How To Remove Stickers From Any Surface - Home Made Simple

Well, we’re here to help you remove that sticker.

Read on for all our various recommended techniques for how to remove stickers (of which there are many), with tips for removing stickers (and their persistent residue!) from all sorts of specific materials, from wood and plastic to glass and metal.

9 tried-and-true tricks to remove stickers

1. White vinegar

• Soak a rag with white vinegar.
• Cover the offending sticky area with your vinegar-soaked rag.
• Let it soak for about 30 minutes.
• The sticker should wipe clean afterward—but if it doesn’t, gently scrape away any remaining residue with a razor scraper.

2. Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol

• Most alcohol-based products will dissolve sticker adhesive. (Nail polish remover or clear, unflavored vodka are good substitutes!)
• Soak a rag or paper towel in rubbing alcohol.
• Cover the sticker you want to remove with the alcohol-soaked rag.
• Let it sit for about 30 minutes.
• The sticker should wipe clean afterward—but if it doesn’t, gently scrape away any remaining residue with a razor scraper.

3. Washing soda

• Washing soda is great for removing labels from bottles, among other things. If you can safely and confidently submerge whatever it is you’re removing the sticker from in water, this is a good method.
• Fill a sink or bucket with warm water, add around 1/2 cup of washing soda and stir to combine.
• Soak the stickered item in the solution for about 30 minutes.
• The sticker should slough right off—but if it doesn’t, gently scrape away any remaining residue with a razor scraper.
• WTF is washing soda, anyway? It’s a chemical compound that removes stubborn stains from laundry and is a necessary component in most homemade laundry detergent (either in powder, liquid or single-pod formulas). It’s also sometimes used in ready-made detergent mixtures that treat hard water.
  • The chemical formula in washing soda is Na2CO3 (aka sodium carbonate).
  • Washing soda is not baking soda.

4. Hair dryer

• Heat from a hair dryer is one of the cleanest ways to remove stickers (especially old bumper stickers!).
• Turn on your hair dryer on low heat, and slowly, patiently blast it toward the sticker you wish to remove for about 30 seconds or until the sticker becomes pliable.
• That baby should peel right off—but if it doesn’t, gently scrape away any remaining residue with a razor scraper.

5. Peanut butter

• Peanut butter is actually super effective at dissolving sticker adhesive due to its high fat content.
• Smear a thick layer of peanut butter (we’d opt for smooth versus chunky) onto the sticker you want to remove.
• Let the peanut butter sit for about an hour.
• The sticker should peel right off—but if it doesn’t, gently scrape away any remaining residue with a razor scraper.

6. Baking soda and coconut oil

• Combine a few teaspoons baking soda with a few drops coconut oil (or any oil, really) to make a thick paste.
• Coconut oil saturates and loosens the adhesive, and baking soda helps to scrub it all away.
• Apply the paste to the unwanted sticker.
• Let it sit for about an hour.
• Scrub away the paste with a sponge or damp rag.
• The sticker should peel off with the paste—but if it doesn’t, gently scrape away any remaining residue with a razor scraper.

7. Pencil eraser

• For residual sticky bits after you’ve removed your sticker, try a rubber pencil eraser, which ought to drag away any residual adhesive from the object’s surface, allowing you to easily scrape it off.

8. Mayonnaise

• Mayo also has a super high fat content, like peanut butter.
• Just act like you’re making a turkey club, and spread a thick layer of (ideally full-fat) mayo onto the sticker.
• Let it sit for about 30 minutes.
• Wipe the mayo, sticker and adhesive clean off.
• Mayo works especially well on glass, but be careful if you’re using it on any painted surfaces, as it could damage the paint job.

9. Lemon essential oil

• Citrus oils are awesome for their degreasing properties, making them perfect for battling sticky residue.
• Apply a couple drops of lemon essential oil directly to the sticker.
• Let it sit for about 10 minutes.
• Wipe the sticker and adhesive away.
• Heads up: lemon oil can damage plastic!

How to remove stickers from glass

Just be careful not to scrape the glass! And best to finish with some ready-made or DIY glass cleaner for good measure.

Plastic scraper

• The risk of scratching or damaging the glass is considerably less with a plastic scraper, versus a metal one. You can even use the side of a credit card or a disposable plastic knife for this.
• For stubborn stickers, combine the plastic scraper method with one of the options below, whether it’s hot water, rubbing alcohol or peanut butter.

Hot water + dish soap