13 Ways To Easily Remove Stickers From Glass

Reusing glass jars and bottles is a great way to practice sustainability, and they can come in handy for various storage purposes or DIY projects. Pesky labels and stickers, as well as the adhesive residue they leave behind, are often difficult and frustrating to try to remove from repurposed or thrifted jars and bottles. If you've ever had a sticker stuck to a glass window in your home, the same frustrating conundrum presents itself. Scratching at the stickers with your fingernails doesn't usually do the job, leaving behind bits of paper and glue. Thankfully, there are tons of ways to peel off the labels and get rid of any sticky residue left behind. By using methods to loosen or soften the adhesive, the frustrating task of getting those stickers off will be made much simpler.

Rather than struggling to make your glass sticker-free, you can use simple tools to help scrub the label from your glass jars or surfaces, such as plastic scrapers, or you might apply heat or cold to change the behavior of the glue. For extremely stubborn labels with strong adhesive, using a solvent will release the glue from the glass, making it easier to clean. Whether you're trying to clean up glass bottles and jars or there's an annoying sticker on your second-hand mirror, these methods will help you take it off easily.

It may seem surprising, but using your hair dryer is the easiest way to remove stickers from glass. As you use this styling tool to blow hot air over the label, the heat softens the adhesive, allowing the sticker and glue to come off the glass without as much trouble. Though you'll still have to peel off the label and scrape away any remaining glue, you won't need to use nearly as much elbow grease. If you don't have a hair dryer, heat guns will also work well for this trick. Typically, in less than a minute the sticker will be able to be easily pulled from the glass.

To try this hack, position your hair dryer close to the sticker, using a medium heat setting. While you're warming the label, be mindful of how hot the glass is getting to prevent it from cracking. This is especially important if you're using a heat gun rather than a hair dryer, as they can become much hotter. After about 30 to 45 seconds, the adhesive will be looser, and the sticker will come right off. With very stubborn glue, you may have to warm it for up to two minutes. Once the label is gone, wash or scrub off any leftover residue.

Just like how the heat from your hair dryer will loosen label adhesive, you can easily remove stickers from glass with the help of a common cleaning essential. Steam cleaners also produce hot temperatures that change the consistency of the sticker's glue and make it much simpler to take the label off your glass. The heat as well as the moisture from the steam will help you remove stickers and clean off the adhesive in no time.

Because the steam will be hotter than the air from a blow dryer, you'll need to hold it further away from your glass, keeping at least a 6-inch distance. Steam your sticker in short bursts of about 10 to 15 seconds, ensuring the glass doesn't get too hot, as it may crack. Since the glass will be warm, be careful when you use a plastic scraper to gently take off the sticker and glue. If the glass is too hot, you may burn your hand or melt the scraper. Some steamers may have different settings, allowing you to choose a temperature setting. Medium or low settings will be sufficient for removing your stickers without harming your glass.

Another way to use heat to eliminate stuck labels on jars is by soaking the glass in hot water. While you want the water to be hot enough to soften the sticker and its adhesive, opting for boiling water could break your glass and may pose a burn risk. Using a little bit of dish soap in hot water will aid in removing the sticker and cleaning the glass at the same time. Though this method isn't as fast as a steamer or hair dryer, soaking your piece of glass is still a simple and easy option to get rid of stubborn labels.

After filling your sink or a basin with hot water and a drop of dish soap, simply set your glass item inside, ensuring the sticker is underwater. Allow it to soak for 10 to 15 minutes before wiping off the sticker and any residue. Alternatively, you can wet a clean cloth with hot water and lay it over the section of your glass with the label. This would be a good option if you're trying to remove a sticker from a larger piece of glass, like a large vase. Leave the damp cloth over the sticker for several minutes, peel the sticker, and use your rag to rub off any adhesive residue.

While heat is a simple way to remove stickers from glass items, it turns out that cold temperatures can also affect the adhesive and help you peel off tough, stuck-on labels. As the adhesive gets colder and freezes, it becomes hard and loses some of stickiness, helping you to simply pull it off the glass. Icing the label requires a bit more time than heating methods like steaming, but is gentler for more delicate pieces like antique glass.

