Last week we offered Part 1 of the onslaught of suggestions we received from Forum readers with solutions to the sticky label problem. Here are more of those clever suggestions:
The third most popular degunker is De-Solv-It, recommended by seven readers. Bill Mumaw of Everett tells us, “The solvent De-Solv-It works quite well for those labels that won’t come clean with water. I’ve also used WD-40, lightweight oil, cooking oil, butter, etc. for cleaning off adhesives, but De-Solv-It seems to work quicker. After using it, the remaining residue can be washed off with soap and water.”
Faithful helper-outer Clifton Leatherwood writes, “De-Solv-It is a great product – easy on the hands and anything you are working on, too, but it will remove the glue. I’ve found any product like this works better if you fill the jar with hot water and let it stand a bit … a few minutes … to sort of soften the glue by the heat of the water, then go to work. If you’re long on time and short on patience, after it’s softened, give it a good squirt, cover with paper towel, squirt again and let it soak in, then come back and go to it. A hard plastic scraper, like an old credit card, will help, but mostly I just use my hands and nails – something someone may not want to do. There are similar products available, though I’ve not found them to work as well.”
Other De-Solv-It-ers are Helen Clifford of Everett; Becky Madsen of Lake Stevens; Marysville reader Carol Johnson; Noelle Vitalich of Snohomish; and Dorothy Filer of Stanwood.
Next up is that product nearly as widely used and important as duct tape. Good old WD-40. Tom Duren writes, “During my normal Thursday Herald.net search using “kruse’ and looking for Wayne’s articles on fishing and/or fishing reports, I ran across the gunk removal thing. My suggestion for cleaning labels and price tags is WD-40.” He says it will remove lots of things, including tree sap from gift packages under the Christmas tree, and tape residue from scissors, too.
Lu Ogle over there in Freeland, Vickie Mongar of Marysville, Sandy McCalib of Mountlake Terrace and a Nice Guy who forgot to give his name, also say WD-40 is the ticket to successful label removal. They recommend saturating the label or residue with the product, then letting it stand from 5 minutes to “a while,” before scraping or peeling if off. They also say this process may need repeating several times.
Both Imogene Knightall of Everett and Gaylene Filipiak of Stanwood recommend nail polish remover for removing labels and the sticky residue.
“Try using acetone,” Everett reader Greg Smith says. “I’ve found it successfully attacks all types of glues and adhesives. I normally apply it with cotton balls.
“Keep in mind this is pretty caustic stuff. Wear rubber gloves and use it in a well-ventilated area. But also apply it liberally – it evaporates very quickly.”
Rubbing alcohol might even do the goo removal trick. It works for Kathy Panfili of Everett, who writes, “I buy jumbo, double-size bottles of rubbing alcohol at a major wholesaler. I remove as much label as possible, then pour the alcohol in a shallow pan and soak the item. For items that can’t be soaked, I use a cotton ball dampened in the alcohol and keep blotting the gooey items until it rubs off. I also use rubbing alcohol on a cloth to polish all of my stainless steel items. It removes grease and adds a shine to toasters, oven doors, canisters and whatever, too.”
R.D. Craig of Everett and Jim Chalupnik of Edmonds also use rubbing alcohol. If that fails, Craig then uses Goof Off or “an old rag with a little gas on it.” Chalupnik tells us, “Recently, I came across a product that wasn’t fazed by either alcohol or fingernail polish remover, but I removed the persistent gunk with Aero Gloss hot-fuel-proof-dop thinner (methyl isobutyl ketone). You can buy this product at model and hobby shops.”
Now for the final eight readers, who also have some suggestions on the subject. Nancy Bulle of Arlington says, “My husband uses paint thinner or gasoline to remove sticky residue on jars after the label has been removed.”
Snohomish reader Mary Yagelowich writes, “I use this method successfully on large plastic jars which I convert into storage canisters. Works on glass, too. Soak jar in a sinkful of warm soapy water until label can be easily lifted off. Dry off with a paper towel. Apply either toluene (available in quarts at most hardware stores) or charcoal lighter fluid. Rub and scrape lightly, and the gunk should clean up easily onto a paper towel. Do not breathe fumes! Keep away from flames!”
We hear from Audrey Elledge of Everett, “Pour some Old English lemon oil on a paper towel, rub over the affected area well. Let sit a few minutes, then use the same paper towel to rub the gunk off. Wash well in hot soapy water to remove the oil, and it’s gone like magic.”
Marysville reader Bernie Fleming (he’s the guy who calls himself “chief cook and bottle washer husband”) says, “Buy a can of Formby’s conditioning furniture refinisher (available at Lowe’s). This takes all the gunk off and will also remove printed labels from plastic containers. Wear gloves and be well ventilated. Or use spray-on Goof Off. It’s more expensive, but it also works fairly well. Once again, gloves and good ventilation.”
KLIX is the product relied on by Rosie Batchelder of Everett. “This is the best thing I have found for cleaning such residues,” she says. “It does not injure plastic, and I like it for cleaning peanut butter jars, etc., for storage. It’s a solvent product put out by Acme Automotive Finishes, but we are having a problem finding it.”
Vicky Paulson, formerly of Everett but now of Lake Stevens, tells us, “The only true success I have had in removing goo and gunk has been with Avon’s Skin So Soft bath oil. I moisten a facial tissue with just enough bath oil to cover the label. Then I place the tissue over the label and give the label sufficient time to absorb the oil. The labels come off with ease. The bath oil also works great in removing the gray, gunky, residual adhesive that bandages leave on kids’ knees, elbows and wherever. The same principle applies – sufficient time for the gunk to absorb enough bath oil to loosen it from the skin. The oil hasn’t failed me yet, and it smells so good. I admit that I have not tried any of the professional gunk removers available. The bath oil is an inexpensive solution and has lasted me for about 15 years!”
Stanwood reader Margaret H. Logen says, “Energine Spot Remover works instantly for the removal of the gunky adhesive used to hold labels on jars and bottles. I always have a little can stashed away for this purpose and other uses.”
The next Forum appears Friday in the Time Out section.
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