The saying is ‘super glue to stick it, WD40 to get it unstuck.’ It is not always that simple though. Duct tape may well hold the universe together but the truth is we need different adhesives for different jobs.
While duct tape or super glue would certainly work for holding down your address labels on an envelope self adhesive labels look a little more attractive and are more cost effective for the purpose. Adhesive tapes such as duct tape are better left for more hefty jobs. If you have ever bought those really cheap envelopes though that just won’t stick a little adhesive tape is useful to have on the side.
For most paper jobs a glue stick is all that is required. These handy little adhesive tubes are great for small jobs and don’t cost a fortune. They are also a must for paper crafts and can be surprisingly strong.
A glue stick just won’t do the job though for mending other things. There are specialty adhesives available for almost every kind of job. A little super glue might be OK to stick down a stray vinyl tile, but it would be silly to try and tile down a whole floor with the stuff. You need a proper vinyl or ceramic tile adhesive to do the job effectively. Some jobs require a full strength industrial adhesive too.
Going to a trusted hardware store is often a good idea to get advice on just the right kind of adhesive you need for any particular job. While adhesive labels can give you a good idea as to what will stick to what you can end up wasting money and whole lot of glue floating around that you will never need again.
Things like a basic hot glue gun, and a bit of white glue are always useful to have around the house. Once you have a gun, hot glue sticks are very cheap and have all sorts of uses around the house. This kind of adhesive is not suitable for things that may be later subjected to heat though, such as ceramics that need to go in the dishwasher. Stronger and more specialized glues are better suited for those kinds of repairs.
There are multi-purpose adhesives and specialized adhesives. Keep a few multi-purpose ones around but don’t waste them when a specialty adhesive is what is required. If in doubt – ask.
