shrink wrap film residue- how to remove

I wish I had good news for you, but shrink wrap is well known to ruin some finishes because the polymer chains are pretty reactive. It’s so reactive, in fact, that you can use it to purify corked wine. Maybe somebody has a fix, but the problem is chemical in nature. 

Just my 2 cents, but what about a very fine automotive polish?

kosst_amojan. Not the news I was planning on hearing..this makes me sad if that is the case.. I wanted to protect the finish on it from getting bumped, scratched and also from the chemical spray to get on it..well looks like it worked against me. I do  hope that I can get at least 95 percent of it off..:-(

crwindy..yeah at this point I did put an email into the company and see if they can suggest anything..again my other two subs were wrapped in it and they didnt experience this problem and they are a high gloss finish..thats why it surprises me why these speakers got affected this way..

I use Novus (various strengths from scratch removal to simple polish) stuff after a master guitar repair dude turned me on to it. The "number one" (weakest in terms of any grit) of the four strengths is amazing, and I use it for everything from cleaning my motorcycle helmet shield to sensitive fancy guitar surfaces.

+1 for checking with the manufacturer. I would try a good carnauba paste wax. I use it on my wood finish speakers and they are easy to dust and keep clean. There is some British paste wax that's supposed to be best for speakers and I don't recall the name but I just use good ole' SC Johnson.

http://www.whatsinsidescjohnson.com/us/en/brands/sc-johnson/sc-johnson-paste-wax

hi falconquest..so this stuff can remove the residue from the shrink wrap safely then?

wolf_garcia..what is the full name of the product? Novus wax?

Audioman, you don’t mention what finish you have, is it a veneer wood finish or a high gloss paint?

2007audioman,
The top of the can says, "Enriches, beautifies and protects wood, metal, leather and plastics". As to whether it will remove your film, I'm not sure because I have no direct experience with your issue. I do believe it could be beneficial without causing harm. You could always try it on a small spot and see how it works. It certainly isn't expensive either.

I used Duck brand adhesive remover from Target to remove really old sticky Scotch tape someone had wrapped the outer head of tennis racquet with maybe 15 years ago. Amazingly the racquet, a very expensive one, a Federer Pro Staff, now looks brand spanking new. Dunno if it will work in your case, might be worth a shot. 

Novus is a plastic polish and scratch remover. As wolf suggested, use No.1, the finest grit. Great stuff, I use it in restoring the "wraps" on vintage drums. Another great product I use, to remove tape glue residue on LP jackets and CD cases, is named Bestine, a very gentle cleaner. It’s kind of difficult to find, as it was discontinued when the company making it was sold a few years back. It has just recently been reintroduced, but I haven’t found a retail source for it yet. Goo Gone is worth considering. Whatever you do, do NOT put paste wax over the residue!

I get what you're saying bdp24. I guess my thought was, the minor amount of naptha in the in the paste wax may be enough to remove the film and provide a new finish to the speakers at the same time. On the other hand, if it doesn't work then it will have to be removed. That's why I suggested a small test patch. Good luck audioman, let us know how it turns out.

theo..its a high gloss piano black finish. They use a water based automotive style type of paint for the finish..maybe this will be of some use and narrow down suggestions..thanks for all the great suggestions so far here..really appreciate it.

2007audioman

How safe would Googone be to use?

As I am currently out of Bestine, I recently used Goo Gone to remove some tape residue. It worked fine, and didn't damage the painted surface I applied it to. Try it, as falconquest suggested, in an inconspicuous location first.

If I were in your shoes, I'd go and talk to people who actually work in repairing that kind of finish instead of just trying things. I'd talk to guys at a body shop who do top notch custom body work. It may be that it needs to be buffed out. I'm sure guys like that have seen what happens when you shrink wrap a car. It's a cool prank, but it destroys a car's finish. The risk of just trying things is you may do more damage or seal in the problem. Waxes tend to soften finishes and discolor them too. I know who I'd talk to in my area, but I don't now where you're at. 

Plain old olive oil on a soft cloth might be a solution. I use it to remove adhesive when I'm out of Goo Gone.. 

Both Goo Gone and vegetable oil are very gentle to most surfaces and you'd probably be fine, but like everyone says, test it somewhere inconspicuous first.

This may be an idea............

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2yzwn172xw

Thanks falconquest for your post. I was thinking of using that one as well. One would figure it does work for high gloss pianos but are grand pianos using water based or oil type paint?

Audioman, if it is indeed an automotive finish, try a automotive clay bar to rub, press and roll across the finish. The clay bar is designed for cleaning paint, road grime etc. You should be able to purchase some at an Auto parts store that also furnishes paint to body shops. If not griotsgarage.com is a good source.

