How to Unstick Any Sticker

Witch Hazel

Your son has moved on from his Thomas the Tank Engine phase, but the stickers are still hanging around on his toy box. After you peel them off, dissolve that sticky residue with a cotton ball soaked in witch hazel—an inexpensive astringent found at most drugstores. Hold it on the spot for a few minutes, and then rub the goo away.

Rubbing Alcohol

If you’re having trouble removing a pesky label, just soak the spot in rubbing alcohol. Leave on for up to a minute, then wipe right off. Don’t have any rubbing alcohol? The kind of alcohol you drink—like vodka, rum, or gin—works well, too.

Oil

To get rid of duct tape residue, simply rub with vegetable or olive oil. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, then wipe up. The residue should be much easier to scrape off with the rough side of a kitchen sponge and some warm water.

Hair Dryer

You want to reuse a shipping box, but you can’t remove the pesky UPS label. To get rid of stubborn shipping labels of any sort, use a hair dryer. Run it over the label for several minutes, then peel right off. The heat warms the adhesive, making it less sticky.

DIY Label Remover

Many store-bought household items come with pesky price stickers and other labels that are tough to remove cleanly. If you’re anything like us, you’ve scrubbed, scratched, and scraped at the adhesives—to no avail. That’s why we love this easy-peasy DIY label remover. Just combine one part vegetable oil with two parts baking soda and stir to form a paste. Using your fingers or a paper towel or cloth, rub the paste onto the label until it starts to come off. The oil helps dissolve the sticky stuff, while the baking soda provides the necessary abrasion to rub it right off.

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Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.