HOMEMADE STAMP CLEANER

This is definitely a creative "try"al. I have been looking around for frugal ways to clean stamps. I have tried the baby wipe thing, but they dry out on me and the stamps don't come out very clean. I came across a blog a while ago that talked about greenworks cleaning solution and a shammy cloth. That sounded like a good idea so I thought I would try it. I wanted to have a neat case for it though, so I came up with this idea:

I took an old frame that I was going to throw away. I liked this one because it folds up. I took out the glass.....

I cut some shammy to fit, a little larger than the opening. I doubled the shammy for one side and made it more thick (pillowy) on the other side. I placed this in the frame and replaced the cardboard from the frame to hold the shammy in place.

I mixed a solution of 1/4 cup green works cleaner and 1 cup water. I poured this into an empty
hair spray bottle. To clean the stamps I sprayed the cleaner directly on the stamps and then dabbed on the puffy side of the shammy. To dry, I dabbed on the less puffy side of the shammy. Some stamps I needed to take a toothbrush to get all the ink out. My stamps came clean. This is a "try"al, so I am not sure if this will ruin stamps. I guess I will find out. Something that I did found out was that the cardboard backing got very wet, so I added a piece of clear plastic that I always save from packaging. The only thing I don't like so far about this is that some fibers cling to the stamps. I used a Shamwow shammy. The blog I saw but can't remember where I saw it, said she got her shammy at Walmart in the automotive section. According to her, it did not shed any fibers. I need to see if I can find it. Something I might try in the future is a bigger foldable frame. The frame I used was a 3x5 and it is good for small stamps but not for the big ones. I will have to make another attempt at making a new and improved stamp cleaner. Stay tuned.....