Sustainability made simple

How to Get Stickers Off Glass and Remove Residue

How to get stickers off glass easy household hacks
Photo: © Utopia / Lea Herrmann (L); CC0 Public Domain / Pixabay - fruitnmore

So how do you get stickers and their residue off glass and other surfaces? Sometimes it may seem impossible, but there are indeed a few tricks to it. Utopia will show you how to remove stickers with these helpful household hacks.

If you ask the internet how to get stickers and sticker residue off glass, your search results may steer you towards how to best remove them with lighter fluid or nail polish remover. However, these chemicals are both harmful to the environment as well as your skin. Special sticker-remover chemical cocktails from the hardware store can also be quite eco-unfriendly.

If you’d rather keep things simple, we’ve got just the solution. You’ll only need a couple household ingredients, a bit of elbow grease and patience. When you begin to remove stickers off glass with these household solutions, remember to try simpler and less corrosive methods first and move up from there. That is, move up the ladder in the order of “Heat – Water – Oil – Alcohol” until you successful remove the sticker.

Utopia’s tip: Easily remove stickers from old glass jars and avoid plastic packaging in your sustainable Zero Waste Kitchen.

1. How to Remove Stickers With a Hairdryer

How to get stickers off with a hairdryer
This first method on how to get stickers off glass and other surfaces is the quickest and easiest. (Photo: CC0 Public Domain / Unsplash - Element5 Digital)

You may be asking yourself: “How in the world should a hairdryer start to help to get stickers off?”

Well, first, the heat produced by the hairdryer helps partially liquify and loosen the sticker glue adhesive. This should then allow you to easily peel the sticker right off. This trick is particularly useful for sensitive surfaces that won’t withstand a liquid solution, such as books or cardboard boxes.

2. Glass and Ceramics: How to Get Stickers Off With Dish Soap

When it comes to figuring out how to get stickers and sticker residue off less sensitive surfaces such as glass or ceramics, this simple household hack should do just the trick.

Simply soak the sticker or area with sticker residue in warm water with a dash of dish detergent added to it. Stickers are no match for the heat of the water together with the dish soap (acting as a lubricant) and will fall right off. This method works best with paper labels on glass or wood surfaces.

3. Remove Stickers With Baking Soda

Dissolve some baking powder or baking soda in water and use this solution to dampen the label. If possible, you can also put the item with the sticker directly into the container with the mixture. Leave it to soak or set in for a few minutes. Once a couple minutes have passed, the sticker will come right off.

4. How to Remove Stickers From Glass or Plastic: Lemon Juice

How to remove sticker residue from glass
Here’s how to get stickers off glass easily with just a bit of lemon juice. (Photo: © Utopia - Lea Hermann)

Put some freshly squeezed lemon juice on a towel and dab the sticker with it lightly. The friction from the wiping motion together with the citric acid contained in the lemon juice will ensure the sticker peels off cleanly.

Since lemon juice is far more corrosive than rinsing with soap and water, you should only use this method on glass objects or plastic surfaces.

5. How to Get Stickers off Glass with Fatty Substances

When it comes to materials like glass or plastic, you can also try to remove the sticker with greasy or fatty substances. Do your best to remove a fraction or corner of the sticker and brush on either cooking oil, butter or magarine, as grease will help to dissolve glue from the surface.

Expose the one exposed corner and the oil and other fats will soak into the sticker and sticker residue better. After one hour you can easily get the sticker off the glass or different surface. Any leftover adhesive can be wiped off with a damp cloth.

6. Spirits Work on Stickers

You can easily remove stickers stuck to plastic surfaces with spirits. Soak an old cloth and wipe down the surface of the sticker a few times over. You can even get rid of sticky tape residues.

Did you know? Apart from helping you get stickers off glass, high-proof alcohol can also be used to make homemade hand sanitizer.

7. Rubber Erasers Remove Residue

You have tried the methods above but there is still sticker residue left? Then try to get the rest off your glass, plastic or wooden surface with a simple rubber eraser. Remember to clean the surface after you are done.

This article was translated by Evan Binford. You can view the original here: Aufkleber entfernen ohne Rückstände: So geht’s.

Important Information regarding Health-related Topics.

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