Remember to use the spray lubricant with clay bar (you can just use a "quick detailer" spray). Don't rub them dry.

Hi all,

Thanks for all the great ideas. I need to work up the courage and confidence and be sure the method I will be going with will work and I can rest easy. I appreciate all the ideas so far presented here. 
My dealer contacted his rep and they seem to think its a moisture issue and to use a hair dryer to get out the stains. Keep it 6-8 inches away and go back and forth on the speaker. They also mentioned to look for a furniture restorer to repair the speakers. I did ask one company and they wanted me to bring the speaker box cause it would need to be re-lacquered. I explained the speaker has multiple drivers and it would be a huge chore to disconnect everything..ughh...anyways, I was looking at Meguires Compound today but not sure how abrasive that would be to the clear coat finish..just giving a quick update..still trying to get something to clean them..thanks all.

2007audioman

For paint finish, the best polish to remove marring and is Menzerna polish. Expensive but way better than Meguires.

You want both Super Intensive and follow by Final polish, both by Menzerna.

Polish by hand.
I used it on my Wilsons W/P 7s before, as well as my cars.

Thanks lprules1962. Its 2500 grit. Very fine stuff here. The company also suggested to use 3M Finesse on the speakers. To me that means I would need to use an electric hand buffer to apply it to the speaker and I'm not too confident of my abilities to do a good job that way. 
I do agree it probably was a moisture issue but had no idea stretch wrap would react that way. I had the stuff on 2 other subs that were high gloss and didnt notice anything when I looked at them as well. Maybe they use a different type of paint and gloss on their subs. Thanks for your suggestion. 

2007audioman

The clay bar is a great idea, although very intimidating to those unfamiliar with auto detailing.  Without assuming any responsibility, you might try some alcohol.  I just used everclear to remove the sticky residue from a very old plastic piece and I was amazed.  I was absolutely sure the plastic had degenerated and oozed a sticky substance, but it was only a surface coating removed by alcohol.  

Thanks chayro..you know now that you mentioned it, the support tech did mention to use isopropyl alcohol to remove the marks as well. I guess its not abrasive I suppose is why he suggested it. So your experience, what do you mean it was "only a surface coating" removed by the alcohol? Was it still shiny and had a smooth feel to it after you cleaned it with the alcohol? Reason I ask is cause I have to do the whole speaker(s) with the alcohol if it works and dont want to damage the coating or leave a dull look or scratches as well when finished.  Such a delicate thing these high gloss speakers.Did you dilute the alcohol or did you use it full strength? Thanks chayro.

2007audioman

Alcohol is routinely used by auto detailers to remove waxy residues.  As far as my experience with the plastic part, it was left smooth and shiny, like new.  The thing is - whenever you polish or even clean the finish, it is very important to use the proper tools and technique.  I recommend microfiber towels only and work in straight lines - gently.  
I used the Everclear, which is 190 proof grain alcohol, full strength.  

Thanks chayro for your advice. I'll try a small inconspicuous area and see if that works. Thanks.

2007audioman.

Just don't drink it straight.  
It can kill you.  But Everclear is cool to have around the house for cleaning and disinfecting.  It's probably about the purest alcohol you can buy without getting into laboratory stuff.  And you CAN mix it with fruit juice and stuff like that for drinking purposes.  Good stuff. 

Hi chayro..haha..I'm not a drinker so it would be purely used for cleaning and disinfecting..haha..I have some isopropyl 91 percent I was going to try in a small area and see if it does anything. I need to get some microfibre towels to start to get at the job first though and see what happens. 

2007audioman

I tried the isopropyl alcohol full strength but didnt do anything for the marks. Back to the drawing board. I tried a hair dryer and it didnt do anything..sigh..anyways just a quick update.

2007audioman

http://http//poscoinc.com/TechSheets/Ozone-Safe-MRC-Tech-Sheet.pdf

I'm sorry to say I think it's a chemical reaction that can not be remedied.    I have seen shrink wrap fog lexan display windows on the instruments i repair if left on too long or exposed to heat.   Thats why we use bags on everything, or their canvas covers before wrapping to transport.   

For really badly decomposed Scotch tape, a horrible sticky mess that had probably been there 15 years on the paint all around the head of an expensive tennis racket, Duck brand adhesive remover from Target worked a miracle. After a couple applications the racquet now looks brand spanking new, I’m happy to report. 😃

Hi all,

Quick update. I traded in my CM10 S2 to my dealer who gave me a good trade in price and I will be the proud owner of a pair of 702 S2’s and the HTM71 S2 centre speaker in about a week. Thank you for all the comments, responses I received on this thread. I sincerely appreciate it. I’m very happy I dont have to do anything and can enjoy the latest speakers from B&W. Lesson learned and props to my dealer. Thanks again all.