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Clean break from sticker residue

How to remove sticker adhesive (while keeping your fingernails!)

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How annoying! You buy something new, and you can’t get the label off. Learn how to remove sticker residue in the article below, and then enjoy your purchase.

Removing price stickers and labels 101

Price stickers, labelling, decorative and commemorative stickers...there are many types of stickers and sticker glue. That being the case, there’s more than one way to remove sticker residue. We’ll present a series of methods you can try when you need to remove stickers.

Of course, some will peel away easily with just your fingers, but when they don’t, try the following methods.

A person rubs a cloth over a barcode sticker on a plastic bowl.
Hot water and soap can help you to get the sticker residue off bowls and other household items

Best way to remove stickers: Step by step

First of all, we want to try our best not to scratch or damage the surface we are removing the sticker from. Always try the least abrasive method first and gradually progress to more aggressive strategies if necessary.

To begin with, try removing the sticker by hand if possible, peeling off as much of the paper as you can.

If the label or sticker is tough to remove, try wetting it with some hot water. Once it has soaked through the paper, it should be easier to remove. Acetone or nail polish remover may work if water doesn’t do the trick.

Once you have removed as much of the label or sticker as you can, it’s time to get the sticker residue off.

A person's hands using a hairdryer on a plastic box with a barcode sticker.
Another method to remove sticker residue is to heat the adhesive, for example with a hairdryer

How to get sticker residue off

Hot water and soap or detergent will remove sticker glue in many cases. Just soak the area and peel away or use a non-abrasive pad or cloth to wipe away the residue.

Sometimes heat will do the trick. Try blowing some hot air from a hair dryer on the spot and see if the glue starts to soften. If so, a plastic scraper may remove it.

Rubbing alcohol or denatured alcohol will also work well as a sticker remover. Once you’ve poured some rubbing alcohol on a cloth, leave it to soak on the area for a few minutes, and then scrub the residue away.

Other types of sticker glues respond to oils. Spray lubricants or even cooking oils like canola oil and olive oil may help to soften the glue for removal.

If you’ve tried the above methods and can’t seem to get sticker residue off an item, we recommend glue remover. It will help to remove glue from badly bonded items and stained surfaces as well as decals, labels, price stickers, and sticker residue. It also might work well on ink and marker pen stains and stained fabric.

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