Thinner, the do's and the don'ts!
You clean latex with thinner. It degreases the surface of the latex so that it is well prepared for the glue. Thinner is a glue solver and therefore also slightly dissolves the latex. The surface becomes rougher. We are often asked if there is an alternative because thinner is harmful. Unfortunately! No alternative! Below the differences of various products. Please note ... these are not alternatives. The magic word is ... THINNER!
Thinner
Thinner is very toxic and aggressive. Originally a means to dissolve glue. It actually solves practically everything. Table tops, nail polish, telephone covers ... everything made of plastic is damaged. It is flammable and toxic. Therefore certainly not to be used by pregnant women, in the vicinity of pets, small children etc. Not only the product itself but also the fumes are not healthy! But unfortunately it is THE means for us to degrease and roughen up latex so that it sticks well with the glue. There are various types of thinner, such as cellulose thinner and synthetic thinner. The synthetic thinner is slightly milder. The composition of thinner can vary per manufacturer (isobutanol / xylene / toluene). In hardware stores it can be purchased as thinner for paint.
Ecological thinner
Is also thinner but on an ecological basis. Precisely the properties that we need as latex stickers are out! So don't use it, it doesn't work.
Acetone
Acetone is also a solvent and is used, for example, as a nail polish remover. Acetone has the same effect as thinner but is a lot less aggressive. However, it can irritate the skin and it can also penetrate the bloodstream upon contact with the skin. Acetone is too mild for sticking latex.
Turpentine
This is a thinner for alcyd paints. You can use it to clean fine brushes. But turpentine is a bit greasy by itself. So it is unfortunately not suitable for cleaning latex.
Gasoline
Gasoline is a fat-free solvent and not really aggressive and sometimes leaves a greasy layer. So it doesn't solve much either. For example, you can remove grease stains from clothing, but not suitable for us to prepare latex for sticking.
Brake cleaner
Brake cleaner is a possible alternative to thinner, but just as harmful ...
Precautions - take this seriously!
Needless to say that all the substances listed above are dangerous, toxic, flammable and can enter the bloodstream. If you do not ventilate enough and you breathe it in a lot, it is of course not healthy either! So put your coat on and windows open! Pets and small children from the room where you are sticking. Do you live in a small house or apartment? Then really go outside to work with thinner. Because it spreads throughout the house. If you are busy with thinner and your tongue, lips and eyes start to poke, there is not enough fresh air !! If eye contact: rinse with clean water for at least 10 minutes. Go outside in the fresh air. Sometimes you are late and only find out after the above-mentioned complaints. It can also happen that you no longer have any taste for 10-14 days. Will it take longer or are you worried? Then directly to the doctor.
Are you going to work with thinner for a long time?
Then put on gloves made of nitrile or butyl. The gloves also dissolve, so replace them in time.
● disposable nitrile, thickness 0.20 mm - working time is less than 10 minutes
● nitrile, thickness 0.38 mm - working time is 30 minutes
● butyl, thickness 0.35 mm - working time is 480 minutes
Where to buy?
You can buy thinner at any hardware store such as the Gamma, Praxis, Karwei etc. No ecological thinner. It is also available online, often in large packs of 5 liters, for example. Pay attention to where you will store the bottle! The Gamma private label ('OK') also works great. Average price is 3-5 euros per liter.
In Belgium the brand is at the Gamma FOREVER, but again the brand does not matter.
