How To Remove Sticker Residue (6 Easy Ways)

Do you love repurposing items for your DIY or craft projects? But do you hate having to remove those annoying stickers? Here are 6 ways to easily remove stickers and that stubborn residue.

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Stickers or labels are on everything. And if you are a DIY or craft guy or gal, then sometimes you need to figure out ways to remove the labels easily. Using items you already have is our favorite type of DIY cleaning.

Here are 6 different DIY ways that you can easily remove stickers. We are testing our sticker removal processes on wine bottles because:

• we have a lot of those
• they are great to repurpose in crafts and DIY projects (like our anniversary decorations)

5 DIY Sticker Removal Hacks Video

Option 1: Soak with Baking Soda

*We have a whole post on this exact method and video.

1. Add 5-10 tablespoons of baking soda to warm water.
2. Soak the item for 30 minutes and make sure the label is submerged completely.
3. Use fingers, scrappers, or old credit/gift cards to easily get rid of sticker residue.
4. Wipe clean.

Option 2: Soak with OxyClean

Repeat the steps above but use Oxyclean instead of baking soda.

Option 3: Boiling Hot Water

1. Boil water.
2. Fill the sink with boiling water and a few dish detergent drops.
3. Fill the wine bottle first with warm water and place it in the sink with boiling water. Be careful not to burn yourself.
4. Soak for 15 minutes.
5. Scrape away the sticker with your fingers, plastic scraper or old credit/gift card.

Option 4: Soak a Paper Towel with Rubbing Alcohol & Water

1. Wet a paper towel and add rubbing alcohol.
2. Lay paper towel on top of label.
3. Leave for 5-10 minutes.
4. Scrape away the sticker with your fingers, plastic scraper or old credit/gift card.

Option 5: Soak A Paper Towel with Vinegar & Water

(same steps as Rubbing alcohol but using vinegar)

1. Wet a paper towel and add vinegar.
2. Lay a paper towel on top of the label.
3. Leave for 5-10 minutes.
4. Scrap away the sticker with your fingers, plastic scraper, or old credit/gift card.

Need another way to clean with vinegar? Check out how our outdoor space looks now!

Option 6: Use Goo Gone

1. Try to pull as much as the label off.
2. Spray Goo Gone on sticker residue.
3. Leave for 5 minutes.
4. Scrape away the sticker with your fingers, plastic scraper or old credit/gift card.
5. Use a green sponge or steel wool if necessary.

What products can you buy to help get rid of sticker residue?

We have also used a product called Goof Off before. We prefer Goo Gone on simpler projects and Goof Off if have stubborn caulk or something like that. Goof Off tends to be a little smellier and harsher on your skin.

What is the best way to remove a sticker?

Honestly, all work pretty well. I definitely would not be making a trip to the store to get any one specific ingredient if I already had another. The biggest thing I learned was that using a cheap, old plastic card as a scraper is a must. Our coupon card really worked well for us.

If I had to pick the easiest label removal system, I would most likely go with rubbing alcohol. I only had to wait five minutes for it to soak and was easily able to scrap the label off. While I always like using vinegar as a more natural ingredient, the sticker did not come off as easily.

I wanted to like the boiling water one, but it definitely was hard to get the sticker residue off. The sticker itself came off pretty easily but left a little more elbow grease.

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More DIY Cleaning Posts

• Best Homemade Vinyl Siding Cleaner
• DIY Brass Cleaner Idea
• How To Remove Carpet Glue From Concrete

Now we can’t wait to start using these clean wine bottles for fun DIY crafts and projects.

Next time you have a stubborn sticker to remove you will have to remember these household hacks!