Plastic Scraper
Remove as much of the residue as you can with a straight edge. If you don’t have a plastic scraper, you can use an old gift card or any flat piece of plastic. Angle the edge of the plastic at a 45-degree angle to the surface and gently pull up the sticker. If you can’t get all of it, that’s okay! Just remove as much as you can. If you don’t mind scratching the surface (maybe you plan on sanding and painting the item), you can use a metal scraper, instead.
Hot Water
Hot water will soften the residue to make it easy to remove. If the entire item is waterproof, fill a bucket or small container with hot water and submerge the item for a few minutes. If you want to minimize the exposure to water, soak a rag in warm water and blot the sticker. Then, remove the sticker and residue with your finger or a plastic scraper. Try rubbing the sticker before breaking out the scraper. A lot of the time you don’t need anything sharp after softening the sticker.
Hairdryer
If you want to avoid liquids, use heat to soften the sticker gunk. Plug a hairdryer in and apply heat to the sticker residue. Use the highest heat setting and hold the hairdryer 1–4 inches (2.5–10.2 cm) away from the sticker. After 1-2 minutes, turn the heat off and tap the surface quickly to determine if it’s cool enough to touch. Once it is, peel the sticker off and remove the gunk with a scraper or by hand.
Distilled White Vinegar
White vinegar is a phenomenal, safe, and natural option. Soak a paper towel or rag in white vinegar and set it on top of the sticker residue. Wait around 5 minutes to give the vinegar time to eat away the adhesive. Then, use a plastic scraper or old gift card to wear away any remaining gunk. Spot test the vinegar on an inconspicuous spot if the sticker is in a visible area. It shouldn’t harm plastic, glass, or wood, though.
Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is the ideal option for plastic surfaces. Rubbing alcohol shouldn’t damage or leave a mark on plastic. Wet a cloth or paper towel with rubbing alcohol and gently wipe the residue. It should come up freely with some gentle pressure. Wash any remaining residue off with warm water.
Commercial Cleaners
Most household cleaners will erode sticker residue. Basically any commercial household cleaner (like Windex, Lysol, or GooGone) contains a mild solvent to make the cleaning process easier. This solvent should have enough juice to remove sticker residue. Spritz the sticker area with your cleaner of choice, wait a minute, and then scrape or wipe it away. Spot-test the cleaner in an inconspicuous area if you’re worried about damage or discoloration. If you are really struggling to get residue off, 3M makes a product explicitly designed to remove sticker gunk called Adhesive Remover.
Toothpaste
Toothpaste is a solid choice if the surface is textured. If you have an old toothbrush lying around and the sticker residue is on a kind of awkward or uneven surface, squirt a little toothpaste on the area. Wet an old toothbrush and scrub the residue. Rinse the surface under water and repeat the process as needed until the residue is gone.
Baking Soda
For a totally inert option, use a baking soda paste. If not leaving a mark is of the utmost importance to you, a baking soda paste is probably your best option. Mix 1-part water with 1-part baking soda to make a thick paste. Apply the paste to the sticker residue and wait at least 15 minutes. Then, use a damp cloth to wipe away the paste and residue.
Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is ideal for wood or sensitive glass. The natural oils in peanut butter will soften the sticker residue without putting any significant pressure on the material with the sticker on it. Scoop some peanut butter up, cover the residue, and wait a few minutes. Then, use a clean cloth to rub off the peanut butter and the sticker residue off. Oil is a solvent for the polymers in the sticker adhesive. Peanut butter oil is basically the softest oil you’ll have around, so it’s a good starting point if the item is sensitive.
Vodka
If you don’t have rubbing alcohol, flavorless vodka is a good substitute. Flavored vodka may leave an odd odor behind—or even potentially damage the surface of the material. Traditional stuff is basically the same thing as rubbing alcohol, though. Pour a little vodka into a rag or cloth and rub the residue away.
WD-40
WD-40 will erode tougher residue that won’t come up. WD-40 spray displaces moisture, which makes it ideal at sucking the stickiness out of price tag residue. Spritz a little WD-40 directly on the sticker, wait a few minutes, and then wipe the residue and WD-40 away. You may want to spot-test the WD-40 on an inconspicuous area first before you use it on the sticker residue if the sticker is in a super noticeable area.
Seed Oil
Canola oil and olive oil are perfect organic options. If you want to use an organic oil but peanut butter isn’t cutting it, any seed oil may be slightly more efficient. Pour a little canola, olive, or avocado oil on top of the sticker residue. Wait a few seconds and then work the oil into the residue with a cloth. Keep wiping the surface until the residue is gone and wipe away the oil.
Rubber Eraser
If the residue can’t be pried up, rub it with an eraser. Grab a pencil and use the eraser to gently stroke the remaining residue on the item where the sticker used to be. Since scraping the residue couldn’t do the trick, the gentle friction from the eraser should help wear the material away. The eraser may wear away a little bit of color if you’re working with unsealed ceramic and it happens to be painted. If a standard eraser doesn’t do the trick, a Magic Eraser might. Just be aware that the melamine foam may scratch your material.
Iron
If you have sticker residue on fabric, heat it up with an iron. Lay the fabric out on an ironing board and set two layers of paper towel over the residue. Pre-heat an iron on high and set it on the paper towels where the gunk is. Let the iron heat for 5-10 seconds and remove it alongside the paper towels. Then, peel the sticker adhesive up by hand. The softened residue will come up with little effort. If this doesn’t work, try using distilled white vinegar. It won’t stain your clothes and may soften up the residue more than heat.
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