For this sticker removal method, you'll need an ice pack or you can fill a small plastic bag with ice cubes from your freezer. Set the cold pack on top of the sticker and leave it for 5 to 15 minutes, until the label has frozen and the glue is stiff. Now, the sticker should peel right off, though using a scraper can also help you remove it. Scratch off any glue that's still stuck to the glass or wash it.

If you've tried heating or icing your sticker and are still having difficulty peeling it away from the glass, using a plastic scraper can be a great option to scratch off that pesky glue. While razor blades and other metal tools are sometimes recommended for extremely stubborn adhesive, you run the risk of scratching the glass. With plastic, you can scrape away with no fear of damaging your jar, mirror, or other glass items.

While plastic paint scrapers are a fantastic tool for scrubbing off tough stickers, any sturdy piece of plastic will get the job done. You might use an empty gift card, an old store loyalty card, or an expired credit card to give you leverage against that stuck-on label or price tag. Using only a plastic scraper to remove stickers may be a bit labor-intensive, but you can use your plastic tool in tandem with other methods like soaking the glass to make this chore much easier. After softening the glue with heat, ice, or a solvent, use your plastic card or scraper to scratch any remaining glue and paper off the glass.

When you've peeled most of the sticker off your glass but some of the glue just won't budge, a rubber pencil eraser will come to the rescue. As you work the eraser over the sticker, the texture of the rubber causes the glue to roll together and bunch up. This gathers the adhesive together so that it's not as difficult to pull it off the glass. With a regular rubber pencil eraser, you can erase the remnants of bothersome stickers.

Rather than trying to scrape off bits of the label, move your rubber eraser in circles over the stuck-on adhesive. Eventually, the pieces of glue will start to fall off. Though this method is rather simple, you will end up having to clean up some eraser shavings. While an eraser would be helpful for items like glass jars, it could harm the surface of more fragile pieces, like antique glass. Since erasers work best for the adhesive residue left behind by stickers, you may want to try another option for removing most of the paper label first.

Once you've removed the majority of an annoying sticker, there are often bits of adhesive that are troublesome to get off the glass. If you don't have an eraser, masking tape will also grab that sticky residue and pull it from your bottle, jar, or mirror, though it will usually take several passes to get all of the glue. This technique works best when there's only a small amount of adhesive remaining on the glass. While duct tape is also sometimes recommended, it's a lot stronger than masking tape and could take off paint or protective coatings on more delicate items or leave additional gummy remnants.

To start pulling that adhesive from your glass, stick a piece of masking tape over the residue, pressing it into the glue. Quickly rip the tape off, and some of the glue will come with it. Continue sticking the tape onto the surface of your glass item and pulling it away until all of the adhesive is gone. With more durable pieces of glass like food jars that are being repurposed, you might consider using duct tape instead if the glue is particularly stubborn.

When stickers and their glue are totally stuck to your glass bottle or jar, a plastic scraper might not always be enough to easily remove that sticky residue. Steel wool can be a good tool for scrubbing off label adhesive and bits of paper, but you'll need to use caution to avoid scratching the glass. Extra-fine grade steel wool is sometimes recommended for cleaning glass and taking off paint, making it a strong option against pesky stickers.

To try this method, soak your steel wool in soap and water before you start scrubbing away at the sticker on your glass. Since steel wool is an abrasive, it's important to only press gently when scrubbing. Carefully wash your glass with the steel wool and soapy water, applying a little pressure over the label and adhesive. If you're working with a more delicate piece of glass, like a mirror, you may want to choose another method that doesn't run the risk of scratching the surface of the item.

When manual techniques aren't enough to loosen the adhesive and remove the label or price tag from your glass jar or vase, using a solvent will make it much easier to take off the stickers. Surprisingly, removing stickers from glass is a breeze with a common toolkit essential, WD-40. Though it's often used as a lubricant to deal with issues like squeaky hinges, WD-40 also acts as a solvent against glue, dissolving the sticky residue on your glass. Because WD-40 is made of chemicals, you may want to wear goggles or gloves while working with it, and you should never use it on containers or dishes that will hold food.

