"Reducing the Hassle of Disposing Cardboard: It Seems Postal Addresses Can Be Erased with Stick Glue or Muhi!"

2021.08.09 published

Peeling Off Addresses from Cardboard is Annoying ＞＜

Suddenly, when disposing of cardboard boxes, there are some that have the address stickers that are quite a hassle to peel off...!

I know it's better to peel them off for privacy reasons, but when there are multiple boxes, it becomes a chore to peel each one off. It's often frustrating when they don't come off cleanly and tear into pieces, truly a "nameless chore."

Even though it's annoying, I can't throw them away without peeling off the addresses, so I thought I would be dealing with this chore for life...

Then, I came across this reel.

The address is nicely erased, which is amazing...!

If it can be removed so cleanly, I might be freed from the stress of peeling off address stickers.

✅ Stick glue

✅ Muhi (a type of ointment)

✅ Alcohol spray

✅ Baking soda

It seems that any alkaline substance can erase it.

It's a little life hack that allows you to erase printed addresses with items you have at home, so I want to remember it!

What Causes This Erasure?

The printed address on paper is on "thermal paper." Thermal paper has a special chemical (such as leuco dye and color developers, which are acidic substances) applied to its surface, and those components react to heat to develop color.

The acidity of thermal paper is weak to alkaline substances. By applying an alkaline stick glue or Muhi to the thermal paper, the acidity stops functioning, resulting in the color disappearing.

I feel like I learned about the neutralization reaction between acids and bases in elementary school, but I never thought I would be able to apply it like this as an adult…!

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A Useful Life Tip to Remember＊

The life hack of "applying Muhi or stick glue to thermal paper erases the printed text."

It seems worthwhile to remember this for when I dispose of cardboard boxes!

Some might think "peeling off the paper normally is faster," but I often get frustrated when I can't peel it off cleanly (plus, it increases my paper waste a bit), so I'll try erasing it with Muhi the next time I receive a cardboard box…!