Removing paper from Machins with Oval Security Slits

There is a thread devoted to the use of a product called Pure Citrus for removing self-adhesive stamps from paper. For our friends from the UK I thought I would mention that this same product is also effective in removing Machins with the oval security slit feature.

Pure Citrus is an air freshener that is sold in many grocery and hardware stores in the United States and is manufactured in Texas.  I realize, of course, that this product may not be available in the UK.  What I wonder, however, is if there are not similar types of products available.

The label on the can states that Pure Citrus contains 100% natural, delightfully fragrant oils found in fresh oranges. When sprayed on to the paper behind the stamp, the orange oil soaks through and starts to dissolve the adhesive.  It softens sufficiently that you can take a pair of stamp tongs and run them from top to bottom between the backing paper and the stamp.  This takes the paper off cleanly and if the tongs are flat, it will not catch on the oval pieces of paper within the oval cuts.

I have a steel ruler with straight ends that I then I tilt at a 45 degree angle and with gentle pressure, run down the back of the stamp, removing the soft, gooey adhesive.  Because of the security slits, I scrape the ruler edge from just below the top of the slit to the bottom of the stamp to avoid catching the paper of the oval and then again, from this same point up to the top of the stamp.  The adhesive goo I scrape off the ruler on to a piece of paper towel.

Finally I spray an additional squirt of Pure Citrus on the back of the stamp and use a cloth (I have an old terry cloth hand towel) to wipe the back of the stamp.  I insert my finger into the cloth and wipe the stamp from the center out to the edge to removed any remaining adhesive.

Below are a couple of Machins with the security feature that I have removed showing the front and back.  With pretty much a 90% success rate, I am able to remove paper from these stamps cleanly without damaging the stamp and without the paper oval coming loose. From experience, the small size Christmas stamps from the UK are also tough to soak off in water. Here is one I took off with Pure Citrus as well.



My challenge to our UK friends is to look for some type of product that contains orange or other citrus oil. I think it is going to have to be a product that contains pure citrus/orange oil without any added perfumes or other chemicals.  I wonder if there is a product like this in the air freshener aisle of your local store?