Learn the simple trick to remove labels from jars using a common ingredient you already have on hand! Ready in minutes, cheaper than buying new jars! Consider reusing your jars to stock your real food pantry!
Do you have any empty bottles and jars from grocery stores in your house?
You know, the jars ones that you’ve emptied and washed, secretly hoping the dishwasher would get rid of the paper label and the sticky residue for you, but it didn’t, so you reuse it anyway and hope the dishwasher will remove the label the next time it’s washed?
Yeah, that’s about how it works in my house, lol. I used to have lots. LOTS. But… they’re gone. Vamanos. Vamoose. Nada. Elvis has left the building!
I found a magic potion that will remove labels and glue residue from jars. And guess what! You probably already have some of this potion under your bathroom sink.
It’s called rubbing alcohol.
Who knew, right? You know how white vinegar has a bazillion uses? I’d venture to say that rubbing alcohol has quite a few too. I’ve only tried two so far, but both worked well so I’m sure there’s more!
Once I took off one label, I had to take off more. When I say “more,” I really mean all of them.
It’s kind of addicting. 🙂 But aren’t they beautiful?! With the labels gone, I can finally see the jams, salsa, spaghetti sauce, strawberry puree, freshly drained coconut water, homemade vinaigrette, pizza sauce, soup, vanilla chips, chocolate chips, coconut flakes, sunflower seeds, pepitas and specialty flours that I keep in there. Their food storage capabilities are endless! And I haven’t even touched the surface of crafting potential!
How to Remove Labels from Jars
- Pour rubbing alcohol into a wide yet shallow container and set your ugly jars with the label facing downward. Soak the jars for 5-10 minutes (or even longer, like during nap time or during dinner, etc.)
- Take out the jar and the label should wipe right off.
- If it’s a stubborn label (like some of the Smucker’s jams), put it back in the alcohol and let it sit for an hour (or while you’re doing something else) and try to remove it again.
- If it’s an extra stubborn label, (like Trader Joe’s coconut oil… ahem), let it soak and use a stiff brush (I used a grill brush) to help you remove the residue. I’ve used a wooden spoon too when my grill brush went MIA and that worked well. A couple drops of lemon essential oil works well too.
- If any goo remains after you’ve peeled off the label, use a scrubbing sponge to scrub it off. Dipping the sponge into rubbing alcohol makes it practically dissolve on contact.
- Place jars in the dishwasher and run a cycle (with your other dishes is fine).
Every label is different – some absorb the alcohol and the glue is loosened without actually being in the alcohol. Other labels refuse to let go of the jar unless every single portion of the label has had a chance to bathe in the alcohol. I guess even jars have their own personality!
As I kinda mentioned, we keep our jars to store leftovers in since glass is non-toxic and it’s reusing items we already have – which in the long run, means saving money!
Why should I remove labels and reuse jars?
Well, plain and simple it helps reduce waste. Reusing a jar is a pretty straightforward way to keep it out of the trash. Removing the labels means you can easily see what is inside of the reused jars.
I use glass jars for homemade chicken stock, leftover soup, and even around the house for homemade beauty products. Use this guide to learn how you can freeze food in jars without breaking them.
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I use plenty of different spices. And I have quite the collection. I have been purchasing glass jars with lids to hold my spices in.
Since I have been retired, I cook more. My wife and daughter are happy with what I make.
I also spend more time out exploring our deserts and mountains. We live a mile high.
Many plants and herbs grow in the wild, seems the types change at 2,000 ~ 3,000 feet.
Rose sage, (aka maybe sage, if you want the story, ask me), two or three different different sages, rosemaries, manzanita, and a slew of others..
Our son in Arizona asks for our local herbs, and I do oblige him.
Thank y’all for posting different ways of removing labels.
I am probably going to try them all.
I have found that it I put a glass jar in the freezer, the label will peel off completely!
No matter the liquid you use to remove a label, first wrap the bottle with a paper towel before applying the liquid so as to keep it in place so it can do its thing.
I discovered what I find is the easiest & quickest method to remove labels a few years ago-a hair dryer (believe it or not). You just blow the hot air over the label for a few mins, it melts/loosens the glue & you can just peel it right off.
If I ever have any stubborn ones, I then just soak them in a sink of hot water & vinegar (for about 20-30mins), & if the glue still remains, I remove it using a toothbrush mixed in baking soda & dish soap.
(Sounds complex, but usually only have to do step 1 🙂
I finally got the labels off my store bought kombucha bottles! I now make my own kombucha
and wanted to use those bottles for my fermentation. I first put the bottles in boiling hot water and peeled the labels off as best I could. I then sprayed the bottles throughly with WD40. I let it sit for about 10 minutes and with a scrubbing sponge wiped the bottles clean. I was amazed how it came clean. Lastly I put dishwashing liquid on bottles and scrubbed them squeaky clean!
