This post was originally published on December 22, 2020.
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I’m sure you can relate. We all have jars we keep because we’re frugal and they make good second uses. You know, for things like homemade treats or leftover broth or even pickle juice. Keeping the used jars from the foods you buy is practical and a money saver.
There are just two issues when you collect these used glass pieces. The first is where to store them. Which, perhaps, we’ll tackle one day. The other is removing that sticky goo from those perfectly good glass containers.
This is something I’ve been wanting to tackle because, why not? I like the frugality and pragmatism of repurposing practical things. Harkens back to the resourcefulness of my fore-mothers during times of lack. It’s a practice as old as time, reusing something you’ve found useful before.
I also wanted to find ways to remove the sticky residue by clean means. Sure, harsh chemicals can probably resolve the issue pretty easily and quickly. But, I’m becoming more mindful of what I bring into my home and how it affects my health. We don’t really know how inhaling certain chemicals can affect us down the road and so I’m beginning to limit my exposure to those chemicals by finding other cleaning products that won’t add to the toxicity in my home environment.
After some research, I found these five clean methods for removing the sticky residue that’s left over from labels:
Rubbing alcohol
Lemon essential oil
White vinegar
Coconut MCT oil
Witch hazel
Rubbing Alcohol: 91% Isopropyl alcohol is better than 70%. However, 99% is even better. You can find 99% at a beauty supply store. For this application I used the 91%.
I used this on a metal lid and it was fairly easy to remove. It still required some scraping with my nail but the rubbing alcohol cleaned all the residue off so that it was as though there had never been any.
Lemon Essential oil: This one smelled the prettiest. I used it on a relatively larger area of left over label and because of that, I wouldn’t recommend this as a method for large areas. The reason being, you would need to use quite a bit to remove the residue to satisfaction and that can be costly. However, the lemon EO did remove the residual sticky stuff pretty sufficiently. Like with the rubbing alcohol, this method also requires elbow grease. I used a cotton makeup applicator swab to rub off the residue and found that the fine tip end was very good at getting in all the crevices of the molded design of the glass.
White vinegar: This method worked ok. It still required a lot of elbow grease and some additional soaking of the label in hot soapy water. It didn’t get all of the sticky goo off, however, which was frustrating.
Coconut MCT Oil: For this method, I allowed a few minutes for the oil to soak into the label. It again required elbow grease, scraping, and more soaking. However, it did not remove the residue in its entirety to reveal a squeaky clean clear glass jar.
Witch Hazel: First, saturate a cotton ball or cotton pad. Then apply to the area, allowing the witch hazel to soak in. You will need to use elbow grease and allow some additional soaking with warm soapy water.
If you’re looking for a method to peel off the label in full, I’m sorry to say that these clean methods are not it. All require elbow grease and something to scrape away the excess paper and sticky residue.
For larger surfaces, it helps to soak in hot soapy water to help the label paper and glue to lift. I liked using the coconut mct oil to do an initial soak of the area and then follow it with the rubbing alcohol to really get it squeaky clean.
Also, make allowances that in order to get all of the sticky goo off and clean the glass to a clear shine, it may take multiple times of whichever method you choose because some sticky residues are more stubborn than others.
In any case, you’ll have the satisfaction of saving money by reusing those Costco olive jars and also knowing you’re cleaning your home with healthy and clean ingredients. Winning all around!
Enjoy and have a happy, safe and love-filled Christmas, friends!
