I came across some really stubborn labels on glass jars that I wanted to reuse for my pantry items as well as for some water kefir that I am brewing. I looked up some tips and tricks on the Internet and found that some of the recommendations were either to use chemicals or something really messy. I decided to forgo the WD-40 and the peanut butter (which I love and couldn't bear to use to remove some of this gummy stuff off of my bottles), and came up with this hybrid method.
Ingredients
baking soda
vegetable oil (any kind will do)
Method
This method is free of chemicals and uses the stuff that is probably already around the house and you don't have to measure anything, which for me is always a plus. I usually soak the bottles in hot water to remove as much of the label as possible with a butter knife. Then I fill the bottle with hot water and close it with the lid for easier handling. Then I just put a little bit of oil on my fingertips and apply it to the surface of the bottle. The heat from the water warms the glass and because "like dissolves like" the oil helps to loosen the sticky, warmed up residue. I usually let the bottle stand for a few minutes before using my sponge with some baking soda on it to gently remove the residue. If the process is slow going you can add a bit more oil, use a bit more baking soda or use a rougher surface. Sometimes I have to rinse off the sponge really well in the middle of the process since the oil and baking soda can clog it up, and a rougher surface works the best to remove this pesky stuff. The final step is to rinse your bottle with soap and water.
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