mobile Posted January 6, 2008 Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 but... if the UK is anything like here. no place sells plant lables in the winter time. the only place to get them is online.Alex They've usually got them in DIY stores. I know that my local Focus DIY has them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted January 6, 2008 Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 Perlite's a pain to get hold of in winter - I know that much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-=Joel=- Posted January 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 Hiya folks, Just to let you know I have found a cure lol. I soaked the labels in 'cif power cleaner', some bright yellow stuff, for 3 hours and then gave them a rub and the pen came off easily. Just going to run them through the dishwasher tonight and let them dry off to make sure all the cif stuff has come off :) Thank you for the help :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 Perlite's a pain to get hold of in winter - I know that much!They had some in my local B&Q store when I looked a few weeks ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diva Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 a little belated but a quick, clean and easy way to remove ink paint and a multitude of other stains is acetone (as amar stated). "where do ya get acetone" try your moms nail varnish remover joel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 (edited) a little belated but a quick, clean and easy way to remove ink paint and a multitude of other stains is acetone (as amar stated). "where do ya get acetone" try your moms nail varnish remover joel I was going to suggest that too but acetone will attack/dissolve some plastics. Also, not all nail varnish removers have acetone in them. Edited January 7, 2008 by mobile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diva Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 fair enough, perhaps i should have put.... get a nail varnish remover that contains acetone ( it will say 'acetone free' on the bottle if it doesnt!) and use a piece of cotton wool soaked in acetone and wipe quickly over the surface and drop in a bowl of water, i have never had a problem with melted labels but then again i've never soaked my labels in it or bought labels that are so thin or made from such a poor quality plastic that they've been affected..... alternatively use a pencil and a rubber! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 ... have never had a problem with melted labels but then again i've never soaked my labels in it or bought labels that are so thin or made from such a poor quality plastic that they've been affected..... alternatively use a pencil and a rubber! LOL It's not really the quality of the plastic, it's what type of plastic it is. We used to use acetone in a previous company I worked for when cleaning some items and I recall it melting some plastics but I can't recall which types. It just mentioned it as a precaution. The labels available from my local DIY store actually include a pencil in the packet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueflytrap Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 ...I can always tell when the wait for Spring starts getting to people (called "CP Cabin fever") as there is normally something like this pops up (on one of the other forums its "squirrel wars"). However as a sufferer myself I though I'd add my two penn'orth..... I would've thought that scouring the labels would make the ink flow all over the place? (leading to smudged and indeterminate lettering). When buying new labels I look for the smooth plastic types to avoid just that. Some cheaper labels available in the UK are rough plastic and bl**dy awful to write upon (even with a soft pencil), so ACTUALLY making them this way is (IMHO) not the way to go. Whilst I applaud the motive (recycling) I would've thought that using chemicals and dishwashers is counter productive?- Just a thought...... :) I know that with mine I just turn them over and use the other side (first crossing out the old info, to avoid confusion). If I keep them too long (depending on the type of label and the plastic that its manufactured from) then they tend to become too brittle to re-use anyway. Personally I go with the "Fred option" and buy new ones, but with the add on of a stuck on label from a labeller machine (if needs be you could always peel off the label or stick another label on top). John "the Spring can't some soon enough" Wilden Southport Lancs. UK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-=Joel=- Posted January 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 (edited) I cant remember where I bought my labels from but they can be bent to form a circle. Even after 2 years in the sun lol. One side is smooth the other has a little texture. I write on both sides, one with the name the other side my reference code. Still have loads of them left as I bought them in bulk. The recycled ones can be used for my seeds and the divisions I am selling. I of course dont just use the dishwasher for the labels and fill it up (having 5 in the house it doesnt take long). Edited January 8, 2008 by -=Joel=- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mort Posted June 8, 2012 Report Share Posted June 8, 2012 Hi, From my experience Isopropyl alcohol - IPA (used in electronics) works very well. It worked on every permanent pens and markers I have tried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhenIWake Posted June 8, 2012 Report Share Posted June 8, 2012 ... Toothpaste! haha Ive used it to remove permenant marker from loads, mostly discs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoLongFairWell Posted June 8, 2012 Report Share Posted June 8, 2012 Used to use Jiff cream when I worked in a garden centre. Any of those cream cleaners did the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimlard Posted June 13, 2012 Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 I couldn't help but chuckle when I saw this thread, i've just been asking about what pens are the best to use as my labels have started fading after just a few weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will9 Posted June 13, 2012 Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 I use wet sandpaper (fine)for this ,it s work very good whit a little of work, Cheers Will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Lechtman Posted June 15, 2012 Report Share Posted June 15, 2012 Squirrel Wars! (wait, wrong forum :-)). And I actually won't be complaining about squirrels until fall, when they start burying hickory nuts in my pots. Ironically, I have always had the opposite problem with "permanent" ink on plant labels. It fades to illegibility after a year or two. I now use graphite pencil exclusively (we call them #2 pencils in the states), and the writing lasts for years (seven years and still going strong on the last go-round). Since I also leave my labels in too long (see above) I do the following: I write my plant ID code at the top of the label (so it sits above the surface of the soil) and I write it again about half way down (so that it's buried in the soil). There have been too many occasions when the labels have broken off and the top has disappeared (one is too many), and the back-up below saves the plant's identify. I buy all of my labels online. I buy high-quality white labels for the ID, and thinner (and cheaper) colored labels for my collection status (red label: mother plant, yellow label: back-up, green label: extra free to trade, give away, etc.). Jay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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