Remove Sticky Label Glue from Glass with Homemade Goo Gone
One of my favorite little DIY tricks is to make my own goo gone from a simple 2-ingredient mixture of baking soda and oil. And my favorite way to use this handy homemade goo gone is to remove that frustrating label residue when I’m trying to clean and recycle glass jars. It works every time!
How To Make Your Own Goo Gone
To make your own goo gone you’ll need only two ingredients. You’ll need some baking soda and some oil. I usually use olive oil because that’s what I have around, but you could also use vegetable oil.
You can make your homemade goo gone in any size batch too. Just follow the formula of using twice as much baking soda as you do oil (2 parts baking soda to 1 part oil).
I usually just make a small batch as needed when I want to clean a few jars, so I usually mix 2 teaspoons of baking soda with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. This will give you a thin smooth paste to work with.
Once I have my mixture stirred together, I start cleaning my jars. I just dab a little bit of my homemade goo gone onto a cleaning cloth, and rub it around on the part of the jar that needs cleaning. It takes just a bit of scrubbing but you should see your sticky label residue starting to come off.
And then after your few minutes of scrubbing, you’ll be rewarded with a nice clean jar that you can use for your homemade mixtures. Yay!
This has been my go-to strategy for several years now. If I want to recycle a glass jar, just washing it with soap and water and scraping the label off will get rid of the paper part of the label. But if you really want a sparkling clean jar, this homemade goo gone works perfectly and gets rid of any of that annoying sticky stuff left behind on a jar. Here’s another photo of some jars I cleaned a few years ago.
If you like to make your own stuff (like me!) then having extra recycled jars and bottles around comes in super handy. And yes, this homemade goo gone can clean little plastic spice bottles that I want to recycle too. Give it a try and you won’t be disappointed! Here are a few more of my recycled jars being used for these DIY recipes:
- Homemade Everything But The Bagel Seasoning
- Homemade Taco Sauce
- Homemade Mod Podge
- Homemade Cinnamon Sink Scrub
Homemade Goo Gone
Materials:
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp oil (vegetable, olive, etc.)
Instructions:
- Place the baking soda in a small bowl.
- Add the oil and stir to mix. It should be the consistency of a thin, smooth paste.
- Dip an edge of paper toweling or an old cloth into your homemade goo gone mixture, and rub it around on the sticky area, scrubbing as you go to work on removing the sticky residue. Repeat this process until you have removed all the sticky residue.
- Then wash your item with soap and water and wipe dry. If you see any remaining spots of sticky residue, repeat the process.
Notes:
I use peanut butter to remove sticky label residue from containers I want to re-use. Just spread it over the sticky residue, wait a few minutes then wipe off with a paper kitchen towel
Yes, the natural oils in peanut butter can work to remove residue too!
I have tried oil only and it has worked pretty well sometimes, but not other, which has been frustrating. Now I will add baking soda and try this the next time I want to save a little jar (I also have a little stash of empty jars for recipes and projects) 🤗 Thanks!
A stash of little jars has come in so handy for me many times!
I tried this but it didn’t work until I added a little lemon juice to the mixture…then it worked perfectly.
Have you ever tried this on plastic containers, medicine jars etc? I have usually been able to get the residue off the glass (albeit a looong soak in water) but plastic? I get no where.
I’ve had some success on plastic, but not always. This mixture does work better on glass.
Thanks Bev! This really works! I’ve been using the homemade goo gone for a couple of years now.
One added benefit-after cleaning up, I enjoy massaging any leftover olive oil into my hands as if it were hand cream!
You’re right Sheila – olive oil can indeed be a homemade hand moisturizer!
Instead of paper towel or cloth, try a single-edge razor blade.
Thank you Beverly! I too love those Better than Bouillon jars for storage but the labels are such work to remove! I have never seen this recipe before so you made my day! I was lead to you by a Pinterest Pick sent me on Making String Christmas Trees, so glad I found you!
I have used oily peanut butter when I needed something with more adhesion and less run off on a vertical surface.
what a great suggestion! Thank you for writing this up 🙂
Worked like a charm. THANK YOU!!!
Coconut oil works good too
A good alternative to this approach is WD40 (will not damage plastics that are sensitive to Goo-Gone etc). Clean or peel away any pieces of label possible. Saturate the area with WD40, let remain for an hour or more, apply more and wipe with paper towel. Second and sometimes third application is necessary to throughly remove all adhesive. Wash with quality dish detergent (Dawn, etc).
I too have found it takes repeat applications with WD-40. I find an old cloth like a sock works better than paper towels at pulling the adhesive free once dissolved. A lot of people use it as a lubricant on squeaky hinges and such. I would discourage that. If you have ever used it to clean grease and oil residue from your hands after working and a bicycle, car or other items you noticed how well it liquefied that gunk.. That’s what it’s doing inside your hinges and on your bicycle chain and sprockets instead of lubricating them. You may even notice black drips on your flooring or carpet below this door hinges in time after applying it as the oil from them breaks down. Don’t go there.
I do this! Duh! Never thought to mix the two in a bowl first!
Think I am going to enjoy visiting here.
That’s right Janice, it’s very simple to just mix them together! I hope you enjoy all the things you find around here 🙂