Glue stick vs hairspray vs clean PEI, what’s your real experience?

[Alan]

Let’s compare PEI adhesion habits in a practical way. PEI can be amazing when it’s dialed in, but once you start getting random lifting or parts fusing to the bed, people tend to bounce between glue, hairspray, and cleaning routines until something works.

What do you do first when PEI adhesion starts getting inconsistent, and what’s your default approach when it’s printing well? I’d love to hear what you run for PLA, PETG, and anything that tends to be more stubborn, plus what changes you made that gave you the most repeatable first layers.

 

[Chapman_Armor]

When PEI gets inconsistent, I start with a proper wash, then I check nozzle height and first layer squish. A lot of “random” lifting ends up being small Z offset drift or oil on the sheet. For PLA I usually stay with clean PEI, for PETG I’m cautious because it can grab hard, so I’d rather use something that helps release than fight a stuck part.

 

[Eric1001]

I have been using PVA Adhesive Glue. With success. It is easy to clean the bed using just water. It is for glass beds, but it works on my PEI bed plate.
I recommend it.