Thank you for sharing, Jacqueline. I have not used WD40 on my jars before. 🙂
Oh, yeah, WD40. That was my go-to for removing labels some years ago. It works great. But, these days, I use GooGone to remove them. Thanks for the reminder.
GooGone is the best! I’ve used it for years.
Rubbing alcohol wouldnt work. WD40 wouldnt work, goo gone wouldnt work, nail polish wouldnt work. Ill try the peanut butter, baking soda.
Hi Tye,
Did you try using a grill brush after soaking in alcohol for an hour?
Peanut butter is a great label remover! Peel off the label as best you can, then rub the area with peanut butter and let sit. Use a paper towel to wipe off the peanut butter and glue. Then wash the jar and put it to use!
Hello Dallas!
What a brilliant idea! Thank you for sharing.
FYI, I keep a bottle of rubbing alcohol in my laundry room. I’m a nurse and we always used alcohol swabs (the kind we clean your arm with before a shot!) to get ink stains off of our lab coats. A little splash is effective at removing many different stains!
Hi Jacqueline,
Thanks so much for the tip! I will have to try this hack. 🙂
I find that cooking oil works really well. I soak some paper towels in oil and lay them over the label with the jar lying in a plastic tray or dish with a layer of oil in the bottom. Scrape the residue off, (a metal scouring pad is great), and wash the jars.
The oil and towels can be kept for future use if the dish, (I use take away food containers), has a lid.
Hi Chas,
Thanks for the tips. Getting labels off can be tricky. 🙂
Or cooking oil
Will this work on plastic jars, too?
It should, yes.
I’ll definitely have to try this. I normally make a paste of olive oil and Baking soda, rub it on the residue left behind once I get most of the label off, let it sit for ~2 hours then wipe off. Sometimes I have to repeat but I’ll try the alcohol method next time just to compare. Thank you Tiffany!
Elna, hope it works well for you and your label removing projects!
I use acetone (nail polish remover) to get rid of sticky residue.
I didn’t realize that this article was reprinted from 8 years ago until I looked at the comments. I did not see the method we used but might have missed it. Peanut oil, olive oil and mineral oil are all items kept in the kitchen and pantry. Those paper labels come off with just soap and water but leave the glue behind. Any of the oils can be used to soak the glue (or the labels and glue if you’re not in a hurry. Then rubbing the surface with an old washcloth and perhaps more oil will remove the glue. The remaining oil is easily remove with dish soap and water. I’ll try the alcohol next time.
Such a good tip, thank you!
I have so many food jars that are great for organizing and storing small items, I will have to try the alcohol. It sounds like it works pretty quick. Thanks!
Denise,
You’re welcome!
Just did this and it worked great! I used alcohol, a plastic spatula, and the rough side of my kitchen sponge. I’ve seen other posts online about boiling jars to get labels off, but when it’s warm I really don’t feel like boiling a big pot of water and getting the kitchen/living room all hot, so I kept searching till I found your non-heat-related solution lol. I tried on a Classico pasta sauce jar, they’re lovely Mason jars with measurement lines (ounces) on the sides, I’m keeping this one handy on the window ledge above my kitchen sink. All I had to do was soak on one side for 5 minutes, then flip. While the other side was soaking I worked on the already soaked side…peeled off the label, then took 30 seconds to scrape with plastic spatula and rub the last vestiges of goo off with the sponge (the scrubbing side). I didn’t toss the alcohol, either, I poured it back into the bottle, I’ll be able to re-use it to de-label a few more jars before it loses its oomph.
P.S. Just tried your method again but this time on a couple old plastic (Rubbermaid and Sterilite) containers and, again, it worked great–didn’t even need to scrub with sponge. Very old, deteriorated lables that had been holding on for dear life for years scraped right off with the plastic spatula after soaking in alcohol for 5 minutes. 🙂
I often use lard too.
if nothing works to remove the labels try WD 40.
Simply COLD water works well for most labels. Use like the rubbing alcohol instructions: place jar label down in shallow dish of cold water; let sit for 15 minutes or more.
I wish cold water worked as well for me as it does for you!
I just washed a wine bottle had trouble getting the glue off, smeared a little peanut butter on the glue waited 5 minutes , washed and it was perfect. Took all of the sticky glue off yay.
Thanks for the tip. I’m thinking that you’ve shared it before and I couldn’t remember what it was.
In regards to your picture of the jar soaking in the glass dish, I use a metal scrubber (looped steel wool, but not pokey like SOS pads) to keep my glass casseroles sparkly clean. Works much better than baking soda/sodium bicarbonate. 🙂