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How To Remove Stickers With Common Household Items
The question of how to remove stickers is a common one, because certain adhesives and labels can really put up a fight! Luckily, the only thing more stubborn than sticky residue is yours truly, and I’ve tested dozens of different theories on how to remove sticky labels from various surfaces over the years.
As it turns out, there are several effective ways to get rid of sticker residue, and I’ll be sharing 11 of them with you in this post! (Why so many? First, because some methods work better on certain types of surfaces, and second, because the more options you have, the more likely it is that you won’t have to go out and buy something you don’t already have on hand.)
Related: This Is The One Cheap DIY You Need In A Sticky Situation
To remove sticky labels from glass, plastic, or metal, soak the item in a sink full of warm water and 1/2 cup of washing soda for 30 minutes — the label and sticky residue will slide right off!
To remove sticker residue, tape residue, and other types of adhesive, spread a generous amount of oil, peanut butter, or mayonnaise on the residue and leave it for one hour, after which the residue will wipe off easily.
For more options and further detail on how to remove sticky labels, read on!
How To Remove Sticker Residue And Sticky Labels: 12 Easy Methods
1. Remove Stickers And Labels With Washing Soda
Not only can you use washing soda to remove sticky labels from glass bottles, but it’s also a handy way to remove sticky residue from just about anything you can submerge in water. Fill your sink with warm water, add around 1/2 cup of washing soda and stir, then soak the item for 30 minutes. The sticker or label should slide right off!
Related: The Easiest Way To Remove Labels From Jars
2. Remove Sticker Residue With Peanut Butter
The oil content in peanut butter makes it surprisingly effective at dissolving adhesives. Just smear a thick layer of peanut butter across the sticker you want to remove, then let it sit for an hour or so. After that, you should be able to remove sticker residue easily with a damp cloth.
Related: These Easy Peanut Butter Bars Are Good For The Soul
3. Remove Stickers With A Hair Dryer
Wondering how to get sticky residue off plastic? Heat from a hair dryer will usually make short work of it, and it can also prove useful for removing old bumper stickers from cars. Turn your hair dryer on, hold it close to the sticker you want to remove, and hold it there for about 30 seconds.
The sticker should peel away easily, but if it’s still giving you trouble, another 30 seconds of heat should do it.
Related: 23 Unexpected Things You Can Do With Your Hair Dryer
4. Remove Sticky Residue With A Pencil Eraser
If you’ve removed the paper part of a sticker but are struggling with the remaining sticky residue, grab a pencil eraser! The rubber will grip and drag the adhesive away from the surface so you can scrape it off more easily.
More Ideas You'll Love
Related: 9 Unexpected Problems You Can Solve With A Pencil Eraser
5. Get Rid Of Price Tags With Rubbing Alcohol
You can use several different alcohol-based products to remove sticker adhesive, like rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover, or even vodka. Soak a paper towel in your alcohol-based product of choice, then wrap the damp towel around the sticker you want to remove. Let it sit for 30 minutes or so, then wipe the sticker and adhesive away.
Related: 9 More Of The Most Useful Things You Can Do With Rubbing Alcohol
6. Use Baking Soda And Coconut Oil For Stubborn Sticker Removal
Baking soda and coconut oil (or olive oil, vegetable oil, or any oil you happen to have on hand) can pack a powerful punch against stubborn stickers. Oil saturates and loosens the paper and adhesive, while the baking soda helps scrub the mess away.
Mix enough coconut oil and baking soda to create a paste, then smear the paste across the sticker. Let it sit for an hour, then scrub with a sponge or brush.
7. Use Mayonnaise To Remove Stickers And Adhesive
Mayo is yet another oily substance that’s surprisingly useful for removing stickers! Just spread a thick layer of mayo onto a sticker, let it sit for half an hour or so, then wipe the sticker and adhesive away from the surface.
Related: 17 Surprisingly Clever Uses For Mayonnaise
8. Use A Razor Blade To Remove Stickers From Glass
You can remove stickers from glass manually with the help of a razor scraper or an X-ACTO knife. Start by holding the blade at an angle and gently pushing it under the edge of the sticker. Use the lifted edge to peel the sticker away from the surface, working in sections if necessary, repeating until the whole sticker is gone.
