Monday 4 November 2013

Sticky Bloody Labels!

Some labels just peal off after a short soak in warm water, leaving nothing behind.
Some, however, need to heated and reduced back down to sand and then remade into a glass jar to remove that sticky residue that's covering half the jar.
Is it wrong that with really tricky jars I just put them in recycling instead of getting frustrated trying to remove a label that's harder than an engraving? Either that or any secret tips or short cuts to success?

23 comments:

  1. Turps ! works every time.
    Just soak an old rag in turps and rub gently over the sticky part and it will come clean away. For stubborn areas, just repeat after a short time.
    Soak the jars/containers well afterwards to get rid of the smell.

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  2. Guess you use them for home produced preserves?
    I get some like this, just sellotape a label over the top of them.

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    1. Yeah sometimes I don't bother and just use them for my own stuff but if I give some away or sell it I like it to look a little posher!

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  3. With me, if it doesn't come off easily, it doesn't come off PERIOD!

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  4. I scrape off as much as possible with a flat blade, soak in hot water and scrape again and then a spot of white spirit on a rag.

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  5. I usually boil them. That does for most of them then a wipe with a solvent to get rid of any adhesive residue.

    What I really hate is buying a boxful of fragile crystal glasses and every one of them has a manufacturer's label stuck to it with an adhesive so strong it would glue Teflon to the sides of nuclear submarines.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, anything you buy and know that the lable has to come should be easy peel. Like the lables on glass for windows - its not going to stay there, as people like to look out their windows, so why do they use such strong glue!

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  6. I soak them...if the labels don't come off ,they get chucked in the recycling.
    Jane x

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    Replies
    1. Thats what I've been doing, just wondering if there is another way!

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  7. A sharp knife lubricated with wash up liquid works on most things (soak in hot water first)

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  8. I know, so frustrating! I soak them in hot water, scrape off as much as I can with a butter knife, then rub a few drops of lemon essential oil on and wipe off the gunk! Works like a charm most of the time.

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    Replies
    1. Lemon essential oil sounds more food safe than the slovents others have said maybe I'll try and pick some up to try it

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  9. Here we have a product called Goo Gone. Amazing at removing labels,stickers etc. ! Orange Oil works pretty good too.

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  10. I use 'Sticky Stuff Remover', it seems expensive at around £4 a bottle, but it lasts for years and works a treat, once the paper label has soaked off or the filmy one peeled off, simply wipe a couple of times with this and it dissolves all residue, et voila one jar ready for home preserves.

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    Replies
    1. Might be worth a go then, I'll see if the "home" remeides work first though

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  11. Through trial and error I've found a good soak to get rid of the paper bit, followed by a dollop of cheap washing up liquid smeared over the gunk plus a good scrub with a brillo pad does the trick. Gunk gone!

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    Replies
    1. I've scrubbed and scrubbed with some of these and still no good!

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  12. I find hot water inside with the lid on and soak the full bottle in hot soapy water gets off most labels - some are just not going to come off though and I put those in the recycling. :)

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