Stuck with icky, sticky labels on old glass food jars? This is the easiest way to remove labels stuck on glass jars and to get rid of the extra glue, too!
It’s no secret that I hate throwing things away around here, especially if I know I can use it in a functional way for something else. I’ve admitted to having a glass jar box in my basement that makes me feel like a bit of a hoarder, but I promise I’ve been able to give those jars a second life. (And when the box becomes overflowing because I haven’t been using them, I purge a few to the recycling bin.)
I think we all know that those labels on glass jars can be a pain to remove. There’s always a moment of anticipation right before you start to peel: “Is it going to peel off effortlessly in one piece or am I going to need to peel, pry, and pick at this puppy?” All too often, those labels don’t easily come off, and after trying a lot of different techniques, I’ve finally found a way to get off those labels, even the most stubborn ones.
To start, I always wash my jars in the dishwasher. *UPDATE* I no longer wash my jars in the dishwasher per some advice from readers. They commented that the paper can clog parts in the dishwasher and cause a lot of damage, so I stopped washing them in the dishwasher until I have all the labels removed. Then, they go through a cycle to clean and sanitize before I use them for projects.
Now, I try to hand peel of the labels first. Here are the types of labels I started with after trying to peel them off by hand. The one of the left is one of those where part of the label comes off easily, but leaves behind a lot of sticky glue and parts of the paper. The middle jar’s label is one that you can sort of scratch off with your fingernail, but it leaves behind all the glue, and, no one has time to pick the label apart piece by piece with their nail. The one on the right is STUCK. It’s not going anywhere without some magic.
The first special ingredient is washing soda. You can find it in the laundry aisle.
You’ll need hot/boiling water and some sort of large container that the jar can fit into. You can definitely use your sink, but that’ll take a lot of water to fill up to cover the label of the jar. Instead, I like to use a large coffee can. Mix about a tablespoon of washing soda with about 6 cups of hot water and stir it a bit to dissolve. (I definitely did not measure, as you can probably tell.)
I like to let the jars sit in that liquid for quite a bit of time, overnight if it’s possible. The longer they sit, the easier those labels will come off. (No need to keep replenishing the can with hot water, it’s okay when the water cools down to just leave it.)
When you take the jars out and start to peel off the labels, some of them will peel off right away. It’s almost magical. For those that leave a little goop behind, take some of the label you’ve pulled off and dab at the glue that’s still stuck to the jar. (It’s the same technique you’d use to get Silly Putty off all the places it’s stuck to and shouldn’t be. I’m never buying that stuff again.)
Sometimes, after this step, you’ll be able to remove the entire label and residue. Sometimes, there will be a little glue left, and sometimes you’ll have a lot (like my jar on the right).
The next step is to grab that peanut butter jar! Just spread on a thin coat and let it sit for a couple of hours. Then use an old credit card to scrape off the peanut butter, and the glue along with it!
My husband saw the jars sitting on the counter and shared his two cents: “That’s never going to work.” I made sure to call him over when I was taking off the peanut butter. Needless to say, he was pretty impressed!
IT WORKS! No special effects or image editing here; those are the same jars I showed you in the first photo (plus one extra)!
Wondering what to do with those clean glass jars?
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Coconut oil will take the residue off also.
Great tip! Thank you for sharing.
I LOVE GLASS JARS. Ha! I also feel like a hoarder with them, but they always get used. Can’t wait to try this !!! Thank you !!!!
Hi Carol! At least we are hoarding and doing our best to save our little planet, right?! 🙂
There are so many things you can do with glass jars or glass bottles. I love to reuse things and bring them new life. Great tips on how to remove the labels, thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Laurie!
You can use canning glasses(since they match) to put your flower,sugar beans ,rice,etc.in it.Thwy look neat in the cubord and are colorful to boot
I love that idea!!
