Tip Tuesday

CLEANING YOUR STAMPS

Different rubber, different cleaners.  Most of us have stamps in red rubber that you can use on wood or clear blocks, and photopolymer rubber that is used on clean blocks.   I have been a Stampin' Up! demonstrator for over 10 years and here are the ways I found best for cleaning my stamps:

My favorite cleaning tool is Stampin' Scrub.  I use it with my liquid cleaner to get into the small crevises, and the soft bristle-like material helps dry your stamps.  This tool has 2 sides.  One for spraying your liquid cleaner on and the other side for drying your stamps.  Gently rub back and forth, up and down to clean your stampn then use the other side in the same way to dry.

*I always stamp on a piece of scrap paper before stamping in another color or putting my stamps away to assure they are completely dry.  This applies to my red rubber and photopolymer stamps.

Red Rubber 

1. Stazon cleaner for Stazon and permanent inks
2. Stampin' Mist for water based inks
3. Baby wipes - I use baby wipes on my red rubber stamps when I use dark ink or large stamps to remove the excess ink.   I still use the Stampin' Mist and my Stampin' Scrub because the Stampin' Mist protects the rubber).

Rinse carefully under water in the sink for background and wheels ( be careful not to get too much water when using a wood block as not to warp the wood).  Dry block thoroughly.

Photopolymer Rubber

1. DO NOT use Stazon cleaner on Photopolymer as it will damage this rubber.
2. Stampin' Mist and the Stampin' Scrub
3. Baby Wipes and Stampin' Scrub or paper towel to dry
4. Rinse under water in the sink and dry with paper towel

Supplies: