# How to \[easily\] remove old and dried drops of shellac from formica? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 18, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-easily-remove-old-and-dried-drops-of-shellac-from-formica/438127 "2008-02-18T18:01:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-easily-remove-old-and-dried-drops-of-shellac-from-formica/438127/1 "2008-02-18T18:01:22Z")
The question says it all. Hoe to hear from you. (Genuine typo, up there, but I left it in. :D] ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-easily-remove-old-and-dried-drops-of-shellac-from-formica/438127/2 "2008-02-18T18:14:34Z")
Take a sharp chisel, and slide it underneath each drip. The solvent for shellac is alcohol, so use that to clean up any residue. ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-easily-remove-old-and-dried-drops-of-shellac-from-formica/438127/3 "2008-02-18T19:03:49Z")
I’d use a razor blade instead of a chisel. But then none of my chisels are very sharp. Should be fairly easy to shave off. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-easily-remove-old-and-dried-drops-of-shellac-from-formica/438127/4 "2008-02-18T20:56:08Z")
Formica will scratch. I’d try mineral spirits, myself. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-easily-remove-old-and-dried-drops-of-shellac-from-formica/438127/5 "2008-02-18T21:49:17Z")
I tried rubbing a rag with (isopropyl) alcohol on it to no avail. I’ll try the razor, next - and maybe an alcohol rub, too. I don’t have any chisels. Thanks, folks. ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-easily-remove-old-and-dried-drops-of-shellac-from-formica/438127/6 "2008-02-18T22:03:30Z")
I was going to suggest the razor blade, try not to go clear to the formica surface. Household solvents that will disolve it? Any nail polish remover around? WD-40 should work too. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-easily-remove-old-and-dried-drops-of-shellac-from-formica/438127/7 "2008-02-18T22:29:09Z")
Goo Gone, available at Wally or hardware stores, has done well for me on a variety of things. It has petroleum distillates and the bottle says it remove: masking tape, paint, varnish, gum, grease, tar, glue… I don’t know if it will address your issue but if it doesn’t, it’s still great to have around. It’s especially great for gunky/gooey stuff, like when you remove a sticker from something like a plastic housing on your puter and that nasty adhesive is left behind. This stuff dissolves it, easy peasy. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-easily-remove-old-and-dried-drops-of-shellac-from-formica/438127/8 "2008-02-19T00:45:05Z")
[QUOTE=BarnOwl] I tried rubbing a rag with (isopropyl) alcohol on it to no avail. I’ll try the razor, next - and maybe an alcohol rub, too. I don’t have any chisels. Thanks, folks. [/QUOTE] You’d probably do better with methyl (aka wood) alcohol. Another option would be to moisten a cloth with ammonia and let that sit on the spots of dried shellac to soften them. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-easily-remove-old-and-dried-drops-of-shellac-from-formica/438127/9 "2008-02-19T11:53:38Z")
[QUOTE=danceswithcats] You’d probably do better with methyl (aka wood) alcohol. Another option would be to moisten a cloth with ammonia and let that sit on the spots of dried shellac to soften them. [/QUOTE] I’ll give it a go. Thanks.