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March 17, 2013 · by Beverly

Homemade Goo Gone – Does It Work?

cleaners

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I have a hard time tossing out cute little glass jars.  Big jars from mayonnaise or something . . not so much.

But the little ones –  Oh boy, can I keep them all please?

I promise I’ll find a good use for them.  Sooner or later.

But there is one  challenge with cleaning and recycling glass jars from other products, and that’s getting rid of the label.  Sometimes even after a couple trips through the dishwasher and some picking and scraping, my cute little glass jars still look like this:

Homemade Goo Gone

So how do we fix this problem?  We make our own Goo Gone!

In case you’re not familiar with Goo Gone, it’s an oily liquid that’s really helpful in getting rid of sticky residue and can also be used for deeper cleaning where an oily grime or film has built up on a surface.  It may seem contradictory to clean something sticky with an oil, but just the other day Hungry Son was reminding me of one of the basic tenets of chemistry – Like Dissolves Like.

{ which apparently is why Goo Gone works }

So how do we make our own Goo Gone?  And can it get the job done?

To make our own homemade Goo Gone, simply combine 1 part vegetable oil with 2 parts baking soda. This gives us an oily substance with a little abrasiveness for scrubbing power.  I mixed up a small batch and put it to the test.

Homemade Goo Gone
It took a little bit of scrubbing, but it worked!  And truly, the amount of scrubbing I did was about equal to the amount of scrubbing I would do with the store bought Goo Gone.  It was a really simple and easy way to use what was around in the cupboard and got every last bit of the label off the glass.

Here’s what I did:

Homemade Goo Gone

Adapted from No. 2 Pencil
For my small batch I used:

  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

  • 2 teaspoons baking soda

Homemade Goo GoneCombine the vegetable oil and the baking soda in a small bowl.  It will be a somewhat thin mixture but not as thin as the real Goo Gone.

Dip the edge of a piece of paper toweling in the mixture and then rub over the sticky stuff you are trying to remove.  Keep doing this as needed.  It will probably take a couple applications, but it gets to a point where the sticky gunk starts releasing and rolling off.

Finish up by washing the item in warm soapy water.

Homemade Goo Gone

See?   No more sticky gunk on my cute little jars.

I also came across this article where the same mixture was used to clean built up sticky “gunk” off from kitchen cabinets so it works for more than just labels on jars.

homemade italian seasoning blend

And I’ve already found the perfect use for one of my little recycled jars.  I’m using it to store my homemade Italian Seasoning blend and it works great!

 

** This post was featured in the Top 10 most popular at Hometalk

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Comments

  1. Glenn Fry says

    July 21, 2019 at 12:04 am

    I tried this recipe, but it was, (in my opinion), waaay too dry for my particular need?
    So, on a hunch, (and liking the safe ingredients), I reversed the recipe to:
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    2 teaspoons vegetable oil
    Seems a lot better for me as I needed to remove medical grade bandage tape adhesive left on my skin upon removal every morning – and this worked for me.
    The recipe listed in this article was just too abrasive for my skin – which was already sensitive, and I wasn’t gonna use acetone, fingernail polish remover – or even isopropyl alcohol daily in an already sensitive area!

    So… I still “THANK YOU” for the recipe!!!

    Reply
  2. Doug Huffman says

    June 25, 2018 at 4:12 pm

    The active ingredient in Goo Gone® is Light Petroleum Distillate.

    Reply
  3. SH says

    June 14, 2018 at 6:41 pm

    I’ve always just used my hands to cover the adhesive area with Vegetable Oil. Let itrest for and hour of two and it all wipes away with a paper towel.

    Reply
  4. Richard Overland says

    November 28, 2017 at 6:09 pm

    The real active ingredient of Goo Gone is Lemon Oil. Not lemon juice – Lemon Oil. Try it on its own if you don’t believe it. A 50ml bottle of pure Lemon Oil will set you back about £5.00 on Ebay. I discovered it by accident, but lemon oil is a fantastic solvent. It’s also why Goo Gone smells of lemons.

    Reply
  5. Caleigh says

    August 19, 2017 at 10:40 am

    I added a couple drops lemon essential oil and a drop of orange just for fun. It worked great! Thanks

    Reply
  6. Kids Aquarium Day Care says

    January 30, 2017 at 9:38 pm

    Add some orange oil and your scrubbing will be cut in half!