Thanks for the tip and your cute projects. I’m going to try some for sure. Just to add, the simplest way I’ve found to remove labels is to stick the jar in the dishwasher. In the morning usually the label falls off. If not then cover with wet hot cloth in the sink for a bit. That should do it. If there’s goop on it I dry then spray with furniture polish. Then take a paring knife, and, minding not to cut myself, scrape the goop and spray off. Wash in soapy water and done.
Dish soap like Dawn seems to work great preparing jars for painting too. Cuts any grease.
Everybody has their methods and it’s great to share. Glad I found your site.
Great tips – thank you for sharing. I’m glad you enjoyed some of the projects.
I’m with you on the glass jars! Physical pain, here, honest, when I consider throwing them in the recycling bin. Regards the gluey residue? Any oil will work! Thanks for all the great ideas and for the camaraderie on the love of glass.
Thanks Diane! SO good to know that any oil works.
The Mr. Clean or white sponges from the dollar store work good. If really tough I use with Bon Ami or Cream of Tarter. Also Goo Gone. I usually soak in bowl first , overnight. Peel as much as you can and then use sponge. I too love jars, the fatter the better. My new thing is to put paint in them so I can see the color easier. Make sure it seals tight. Baby food jars are good for screws, nails, hooks. Easier to organize and will save from rust. And now that Bulk Food stores are popping up again it is fun to put nuts, beans, flour, etc in the jars.
Thanks so much for the other tips! I love storing paint in glass jars, too. Great ideas!
I was just reading an article about washing things in the dishwasher. It said not to put jars with paper labels in the dishwasher because bits and pieces come off and plug the drain. I don’t think it’s worth taking the chance. I imagine it would be very expensive to fix!
Thank you for the tip; great point. I’ll change my post to reflect this, and now I’m going to only put them in after I’ve removed the labels! Thanks!
Yes… I can attest… I clogged my dishwasher drain with paper and glue ONCE.
Thank you Suzanne. I’ve changed my ways thanks to the advice from you and other readers!
Laurie, you said in your comment that you have many uses for glass jars. Care to share?
To get the glue off try WD 40. It works for me.
Great suggestion. Thanks for sharing!
Where do you get those black tops?
I just spray painted the lids! 🙂
If I ever do get to that point of tossing out a few glass jars, I make sure to save the lids anyway. Nothing like a great jar minus a lid, and they take up so little room you can afford to stash them. My daughter also saves jars, much to my son in laws dismay. He was going to do some cleaning out of the overflow and I told him, at least save all the lids!
Haha, too funny! My husband is not the biggest fan of my glass jar stash either. Every once in awhile I get rid of some that I haven’t used, because if not it will overflow!
Hi clean the bottle/jar insides well. Then I fill them pass the label with the hottest water from the faucet or from a kettle if your faucet water isn’t real hot. Let set. Before it cools off peal the label off. The glue on the jar will melt and the label will peel off complete in one piece. I use other already mentioned ways to get the gunk residue off.
Thanks for sharing, Grace. So good to know that the hot water works so well for the label!
You can use rubbing alcohol to get the residue off. It’s a lot cheaper and leaves no film behind like the goo gone does. Also smells better than Google Gone or WD40. I use an old cloth, pour some alcohol on it, wipe over the residue, let stand for a few minutes and then wipe of. You might have to apply the alcohol a couple of times es and use a little “elbow grease”. Then rinse and dry.
I’m so glad to read this trick Virginia. Thanks for sharing!
Essential oils like Lemon work great to remove the glue when removing labels. Also Avon Skin So Soft bath oil works great if you know an Avon Lady. ????
Great tips. Thanks so much for sharing, Lana!
I have used glass jars in my pantry to store pastas, dried beans & peas for soups, cocoa, salt, baking soda & powder, rice, quick & regular oats, anything that comes in a cardboard or plastic package. Lasts longer & no guessing if you have enough on hand for your recipe. You can see it! Haven’t colored the lids yet but so nice to look in yhe pantry & see them all lined up on rows & colors. When I repackage, I clip off the instructions for making it & attach to the back of the jar with tape. Works well. Thanks for letting me share
Thanks so much for your tips!