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Is it actual fact that glycerin is ok for rubber?
Stormy
It is an actual fact that glycerine is ok for rubber. It is one of the ingredients in most stamp cleaners (including SUs) and it is probably one of the main ingredients in Versa Mark.
Glycerin is a component of animal fat. It is used in "craft" or pigment inks (have you seen the gloppy clear solutions coming from your craft pads?) and lots of lotions and soaps:
"Glycerin is a sweet tasting, colorless, thick liquid that has a high boiling point and freezes to a paste. Cold process soap makers use it because it is a humectant. This means that it attracts moisture to your skin. It is a natural by-product in the soap making process. Commercial manufacturers remove glycerin to be used in more expensive lotions and creams but an amount remains in every soap bar made.
Extra glycerin added to a soap bar produces a clear finish and extra moisturizing qualities. It is also a good solvent. Many things will dissolve into glycerin easier than they do into alcohol or water.((maybe that's why it's good for embossing))
Glycerin is also highly hygroscopic. This means that it easily absorbs water from the air. If you were to leave a bottle of pure glycerin in the open, it would absorb water from the air to eventually become 20% water and 80% glycerin. If you were to place a small amount of pure glycerin on your tongue it would cause blistering. This is because it is dehydrating, although when diluted with water, it softens the skin."
So it's in there to soften the rubber and keep it moist. It's actually good for your rubber. As for clear stamps, I assume that since photopolymer is a synthetic product and not a natural product like rubber, it could easily withstand a natural cleaner such as simple green with no issue, but that's a guess.
I tried to find some at WalMart here but no luck. Glad I read all of the posts though to see that it can be bought at the Superstore in Canada. Guess I'll be stopping by on the way home from work...
It is an actual fact that glycerine is ok for rubber. It is one of the ingredients in most stamp cleaners (including SUs) and it is probably one of the main ingredients in Versa Mark.
Glycerin is a component of animal fat. It is used in "craft" or pigment inks (have you seen the gloppy clear solutions coming from your craft pads?) and lots of lotions and soaps:
"Glycerin is a sweet tasting, colorless, thick liquid that has a high boiling point and freezes to a paste. Cold process soap makers use it because it is a humectant. This means that it attracts moisture to your skin. It is a natural by-product in the soap making process. Commercial manufacturers remove glycerin to be used in more expensive lotions and creams but an amount remains in every soap bar made.
Extra glycerin added to a soap bar produces a clear finish and extra moisturizing qualities. It is also a good solvent. Many things will dissolve into glycerin easier than they do into alcohol or water.((maybe that's why it's good for embossing))
Glycerin is also highly hygroscopic. This means that it easily absorbs water from the air. If you were to leave a bottle of pure glycerin in the open, it would absorb water from the air to eventually become 20% water and 80% glycerin. If you were to place a small amount of pure glycerin on your tongue it would cause blistering. This is because it is dehydrating, although when diluted with water, it softens the skin."
So it's in there to soften the rubber and keep it moist. It's actually good for your rubber. As for clear stamps, I assume that since photopolymer is a synthetic product and not a natural product like rubber, it could easily withstand a natural cleaner such as simple green with no issue, but that's a guess.
WOW! Lots of good info...I guess I better look for some glycerin while I get some SG...I will definitely use it for my rubber stamps.
Anyone else out there who can testify that SG is a good cleaner for acrylic stamps????
This is great info. Just the other day I went out and bought a little bottle of cleaner for $5.99, the stuff works great but I tend to try and use as little as I can because of the cost. I am going to try and find some of this in my area. TFS
ok, Dh wanted to go grocery shopping last night so I made sure to buy some SG...I have been using Staz-on cleaner on all of my stamps so will have to see how this works. Now all I have to get is the glycerin to condition.
Would it be ok to put the diluted solution in a spray bottle (like an empty hair spray bottle)? And do you spray it directly onto the stamp or spray on the stampin' scrub? I guess I will be doing some experimentation today.
I have used the dilute solution as my never fail stamp cleaner for 10 years. I tried stamp cleaner on the mkt and got tired of the MESS some cleaners left. I put the diluted solution in a spray bottle- give the stamp a good squirt- scrub with a brush and rinse under the faucet. Stamps are placed rubber down on a towel to dry. My stamps are clean, intact (no rubber separation) and no evidence of rubber deterioration at all. ADDED BENEFIT' saved mucho dollars on all the so called good cleaners that turned out to be very ineffective.
I really needed this post about simple green. What a cool thing getting all my grungy stamps clean! But my partner says to not use simple green to clean my stamps, says it's made from alcohol and detergents than he told me all about how tires are lots thicker than rubber stamps and contain lots of graphite (that's before I started to yawn..)
We know alcohol dries out stamps (re: non alcohol baby wipes) so I would be careful and rub a tiny bit of glycerin to your stamps sometimes.
I really needed this post about simple green. What a cool thing getting all my grungy stamps clean! But my partner says to not use simple green to clean my stamps, says it's made from alcohol and detergents than he told me all about how tires are lots thicker than rubber stamps and contain lots of graphite (that's before I started to yawn..)
We know alcohol dries out stamps (re: non alcohol baby wipes) so I would be careful and rub a tiny bit of glycerin to your stamps sometimes.
I've been using Simple Green as my main stamp cleaner for rubber and clear stamps for about 3 years. I use a 1:3 dilution with a few drops of glycerin. I don't have any problems of drying out stamps from my cleaning solution. When a stamp is really tough to clean off, I use the full strength solution and soak the rubber for a while in it. I always use a toothbrush to scrub the stamps and run them under water. My $3 bottle of Simple Green is still half full. I have no intention of paying for expensive stamp cleaners again.
I had gotten the Stazon cleaner before, but the dabber top fell apart within a week of use, although most of the cleaner is still in the bottle, and it didn't clean the stamps as well as SG does.
whenever i have bought it in the spray bottle, it has already been diluted.. it will be a lighter color green.. we then just have the gallon to refill it..
i actually have two sprays bottles.. one of the diluted, and one for it straight..
I use Ultra-Clean and Staz-on and always figured that the oily residue was to condition the stamps, so it has never bothered me.
I am however running out to buy some SG!
I did a simple google search and found this site on Simple Green all purpose cleaner.
Alcohol will burn, as stated in section 5 Simple Green is non flammatory!
Alcohol will NOT freeze, as stated in section 9 Simple Green will freeze!
I know that Simple Green Max as stated here in the second paragraph - contains NO ammonia or alcohol but I think the pro series is pretty heavy duty for cleaning rubber stamps.
Also: I attached a photo of the bottle I bought with a spray attachment and it does say on the front label and side red sticker - concentrated, so make sure you read carefully.
When I did my google search (simple green and alcohol) this thread came up! We are educating the world!!! And soon all rubber stamp cleaners will go down in price or out of business! Buy stock in Simple Green products!!! :-D
I love, love, LOVE Simple Green! I love the smell too...LOL. It is a better smell diluted, though. We use it to clean our basement in the spring - one side of the basement has a gravel/dirt floor (don't ask) that the concrete floor slopes down to and since SG is non-toxic I don't worry about it polluting the environment or harming our cat. I've been using the diluted solution to clean my stamps for ages. Hubby and I fight over the Simple Green, but I'm MUCH better about hiding mine than he is. :-)
