How to Remove Sticky Label Residue From Anything

Step by step

1. 1

   Peel off all the paper you can

   Lift a corner with your fingernail and pull the label back slowly. Get every bit of paper you can, because the glue under the paper is what you will treat next.

   What it looks like: a dull, tacky patch with little white bits of paper stuck in it.

2. 2

   Soak water-safe things in hot soapy water

   For glass, ceramic and metal, fill a sink or tub with hot water and a squirt of dish soap. Let the item soak for at least 1 hour, or overnight for a tough label.

   What it looks like: the paper bits turn soft and white, and the glue looks cloudy instead of shiny.

3. 3

   Scrub the softened glue away

   Peel off what is left and scrub the spot with a soapy sponge until the glue rolls off. Rinse and dry the item, then feel the spot with your fingertip.

   What it looks like when it worked: the surface feels smooth, not grabby, when you drag your finger across it.

1. 4

   For glue that is left, press on rubbing alcohol

   Soak a cotton pad or a folded paper towel in 70% rubbing alcohol. Press it flat over the sticky patch and leave it there for at least 15 minutes, which is the wait Avery gives.

2. 5

   Wipe off the softened glue

   Lift the pad away and rub the spot with a sponge dipped in rubbing alcohol, as Avery suggests. Rinse the sponge as you go.

   What it looks like: the glue comes off in soft, gummy bits instead of smearing.

3. 6

   If it is still sticky, use an adhesive remover

   On a surface its label allows, apply Goo Gone to the spot. For a very gooey mess, Goo Gone says to let it sit 5 to 10 minutes on hard surfaces, then wipe it away.

4. 7

   Wash the spot with hot soapy water

   Wash the area with hot water and dish soap, which is Goo Gone’s last step too. That takes off the oily remover and the last of the glue. Dry it with a clean towel.

   What it looks like when it worked: a clean, dry surface with no oily shine and no tack.

When it will not work, and what to do instead

Most glue gives up after a soak or an alcohol pad, but a few labels fight back. Here is what to try next.

• The label will not peel at all. On a glass jar, Avery suggests a hair dryer on high for 30 seconds, then peeling, and repeating in 30 second rounds. Skip this on plastic, because heat can warp it.
• It is still sticky after Step 6. Do the steps once more. Avery says some glue takes several tries.
• Nail polish remover. Avery calls it a more aggressive solvent than rubbing alcohol. Keep it off acrylic, because its maker says acetone causes crazing, and test any other plastic first.
• A razor blade. Avery says to avoid blades on scratch-prone surfaces like plastic or tin. Renewal by Andersen also says to keep razor blades off its window glass, so check before you scrape any window.
• Something old, painted or valuable. If you are not sure what the surface is, stop and ask the maker. Glue is easier to live with than a ruined finish.

Why it works

Time does more here than muscle. A long soak in hot soapy water softens the paper, and Avery’s alcohol method waits until the adhesive softens enough to peel and wipe away.

Think of it like soaking a pan with dried-on food: wait a little, and it wipes right off. Scrubbing hard with a blade is how surfaces get hurt, which is why Avery keeps razors off plastic and tin.

You found the perfect jar for your sugar or your buttons, and now that gummy square is catching every crumb and bit of lint in the kitchen. It is such a small thing, but it can bother you every time you reach for it.