    Reply
  7. Shelly says

    September 5, 2016 at 1:17 pm

    I, too, am a lover of little jars. I have tiny Tequilla bottle that I used it on. Voila! I’m thinking of giving away home made Goo Gone in my little jars. Worked great! Thanks!

    Reply
  8. Poptarts says

    August 16, 2016 at 6:17 am

    Thanks for the recipe ! Finally something I try from Pinterest works 😀 !

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      August 16, 2016 at 7:47 pm

      Yay! Glad this recipe was a Pinterest success for you! I’ve had good success with this simple method for homemade goo gone too.

      Reply
  9. Ixchel says

    June 12, 2016 at 5:56 pm

    I just tried this and it works BETTER than the store bought Goo Gone! Thanks for the tip!!

    Reply
  10. Daná Terrell says

    March 26, 2016 at 9:32 pm

    My son just put stickers on our WOOD floor! Frantic, I attempted to scrape the floor. It seemed hopeless until I came across this DIY recipe to remove the gunk. Much to my surprise, it WORKED! Thank you to whomever for saving me time, money and a headache! :p

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      March 28, 2016 at 7:58 pm

      So glad this was a resourceful and successful solution for you! That’s great!

      Reply
    • Bill says

      June 6, 2016 at 11:00 am

      Thanks so much! It worked perfectly without much effort on alot of duct tape residue I needed to remove from some vynal items.

      Thanks again
      Bill

      Reply
  11. Luisa says

    September 6, 2015 at 1:44 pm

    Thank you!!! I was looking on pinterest on how to get rid of the glue junk on a glass jar and came upon this recipe. It’s fantastic and blew my mind on how well it worked so I had to say something. Thank you again!

    Reply
  12. Derp says

    March 19, 2015 at 12:47 am

    Isopropyl alcohol found in the first aid section of any retail store selling such will take label adhesive residue off of glass and plastic containers. You can also saturated a still attached label with it and make its removal a breeze.

    Also, the hydrogen peroxide found next to the alcohol in the store will remove blood from fabric as long as you apply it within the day the staining occurs. Just keep applying every 15 minutes or so until it no longer bubbles when you do.

    Reply
  13. Mr. Brown says

    March 9, 2015 at 9:37 am

    While its true that ‘like’ dissolves ‘like’,
    after soaking off the paper in water,
    just take those jars outside and clean
    the label gunk with PAINT THINNER,
    then wash them with your favorite dish
    washing detergent.

    If you really want to impress your friends,
    gasoline is even faster, but lets not get
    carried away.

    Apparently, PAINT THINNER is more ‘like’ most
    label glue than veggie oil. Some labeling
    companies use water soluble glues, while others
    want those labels to stay put for extended
    advertising purposes.

    My favorite peanut butter containers actually
    have the label EMBEDDED in the plastic, so its
    advertising benefits extend far into the next
    century…

    Beverly, you’re very brave to respond to
    Jeff’s gluteus maximus problem.

    Take care.

    Reply
    • Ranchette says

      January 10, 2016 at 2:05 am

      Thank you, Mr. Brown, for pointing out Bev’s bravery in addressing Jeff’s comment so eloquently!

      Further, and more to the point of the post: There are basically the three types of labeling pointed out by Mr. Brown…

      The “embedded” type aren’t worth trying to remove – just use the container as-is or paint over it. They are instantly identified and removed from the “clean later” pile of jars and bottles.

      A tip first: Some labels have a thin layer of clear plastic over them. Pick at and peel it off before any other effort.

      I soak all the remaining glass jars and bottles in water. If the adhesive is water soluble, then the labels will come off easy-peasy followed by, at most, a light scrubbing of any adhesive still on the bottle.

      The jars whose labels don’t release after a soak in water need only get the vegetable oil treatment Bev has described in the post. With or without baking soda. Also, I use old vegetable oil that has gone “off” that I would not use for food anymore – it will still take care of the non-water-soluble label goo. Wash up with regular detergent and water – presto!

      I used to be a died-in-the-wool GooGone purchaser until I summoned up the courage to try vegetable oil. Ain’t goin’ back. 😉

      Reply
  14. Jeff says

    March 1, 2015 at 1:45 pm

    can this work for my butt? to get the goo off

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      March 1, 2015 at 4:23 pm

      Nope, sorry. If you have goo on your butt you have more problems than I can solve.

      Reply
  15. Sue Bassinger says

    January 12, 2015 at 8:00 pm

    Do you have a recipe to get the “grease” fried on a stainless steel gas range?

