Over the years I’ve come across more than one successful method for removing labels (and sticky residue) from these jars. In the past, I’d saturate the label with a paste made from oil and baking soda, let it sit on the label, and then scrub it off. Most recently, though, I’ve been soaking jars in hot water with OxiClean, which usually makes the labels lift off of the jars on their own.
But when I discovered that The Kitchn editors found that using plain white vinegar to remove labels beat out four other popular methods they tested, I had to try it. Here’s what testers found to work the best: Soak a paper towel or cotton ball with vinegar and lay it over the sticker. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes, then lift the sticker off the surface. I admit that I was skeptical, but I felt it was worth a try because if it worked then it was super-straightforward, didn’t require a “trip” to the laundry room, and didn’t involve a bowl of hot water just waiting to be spilled.
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To test the winning method for myself, I pulled out a newly empty mango chutney jar with its label still intact. I put some distilled white vinegar in a small bowl, then put a paper towel in the bowl to saturate it, mimicking the showdown’s saturated cotton ball, but with a larger surface. I spread the paper towel over the label and set it on a plate. And then, admittedly, I forgot about it for a good 45 minutes!
I was still skeptical when I came to remove the label, and even more so as I took the label off. Even though the paper came off really easily with my fingers, I still saw all the left-behind residue, which has always been the hardest part to remove.
With my expectations still low, I squirted some watered-down dish soap onto the jar where the residue remained, and washed it with warm water and the scrubby side of my favorite sponge. This is when I became a believer in this method — the residue washed off with hardly any scrubbing at all! I was left with a sparkling clean jar ready for whatever I want to use it for (flowers, most likely). I mean, just look at it!
Even though I already had a really great method for removing labels, trying this method was worth every second. For one thing, white vinegar is much cheaper than OxiClean. I generally always have it lying around, and there are so many things I can do with it when I cook and clean. Plus, now I know I can easily remove labels while I’m washing dishes without any extra effort — or making a stinky, chemical-y mess!
What’s your favorite method for removing sticker labels from jars? Let us know in the comments below!