Getting the Most out of Walker Tape Products

Over the years, we’ve created a lot of quality tools for you to have at your disposal for installing and removing hair systems. These options span adhesive types and techniques from track bonding with hard bond adhesives to applying liquid adhesives. Then, of course, there’s our namesake: tapes. 

You also have removal, install prep, and system care products. Considering this variety of choices, we understand that it can sometimes feel overwhelming to keep all the best storage practices straight.

So, to make all this much easier, we’re taking you through the guidelines and tips for storing both our tapes and liquid products.

Before diving in, here are general themes of the why and how that you’ll see in more detail for both our tapes and liquids:

• The WHY of needing proper storage: all products are affected by light, oxygen, humidity, and heat. This is true for any product in any industry out there under the sun.

• The HOW when it comes to protecting them:
  • From heat, store products in a cool, room-temperature controlled place (60-80° F).
  • From humidity and light, stash them somewhere dark, dry, and well-ventilated.
  • From oxygen, make sure to always keep bottle lids tightly closed and bags completely sealed.

The biggest overall takeaway is that our products last the longest when kept closed and away from sunlight and temperature extremes.

Storing Our Tapes

When you follow the three storage guidelines below, our tapes have a yearlong shelf life. 

Guidelines 

1) Protect tapes from heat extremes.

The adhesives on tape exist in a between-state of solid and liquid. When exposed to high heat, the adhesive softens (melts) into more of a liquid than it is meant to be to perform correctly. Whereas, the cold hardens the adhesive into more of a solid state. This is called a glassy effect, and tape that acts like glass simply doesn’t perform as well as it should.

Speaking of extremes, sudden variations in temperatures can also affect a tape’s performance.

 Tips

• Store at a consistent room temperature: 64°F – 72°F / 18°C-22°C.
• At the very least, keep tapes in temperatures below 90°F at all times.

2) Protect tapes from sun exposure and humidity.

Exposure to sunlight, UV, and humidity affects the tape’s adhesive before it’s been applied and had a chance to form a bond. This is especially true for German Brown because its rubber-based adhesive is more sensitive to effects of light, UV, and humidity. 

The rest of our tapes are acrylic-based and better suited for such exposure. But, these strengths are meant for after the tape has been applied and the bond has had the chance to strengthen. So, while to a lesser degree than German Brown, these conditions affect our acrylic-based tapes too.

Tip

• Designate a dark, dry, well-ventilated area for storage. 

3) Protect tapes from oxygen.

Yes, even air itself affects all adhesives. It’s called oxidation, and it’s the same thing that makes the cereal in your cupboard go stale eventually. However, it’s easier to stomach stale Cheerios than losing a client over a stale tape failing. 

Tip

• Store our tapes in original packaging or in your salon’s own sealable containers.

Storing Our Liquid Products

With the three guidelines below, our liquid products have a six-month shelf life.

Guidelines

1) Protect all flammable liquids (and yourself) from sources of ignition.

Most of our liquid products are flammable and combustible. Keeping them away from potential ignition is crucial. 

Keep in mind, we also have a strong array of nonflammable liquid-based choices. These include H2GO, Safe Grip, Great White, Bond Breaker Shampoo, Leave-In Conditioner, and all three of our hard bond adhesives.

Tips

• Store liquids safely away from sources of heat, flames, sparks, pilot lights, electric motors, static electricity, etc.
• As is good practice with any solvent-based mixtures, it’s best to store removers locked and out of reach of children.

2) Protect liquid-based products from heat, UV, and direct sunlight.

Like mentioned above for tapes, light and heat shorten the life of liquid adhesives. The only exception to this guideline is our hard bond adhesives. Since they’re constantly, slowly growing stronger and harder (even in their packaging), it’s best to keep them in a freezer to slow the hardening process.

Tips

• Store liquids in a consistently cool and dark place.
• Store in room-temperature controlled places between 60 to 80°F.
• The only exception: For the longest shelf life, store hard bond adhesives in a freezer.

3) Protect liquids from oxygen.

Just like with tapes, oxidation affects liquid adhesives. Oxygen begins to affect a product the moment it’s opened.

If you’re new to liquid adhesives, we recommend starting with smaller bottles until getting a feel for your salon’s adhesive usage habits. Large bottles can dry out if you don’t use them fast enough. 

A small bottle will last you quite a while if you bond hair systems about once a month or so. If you work on hair systems more than once a week, a larger bottle is probably the best choice.

Tips

• Keep all lids and caps tightly closed.
• Order small bottles before moving to large bottles (unless you use them multiple times a week).
• Use all of one product before opening a new one. It’s best to use all of one product instead of breaking the seal on several, partially used products. 

Ready to put these storage guidelines into practice? Well, take advantage of the best prices on all Walker Tape products by ordering from us at https://mydfx.com.au