HOW TO STORE AND SORT GLUES AT HOME?
It's a busy morning! You're about to leave your house to go to work when you notice that one of the arms of your glasses is broken. Luckily, you have a tube of super glue somewhere in a drawer. But when you finally find it, you realise that the glue has completely dried up! So, you leave without your glasses, in a blur that makes you late for work and in a bad mood. Come on, smile! Bostik tells you how to prevent this scenario from not happening again!
How to keep opened glue tubes from drying out?
You have bought a tube of glue for a quick shoe fix. Of course, the tube has just been opened and you need to store it somewhere before you use it again. To keep your adhesive effective for as long as possible, you will find all the storage information on the back of the Bostik packaging of course, but also on the product itself.
How long can Bostik glues be stored?
At Bostik, as with most adhesive manufacturers, this information is systematically indicated on the packaging.
The average shelf life of most adhesives is approximately 12 months. However, some adhesives containing particularly strong chemical components can have a shelf life of up to 24 months.
There is really no precise expiry date for a ready-to-use adhesive. It is more often careless storage conditions that cause them to dry out prematurely, or to lose their adhesive properties.
What about the storage conditions?
Although storage conditions may vary from one type of adhesive to another, some rules are the same for all product categories:
- To retain the shelf life of your glue, store it in a dry, dark and cool place.
- To ensure the longevity of the chemical compounds in your glue, make sure they are protected from frost, heat and light.
- Unless otherwise specified by the manufacturer, always store your glue in an upright position. This not only prevents damage to the nozzle due to dried glue accumulation, but also allows the tube to be opened easily the next time it is used.
- This is common sense but remember to store your glues in a locked place or, failing that, on a high shelf. In any case, make sure they are out of reach of children.
Tips to avoid glues from drying out
Clean before closing
This is probably the most important tip for keeping your adhesives effective for as long as possible: Be sure to clean the edges of the container so that it can be easily re-opened, even after months of storage. If it is a tube, be sure to clean the nozzle with a dry cloth before replacing the cap and close the container tightly after use.
Super glues can be stored in a cool place
Heat and humidity are factors that deteriorate glue, especially for super glue. Sealing the bottle after each use and storing it in the coolest place in your home will minimise the risk of the product drying out. If you can, make a small space in your fridge to store your tubes.
Empty or expired tubes: How to sort waste?
Packaging for products such as glue are made up of different materials, not all of which are recycled in the same way. So, when you throw away your empty or expired tube you should:
- Separate the packaging from the shell and tube.
- Dispose of the cardboard packaging in the paper bin.
- Dispose of the shell in the plastic bin.
- Dispose of the tube with the adhesive residue at the waste disposal centre for recycling.
That's it! You are now an expert in storing and sorting glues. Which makes you also an official #repairhero. With you, no more waste! And goodbye to tubes of glue that have just been opened and are already dried out. From now on, you'll always have something on hand for your small everyday repairs, at least for the 1 to 2 years that Bostik expect it to be effective. Don’t throw it away, store it! And become an official #repairhero!