While other methods involve scrubbing or scraping away the sticker, you can simply spray some WD-40 onto the label, and leave it for about 5 to 10 minutes. Depending on the strength of the adhesive, you may need to wait up to 20 minutes. Once the WD-40 has had time to start eating away at the glue, pull off the sticker and use a clean rag to wipe away any leftover residue. After applying this greasy lubricant to your glass, wash it in soap and water to remove the WD-40.

If you're tired of scrubbing and scraping away at stuck-on labels, you can say goodbye to ugly stickers on glass with this common household staple. Rubbing alcohol (also known as isopropyl alcohol) is a fantastic ingredient for banishing labels and adhesives from your glass because it works as a solvent and causes the glue to start deteriorating. Once the rubbing alcohol has taken away some of the adhesive's sticky power, you can easily pull the label or price tag from your glass. Whether you need to take off the whole sticker or you've already removed most of it but are struggling with some remaining glue, rubbing alcohol is a great solution.

Start by soaking a paper towel, rag, or even a cotton ball in isopropyl alcohol and placing it over the label. Within 20 minutes, the alcohol will have started breaking down the glue. If you notice that your paper towel or cloth is drying out before the alcohol can have an effect, placing plastic wrap over it can help slow the alcohol's evaporation. Now, you can simply grab the sticker from your glass and use your rag to wipe off any remaining adhesive. If the glue still isn't coming off easily, try treating it with alcohol again or using a plastic scraper for the adhesive as well before rinsing with water.

Like rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover is actually a brilliant hack that'll remove stickers from your glass items. Many nail polish removers contain acetone, which is a strong chemical that is also a solvent. Just like how these beauty products will take that durable gel polish off your nails, the acetone in them will also dissolve sticker adhesive, allowing you to easily peel the labels off your glass. If the nail polish remover you already have at home doesn't contain acetone, it may not be effective.

Removing stickers from glass with nail polish remover is very similar to the rubbing alcohol method. Wet a cloth or paper towel with your acetone based nail polish remover, making sure it's totally soaked, and lay it atop the sticker. After 10 to 20 minutes, scrub off the sticker and any glue, using more polish remover if necessary for stuck-on adhesive. If there are still pieces of glue stuck to your glass, you can use a plastic scraper along with your polish remover to make this chore even easier. If you plan to use your glass item for food, make sure to wash it thoroughly in hot, soapy water before using.

Plastic scrapers are often recommended for removing stickers from glass because sharper tools like razor blades have the potential to scratch the surface; however, some extremely stuck-on stickers with powerful adhesives might be difficult to scrub away with just a plastic tool. If you're struggling to peel off a label despite other methods, scraping with a razor blade can be a good choice, especially for more durable glass or objects that you don't mind having a few scratches on.

Rather than scraping back and forth like you would with a plastic card, you'll only want to push the razor blade against the glass in one direction. Make sure that you start with a brand new blade to ensure it's very sharp and will have an easier time removing the sticker. Hold the blade at a slight angle, being very gentle as you move it across the glass. After getting the sticker off, there may still be some adhesive that you'll need to clean with a solvent.

Though it might not seem like cooking oil could be helpful against annoying adhesive labels, it turns out that you can easily remove stickers from glass jars using this kitchen essential. Surprisingly, various cooking oils, including olive oil, coconut oil, and other vegetable oils, work well at dissolving glues. Though they're not as strong as solvents like alcohol or WD-40, cooking oils can be a helpful, natural way to clean labels and their adhesive from your glass. If you combine your oil of choice with baking soda, the slight abrasiveness of the sodium bicarbonate will help to scrub off the sticker as well.

To remove stickers from glass with cooking oil, try simply rubbing the greasy liquid onto the label and waiting for about 15 minutes before scrubbing. Alternatively, combine equal amounts of your oil and baking soda, apply the paste to your glass, and give it about the same amount of time. If you're still having trouble getting the adhesive off, scrape the rest of it with your plastic scraping tool or a scouring pad.