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Whether constructing a mailing at the office or at home, there must be a way to get those envelopes sealed. Repeated licking of a multitude of envelopes is not the best practice.

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First of all, it tastes bad. Secondly, the glue may not be safe to ingest over and over again. Licking envelopes to close and seal them is not a great idea. For efficiency sake, you may wish to purchase self-sealing envelopes but, often, that is not a possibility. Invitation envelopes tend not to be self-sealing.

Here are some creative ways to seal an envelope without licking them!

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What kinds of bulk mailings might you be doing that require fluid to seal them? Is it bill paying day? Are you sending birthday party invites? Maybe it is an upcoming shower [baby or bridal] or wedding invitations? Graduations?

Mass mailings take place for all sorts of reasons including day to day outgoing mail for the business or volunteer job where you work. So, best practice is to seal the envelopes without licking them!

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How To Seal Envelopes Without Licking Them

Use a simple household sponge. Dampen it with water and seal. This can have quality control problems, just as the envelope sealer may. You could release too much water and have a not-so-neat look on the back of your envelope. If you overdo it and you could even dampen the contents, as well. Note: make sure you use a new, clean sponge to avoid getting your envelope dirty.

Use a cotton swab or Q-tip. Dip the end of the swab in a small bit of water in a cup. Lightly swipe across the edge where the gum is. Seal. This method is what I just used in sealing invitation envelopes for the bridal shower I hosted and, later, the wedding invitations. It works very, very well! Cheapest and neatest method I’ve found.
Envelope Moisteners work brilliantly. These hand-held beauties have liquid glue inside, or allow you to simply put water in them. They dispense the fluid onto the glue portion of the envelop – instead of licking it – and you simply press it closed.
Glue Sticks – good ole “envelop glue” will do the trick. You can either use the standard school glue sticks that you buy for your kids or you can purchase glue sticks that are designed specifically for sealing envelopes.