ink is messy and does occassionally stain. I know that when I stamp, my stamps won't look brand new again. Like they've said, i you rub your stamp on scrap paper and nothing comes off, your stamp is most likely OK. Oh, Versamark will get ink off too. Weird, but some of my stamps have been cleaner after using it.

Leslie, what stamp line did you do? I've been stamping since the late 80s too.

Windex is bad but is 409 bad too??? I use both baby wipes and sometimes 409 for the tougher stains. IS 409 going to dry out my stamps?

Hey, ladies, thank you so much for your kind response! Just something to update, I tried the Rubber stamp cleaner & reconditioner of Stamp-n Stuff (the only stamp cleaner I found in M's ), it did not clean the stain I had from Friday. But I tried the Stampendous clear stamp (the other clear stamps at HB, which I got for 1/2 price) with Pigment ink, cleaned with baby wipe and came out with no stain! And I am afraid to use chalk ink now, ... but good to know the old stain does not affect the new project!

Chalk ink is WONDERFUL! I use it all the time and dispite the stains, have never had a problem with it affecting future images.

Windex - BAD
409 - BAD
Baby Wipes - GOOD
Water - GOOD
Versamark - GOOD (I has glycerin in it, it's a lubricant and helps with the stain removal... It will dirty your pad, but it won't affect the ink at all.)
Dawn - ? (Never tried it, and I don't kow it's chemical makeup)
Commercial Stamp Cleaner - GOOD

If you have old stamps that are dirty and you can't remember if you've cleaned them or not, it would be a good idea to try cleaning them before using - the ink may not come off on paper before you use them, but once you make them "wet" again with new ink, they might bleed then... not good if you had black ink on the stamp and want to use yellow ink now!

I used to make stamps for my own line - The Rubber Stamp Pad. I had about 1100 designs. I still have quite a few now... lots of inventory left over. Too much work to sell them on Ebay.

I bought some used stamps that have some pretty bad staining on the rubber. I tried cleaning them with the stamp cleaner from AC Moore with the stamp scrubber. No luck. I have tried (while they were still a little wet) to make an impression on white CS scraps - nothing. I bought these specifically for a musical layout for my dd band concerts for school. I've been hesitant for fear of ruining the layout.

Other than the asthetics of the stamps, is there the possibility of harm from whatever may have stained the rubber? ex: if the original user used a non-acid free stamp pad/ink

I would say your stamps are fine as far as acidity goes. I've been told once that ink is acid free by nature so there's nothing to worry about. Are you saying that when you stamped the damp stamp on scrap paper nothing showed? If that's the case, then the stamps are fine. Just stained which happens often. I have many stamps that are stained and I don't have any problems at all stamping subsequent images.

Thank you !!

I was so disappointed when they came that I wouldn't be able to use them.

Thank you again

It depends on ink used. If you used perm. ink you need a solvent based ink cleaner. It comes in a little bottle. If waterbased soap and water, non alcohol baby wipes work. Do not use alcohol it dries and cracks the rubber. Now if you used solvent ink and it has dried in put clean on stamp let sit 15 mins, wipe of reapply cleaner. The cleaner is a couple of dollars for a bottle with a scrubby brush on the end.

Hi! I am a CTMH Consultant and here is an instruction sheet that I generally give to new customers.

My Acrylix™ Care and Cleaning

As part of our My Acrylix durability studies we’ve done extensive research on the best ways to clean and care for our new stamps and mounting blocks. For best results, we recommend the following:

1. Clean your stamps (and the block if needed) immediately after use. The longer ink remains, the more difficult it will be to remove. (Pigment inks such as Close To My Heart Archival Ink and Staz On will permanently discolor the stamp image. As was the case with rubber, you will also notice that over time darker inks like reds and purples will also cause some discoloration.) staining is ok and will not hurt the stamped image.

2. Use My Acrylix Spritz or Stamp Cleaner and the Double Scrubber for regular cleaning. These products are the most effective at removing residual ink, and will not damage My Acrylix regardless of use. We recommend cleaning the stamps while still on the blocks. (Wash your Double Scrubber pads in the dishwasher to remove excess fibers.) and rinse in sink after each use.

3. Use soap and water to restore tack. Dust, dirt, and oils may cause your stamps to become less sticky over time. If you find they seem less adhesive, simply wash the stamps with dish soap and water to restore their original “stick.” (Continual use of soap and water will eventually cause a build-up. We recommend using this method occasionally, only as needed.)

4. Use alcohol to remove residue. If you notice a residue on the back of your stamps, rub them with alcohol using a non-abrasive, fiber free cloth. DO NOT USE ALCOHOL ON MY ACRYLIX BLOCKS. (Extensive use of alcohol is not recommended. Use this method occasionally, only as needed.)

The following are answers to several Frequently Asked Questions in regards to the care of My Acrylix.

Q. Will Staz On ink or cleaner damage My Acrylix?
A. Staz On ink was designed for permanently decorating non-porous surfaces such as glass, metal, and ceramic, not for use in albums or with paper crafts. The ink has no effect on the stamp or block, other than discoloration. We recommend cleaning your stamps with the Spritz or Stamp Cleaner as outlined above, immediately after use for best results.

Staz On Cleaner was designed to erase mistakes or residual ink on your stamped surface before the ink dries. Although it is safe to use on your stamps, we do not recommend using Staz On cleaner (or any oil based cleaner) on My Acrylix blocks.

Q. Will alcohol damage My Acrylix?
A. As discussed above, alcohol is okay for the occasional cleaning of stamps only. We do not recommend cleaning My Acrylix blocks with alcohol-based products, as the alcohol may cause hairline fractures in the material.


Q. Can I use baby wipes to clean my stamps?
A. Baby wipes will leave a fibrous residue on both the stamps and blocks. Although they will not damage My Acrylix, we do not recommend their use.

Q. Can I use dish soap and water instead of the Spritz or Stamp Cleaner to clean My Acrylix?
A. As mentioned, soap and water is very effective at removing the dust and dirt that can reduce “stickiness” over time. Continual use however, will cause a build up on your stamps. To remove ink, we recommend using the Spritz or Stamp Cleaner and the Double Scrubber as outlined.

Q. Can I use acetone to clean My Acrylix?
A. We do not recommend the use of acetone on any stamping product.

Q. I often use the bleaching technique. Will this harm my stamps?
A. Using the bleaching technique will not harm your stamps. We recommend that you use bleach with caution however, and immediately remove it from your stamps with the Spritz or Stamp Cleaner.

Q. I sometimes get ink on my block when stamping. What’s the best way to clean it?
A. Clean My Acrylix blocks immediately after use with the Spritz or Stamp Cleaner as needed. Use the microfiber cloth to clean blocks regularly. Do not use alcohol or oil based cleaners.