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      January 13, 2015 at 8:01 pm

      So far the messes I’ve made I’ve been able to clean off with my homemade soft scrub or the baking soda method. A couple suggestions for tougher messes would be to try a product called Bar Keepers Friend or carefully use a razor blade to scrape it off and then try cleaning it again as usual.

      Reply
  16. Anna Rose says

    October 29, 2014 at 4:09 pm

    I just used this today. It works great! Thank you!

    Reply
  17. Linda says

    October 8, 2014 at 2:44 pm

    I forgot to mention… I plan to mix this with mineral oil to test as a goo remover. I think it might keep longer than vegetable oil, if it works.

    Reply
  18. Linda says

    October 8, 2014 at 2:41 pm

    I made a batch of this to remove labels from jars and had some stashed for later use. Thank God I had, as I had an emergency where I put it to use!
    Two days before my son’s wedding, I was going to wax my brows and upper lip with a microwavable hot wax. Well, an accident occurred and I spilled the hot wax all over my hands, the counter top, and got droplets on the floor as I ran to the sink!
    Fortunately, the wax did not burn my skin as I cooled it fast, but I still had to get it off of my hands and the rest of the mess!
    I remembered the goo remover and started with my hands. It worked beautifully and did not harm my skin. I poured it onto the counter and used a spatula to remove the wax. It was a life saver!
    Trust me when I say to keep this handy. You never know when you are going to need it!

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      October 8, 2014 at 9:18 pm

      I love a good story like this where a homemade resourceful solution saves the day! Thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply
  19. Blunt Belief says

    August 28, 2014 at 12:11 pm

    Tried this to remove labels on MDF letters I bought at the craft store. Didn’t seem to do any better than soaking in water for several minutes. 🙁

    Reply
  20. MaryAnn Lucio says

    June 24, 2014 at 3:35 pm

    Will this work on fabric? My son got a scout shirt from a friend (need to save money when ever I can) it has iron on patch glue from the previous owners patches. I want to get it off without staining the fabric.

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      June 24, 2014 at 5:46 pm

      I don’t think I would use this on fabric. Because it uses vegetable oil, I think it would leave an oily stain. For your situation I think I would try rubbing alcohol first and see if it removes the residue. If not, then I would try the store bought goo gone (which you can often times find at the dollar store) because they say their product is safe to use on clothing (which I also didn’t know until I researched this topic just now!)

      Reply
  21. Linda Campton says

    January 12, 2014 at 8:42 am

    I was a bodyman/painter for many years. I used WD/40 for many things. I kept some under my sink @home for quick fixes. Spray on the residue from the label.let it sit then wipe w/paper towel &wash w/soapy water. No need to scrub!

    Reply
  22. Kathy says

    January 8, 2014 at 2:27 pm

    And you can store it in one of your little jars.

    Reply
  23. Michael Thompson says

    November 2, 2013 at 3:58 pm

    My daughter got dot tape on the wall. I tried a magic eraser–no luck. Then Windex–just smeared it. Finally I tried your Goo Gone recipe, which worked great. It was still a lot of work, so I tried a hair dryer (http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/how-to/how-to-remove-labels-047052) to soften it up first before using the Goo Gone and it made it even easier. Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply
  24. Sandy Marshall says

    September 2, 2013 at 8:27 am

    I tried it this weekend on picture frame glass. Worked wonderfully!

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      September 2, 2013 at 10:05 am

      That’s good to hear! I’ve had good success with this homemade Goo Gone too.

      Reply
  25. lori carpenter says

    August 28, 2013 at 6:12 pm

    peanut butter will do the same thing, which by the way i use. Just dip some out of the jar and spread it on the label. leave it on for about twenty to thirty minutes and was off. some labels may take more then one time around. but it will come off.

    Reply
  26. Darrel says

    July 24, 2013 at 10:31 am

    I just use a little full strength dishwashing liquid with one tablespoon of vinegar and one of those non scratch nylon scrubbers that come in colors and it removes the sticky stuff on jars easily while running it under warm water after the dishwashing liquid has had a chance to sit for a few minutes and whalla it’s removed and the glass is shiny and clean

    Reply
  27. Joy says

    July 7, 2013 at 4:10 pm

    Yay this actually worked and on plastic toys! Thank you. I tried alchohol and nailpolish remover but nothing was working. This took it right off and without chemicals!

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      July 7, 2013 at 8:39 pm

      Good to know this works on plastic too 🙂

      Reply
  28. michele smith says

    June 18, 2013 at 1:39 pm

    Finally a good use for that GMO laden corn or vegetable oil that isn’t fit for human consumption. A great big thank you for this recipe!

