2.Make it quick. Think of tape like a band-aid. Removing it slowly allows flow and separation, creating more stickiness (and pain!), while ripping it off in one motion makes for a clean, less painful removal. This is not necessarily true for all surfaces; this is an ideal technique for tape that has been on for a few days while the tape is still tacky, but if the tape has dried out take a little more time to take it off not to damage the surfaces as the surface may also be affected if the tape has been on too long especially painted walls.

3.Scrape it. To remove small amounts of construction adhesives from your paneling, molding, and floor, use a putty knife to scrape the adhesive off. Just be careful not to drive the edge of the knife too hard on the surface to avoid causing damage. (For stone or mirrored scratch-resistant surfaces, consider using a straight blade to scrape residue away.)

4.Try warm, soapy water. For surfaces such as acrylic, plaster, asphalt, copper, enamel, glass, linoleum, marble, pewter, plexiglass and all things vinyl, all you need is warm, sudsy water. The warm water will soften the tape so it can be removed with a sponge or cloth.

5. Apply heat. Much like warm water softens tape, heat can help melt stubborn adhesives without damaging the surface of your floor or wall. Just one minute with a hairdryer, heat gun or even a blow torch will do the trick. Gently scrape off the adhesive while you apply heat on the surface of your floor or wall. Once the surface is cold, the construction adhesive tends to harden, so it becomes difficult for you to remove it without damaging your floor or wall.

7. Brush it off. Do not use soap on stone surfaces such as bluestone, brick, concrete, granite, limestone, terrazzo and masonry tile. It will leave a hard-to-removes scum. Instead, mix together a solution of laundry detergent or baking soda with a little water to form a paste. With a soft brush (a toothbrush is good for small areas) gently spread the solution over the gummy portion until it is removed, and then rinse with clear warm water.

8.Alcohol to the rescue. Consider using a little rubbing alcohol, which is a non-solvent for pressure-sensitive adhesives. When you apply rubbing alcohol, the adhesive residue will lose its adhesion and will precipitate. This can also work with acetone, or nail polish remover. Keep in mind that alcohol or acetone may damage painted surfaces, so be careful when using these substances.

9.Commercial products. Should these methods not work, some contractors we know swear by all purpose cleaners.

10.WD-40. Use a rag with a bit of texture to it — for example, terry cloth as opposed to an old t-shirt — and soak a small area of it with WD-40, then scrub at the residue. If there is a lot of residue, you can spray the residue and let it sit for just a minute before scrubbing. Obviously, don’t do this on anything that the oil in WD-40 would harm! After removing the residue, it’s really important to wash off any WD-40 remnants with soapy water and dry before reapplying new adhesive.