I have this Rubik’s cube on my desk and the stickers started wearing out and falling off. So I ordered a new set of stickers.
In the meantime I took the rest of the stickers off, and now I am left with a monochromatic cube with gross sticky-stuff residue on its faces. What’s the best way to remove said Stuff so I can give it a thorough cleaning before applying the new stickers? Will some sort of solvent work?
ETA: No, I don’t have to remove the stickers to solve it. 
Have you tried Goo-gone?
Goo-Gone or WD-40
Depends on the type of plastic. Goof-Off, acetone (nail polish remover), and naptha (lighter fluid) are good solvents, but can dissolve plastics. Try just a little bit before going all out with it.
I find any cleaner with lemon or orange oil in it works pretty well at removing adhesives, and they don’t usually hurt plastic. You probably want to do a test first, because it’s sometimes hard to predict what a chemical will do to a plastic.
What’s really cool is if you swap a couple of stickers. If they’re the side ones, someone will probably be able to get everything but one side and they’ll never understand why they can’t solve the whole thing.
Acetone and Goof-Off, yes, but naptha doesn’t dissolve any plastics I’m aware of.
The WD-40 No Mess Pen is a fantastic product. I can personally attest to its awesomeness on removing sticky glue residue, marks on walls, and shoe marks on hardwood / tile floors.
I use Ronsonol for anything like that.
Another product that works well for removing adhesive residue is Johnson’s Paste Wax or neutral shoe polish (virtually the same thing). They won’t harm the plastic and leave a nice shiny surface.
Side note: Whatever you use to remove the sticky stuff will need to be cleaned off before you apply the new stickers. I have had good success with rubbing alcohol - it cleans the surface and evaporates quickly.
We use Zippo lighter fluid at work…Goo Gone leaves too much of a film behind. Let it soak for a few seconds, then wipe off. If the residue is really sticky, it may take a few times.
Just FYI–for everyone–these three things are the same.
Goo Gone is the best I’ve ever seen – even better than something petroleum-based. As kittenblue said, it can leave a film. I find Goop to be good at cutting that film. Then you can wash off Goop with plain water.
Use any plastic-safe oil. Vegetable oil will work. Put a little on, and let it sit for a while then rub it off.
I find that eucalyptus oil works better than most speacialist sticky-stuff-removers, but it has issues with the occasional plastic (I typically use it on CD cases, but it has problems with cases from CDs I buy from the cheap-import-shop).
Dabbing at it with a piece of duct tape or other very sticky adhesive material often works surprisingly well.
Only if the sticky stuff you’re dabbing with is stickier than the sticky stuff you’re trying to remove. Otherwise, you’re stuck.
It only needs to be stickier than the surface to which the sticky is stuck - (perhaps not entirely justifiably)assuming some kind of cumulative stuckness occurs when two sticky things are united…
Just so you know, these FOUR things…
…are one and the same. (Except that Goo-gone also has citrus oil for scent.)
Yes, but Ronsonol stinks, Goo-Gone requires the use of another product to remove it, and naptha…well, you can’t buy it in line at the grocery store for $3.