This method is particularly useful for removing stickers on glass, but it may not be the best choice for other surfaces (especially painted ones). Using a plastic razor blade instead of a metal one can cut down on the risk of scratching up a surface.
9. Use WD-40 For Sticker Removal
WD-40 has gotten me out of plenty of sticky situations, literally and figuratively, so it’s not a surprise to me that it can also remove stubborn stickers. Spray the lubricant onto the sticker, price tag, or sticky label you want to remove, then let it soak in for a while to get sticky residue off.
More Ideas You'll Love
Related: 12 Ways That WD-40 Is The Ultimate Problem Solver
10. Use A White Vinegar Soak To Remove Labels
Soak a washcloth in white vinegar, then wrap the cloth around the area where the sticker is. Let it soak for half an hour or so, and the sticker should wipe off easily. White vinegar also works well to remove sticker residue from clothing and fabrics.
Related: 50 Amazing Uses For Vinegar You’ll Want To Know
11. Use Lemon Essential Oil To Remove Adhesive And Tape Residue
The grease-cutting abilities of citrus oils are really handy for tackling sticky residue. Apply a drop or two of lemon essential oil directly to the area, let it sit for 10 minutes or so, then wipe the sticker and adhesive away. (Just avoid using lemon oil on plastic, as it can cause damage to the surface.)
Related: 20 Of The Best Things You Can Do With Lemon Essential Oil
12. Use Your Freezer To Remove Stickers From Clothes And Fabric
To remove stickers from clothing and fabrics, put the item in the freezer for a couple of hours, then take it out and immediately pick off as much of the hardened bits of sticker as you can. Moisten the spot with water, add a drop or so of mild dish soap, and rub off the rest of the sticker residue with a microfiber cloth. Then launder as usual.
What About Store-Bought Gunk Removers?
- In certain rare cases, like if a sticker is very old or has been exposed to the sun, you may need something a bit more powerful to remove all the residue.
- Here are some store-bought products I’ve found useful, and that may be just the thing to handle those extra tough stickers:
- Goo Gone Original Liquid – Great for tackling almost any type of sticky, waxy, or oily mess, and safe to use on most surfaces.
- Goo Gone Automotive – Great for removing stubborn bumper stickers, tree sap, bug splatters, and other messes without damaging your car’s paint job.
Do you have a preferred method for getting rid of stickers or adhesive?
How To Remove Stickers And Sticky Residue From Anything
Equipment
- Sink
- Hair Dryer
- Pencil eraser
- Razor blade
- Clean cloths
- Freezer
Ingredients
- Washing soda
- Peanut butter
- Rubbing alcohol
- Baking soda
- Coconut oil
- Mayonnaise
- WD-40
- White vinegar
- Lemon essential oil
- Dish soap
Instructions
- If you can submerge the article in water, use a sink with warm water and 1/2 cup of washing soda. Soak for 30 minutes and the label or sticker should slide off.
- Remove label residue by smearing peanut butter on it. Let sit for an hour and wipe off with a damp cloth.
- Use a hair dryer to get sticky residue and labels off plastic and glass, car bumpers, etc. Just hold the heat on it for about 30 seconds and try peeling it off. It may need additional heating time.
- Get sticky residue from a partially removed sticker off with a pencil eraser.
- Use rubbing alcohol to remove the sticker residue from ceramic dishes and mugs.
- Make a paste with baking soda and coconut oil and smear it on the sticker. Let sit for an hour then rub with a sponge or brush.
- A thick layer of mayonnaise left on a sticker for an hour or so will let you wipe the sticker away.
- Use a razor blade at an angle to remove a sticker from glass. Work slowly and peel as you go.
- Spray WD-40 on a sticker, let it soak for a while, then wipe it away.
- To remove labels from bottles, soak a cloth in white vinegar and wrap the wet cloth around the bottle. After half an hour or so the label should come off easily.
- For those annoying price sticker residues, use a couple of drops of lemon essential oil. Let it sit for ten minutes or so and wipe it away. (Lemon oil can damage the surface of plastic, so use this on glass or ceramics)
- Your freezer can help remove stickers from fabric and clothing. Freeze for a couple of hours, pick off as much as possible, then rub off the rest with a microfiber cloth moistened with water and a drop or two of dish soap. Launder as directed.