    Reply
  29. Roxanne says

    April 13, 2013 at 2:42 pm

    i never normally take the time to post a comment about something i find useful on line..i just say a silent “thanks” lol. however, that has now changed after making your homemade goo gone today!! i started out using if for a stubborn jar label, which worked great..but i had a lot left over, so i thought “why not?” and i used it on the back part of stove where the dials are and are extremely greasy, no matter what i have tried. OMG!!!!! I truly can not believe how AWESOME this worked!!!! i also used it on my kuerig that sits next to stove, same thing!! just awesome.. seriously im headed to costo for a 10lb box of baking soda and 2 gal of veg oil, lol. thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      April 13, 2013 at 3:00 pm

      Yup, I think it’s all about the chemistry basic of “like dissolves like”. It takes something oily, to get rid of something greasy. Seems contradictory, but it works. Great to hear that you had wonderful results 🙂

      Reply
  30. Tami Holland says

    April 7, 2013 at 3:26 pm

    After the label comes off the jar, I use a small piece of Brillo pad to get the goo off. It works for me. I just cut a small piece of the pad, and save it to use for a couple more times, on the stubborn goo.

    Reply
  31. Emilia says

    April 6, 2013 at 6:30 am

    How long I’ve been looking for the way to remove that sticky mess from my Yankee candle jars. Nothing worked so far, so I am running to check. Thanks so much for the recipe.

    Reply
  32. superfantastic says

    April 5, 2013 at 3:29 am

    I found you on Pinterest and used this today on a jar from sliced mangoes. Worked great! Now I’m going to mix up the homemade Nestle Quick I found on Pinterest to put in it!

    Reply
  33. celeste says

    March 26, 2013 at 4:21 pm

    I got the same ‘recipe’ for home made goo gone, but did not think about using it on sticky lables. Duh! Thank you for the info. I love to save big and little jars. So many uses.

    Reply
  34. ary says

    March 23, 2013 at 12:18 pm

    It often works by only submerging the jar in really cold water for a couple of hours. The label peels away and there is no residue!

    Reply
  35. Jackie Ideson says

    March 22, 2013 at 2:49 pm

    What a great idea! If I make up a batch and put in a cute little jar how long will it keep? Do you think it should be kept in the refrigerator?

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      March 23, 2013 at 1:11 pm

      I don’t think you would have to keep this in the refrigerator as both vegetable oil and baking soda are shelf stable items. I’m not sure how long this will keep, but I’m guessing for several months at least. I would wonder if it would start to dry out after some time, but you could probably just add a little more vegetable oil to revive it if that was the case.

      Reply
  36. Shelley says

    March 22, 2013 at 2:38 pm

    I use rubbing alcohol or my craft heat gun for this. I am going to try your method.

    Shelley

    Reply
  37. [email protected] says

    March 21, 2013 at 6:18 pm

    This is a great way to remove labels. I will be making! I am pinning to my natural cleaning board on Pinterest

    Reply
  38. LindY G says

    March 21, 2013 at 4:28 pm

    I thought I was the only one that was a jar-addict, whewww, I am not alone. LOL
    Thanks bunches for this recipe.

    Reply
  39. nancy says

    March 21, 2013 at 4:23 pm

    Here and I thought you were going to say you used one of your cute litte jars to store your homemade gunk remover!
    I save the beautiful square green bottles organic olive oil comes in. Would it be criminal to buy some cheap vegetable oil from DT and use the green bottle to store the homemade gunk remover? — I better make sure to take the label off first, so I don’t mistake one for the other!

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      March 21, 2013 at 7:30 pm

      There’s nothing wrong with saving pretty bottles like the green ones from olive oil but like you said, you have to find some way to identify what else you’ve decided to put in it 🙂

      Reply
  40. june says

    March 21, 2013 at 3:52 pm

    Thanks, Beverly! I have an olive oil bottle soaking now (to remove the label) I’m going to try this today, to get the sticky residue. I’ve always used acetone nail polish.

    Reply
  41. Gianna says

    March 17, 2013 at 10:58 pm

    I’ve never tried it like that before.
    I usually run the jars through a dishwasher and then rub off the loose gunk with a magic eraser while it’s still warm.

    Reply
    • Beverly says

      March 18, 2013 at 7:43 pm

      That sounds like a good way to get the sticky gunk off too, but I bet the key is to do it while its still warm.

      Reply

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