Easily Remove That Sticky Residue Left Behind By Stickers, Tape, Labels & More

sticker residue Don’t you hate it when you buy a new product, or even a used product, and it comes with stickers, tape or other labels on it? You go to remove that sticker or label and then you get that sticky goo left behind. This tacky residue may seem impossible to remove, but if you use the right thing, it can be an incredibly simple task.

This kind of problem is common with book, cd and dvd purchases. It is also pretty common for glassware and other similar items to have stickers or labels on them too. Sometimes we even do it to ourselves with tape on glass, children putting their stickers almost anywhere, or other similar instances. Most of us have tried to pick it off, or rub it off, only to be left with a worse looking surface that is both sticky and dirty instead of just sticky.

Traditional Recommendations

Common suggested remedies include nail polish remover, lighter fluid, wd40 and other dangerous or otherwise hazardous solutions. These all seem to work some of the time, on certain surfaces, and if you apply them the right way. You are often recommended to try it on a small area first because several of these recommended solutions will ruin the surface you are using it on. They can also be toxic, flammable, corrosive and more. If you go to the store you will probably be able to find a specialized goo removing product that may or may not work for your specific situation, but it will be expensive, and only good for this task. These products can often remove the residue, but they aren’t good for anything else so it will sit around until the next time you get a new product, or your kids put stickers or tape where they’re not supposed to. Many of these solutions also contain numerous chemicals and probably shouldn’t be handled with bare hands.

Because many people will have some of the options on hand already, we will outline some of the more effective ones below. If you don’t already own any of these, and are looking for something that works, or if you have tried one or more without desired results, continue reading for a quick, simple and cheap method that works 100% of the time.

Kerosene – This stuff can be dangerous and you wouldn’t want to use it on every surface, but it has proven to work well on glass and other materials that are not affected by it. To use it, apply a small amount to a cloth and then rub into the residue. Continue rubbing until the sticky paper begins to lift off, and then clean the surface after it is removed.
Alcohol – Also not incredibly safe, this one can probably be used on more surfaces, but you will still need to be careful. In order to get this method to work, you will need to saturate a cloth or paper towel and then lay it over the sticky spot. Let it sit for a few minutes so it can soak in. Take the cloth off and then rub free using your finger or a plastic tool. The alcohol should loosen it to make it easy, but repeat the process if necessary.
Vinegar – This is a great natural cleaner, and it works for lots of chores around the house. Most of us have some on hand, so for any spots that are not that bad, it can be a good first choice. It’s not powerful enough to remove tough residue easily, but it should dissolve and loosen less complicated build up so that it is easy to remove. When using vinegar, you don’t have to be very careful about what you use it on, but you will have to let it sit, and apply several layers to get it to work. The basic process involves soaking the spot by applying the liquid right on it, or soaking it with a cloth. Once it sits for a while, it should be easier to take off.
Citrus Cleaner – These sprays are pretty good at dissolving things, so they make a decent choice for this job. There are many different brands available, but any sort of citrus solvent cleaner should work similarly. You do risk damage when you use these products, so make sure to read instructions prior to getting started. In order to get good results, simply spray some on and let it sit. After a short time, the paper should loosen and come off with a bit of rubbing or scraping.
Olive Oil – Use this or another vegetable oil to lubricate the area in the hopes of making the tacky stuff slide off. Any type could cause staining, so make sure to test it first. Pour or spray some onto a cleaning rag and then place over the dirty area so it can soak in. After it sits, remove the rag and then use your fingers or something plastic to scrape away the grime. Finish up by washing the oil away with soap or a damp rag.
Your Fingers – As a last resort, or as a first shot for smaller spots, use your fingers to pick it away. A little rubbing and scratching should start to form balls of sticky stuff, and these should be easily removable. This often works for little spots, but for larger areas, it can remove some while still leaving behind a film that will need to be cleaned with another method.

So what is the best way?

Well…once again it is Quick ‘n Brite to the rescue. This is one of the hundreds of jobs that Quick’n Brite is absolutely excellent at. It is an all natural cleaner that will loosen and float that sticky residue off any surface so you can wipe it completely clean with little effort. Because of how safe this cleaner is, you can use it on any surface. It doesn’t matter if the sticker residue is on glass, plastic, fabric, a TV screen, CD’s, DVD’s, walls, tables, desks, your phone or any other surface. When you use Quick’n Brite, you don’t have to worry about it harming what you are using it on. Because it is so powerful and gentle at the same time, it does all of the work for you. Just apply the cleaner, let it sit for a few minutes, and come back to wipe the surface clean.

How To Eliminate Sticky Residue

When cleaning tape and sticker residue, you will have the best results with the paste version of the cleaner. The consistency of this version is the easiest to apply to this type of build-up, and also is the strongest, so it will work the fastest. You can also use the liquid concentrate, or even a spray bottle of heavy solution(3tbs of QB in a quart of water) will do the trick. The type and severity of sticky stuff will dictate the version that will work best, but any should work in the end. Paste will be best for speed and reliability, but a lighter solution will be sufficient for easier jobs.
To completely remove sticker leavings, simply apply the paste using your hand or other preferred application method. For best results, using your fingernail to sort of work it in will speed up the process.
Make sure that the cleaner completely covers the sticky area and then just let it sit on there for a few minutes. It will go to work breaking down the residue and a natural surfactant floats it just off the surface.
Once it has had time to work, come back and slide the paper and stickiness off without trouble. Use a dry terry cloth towel or microfiber cloth and wipe to lift and remove the residue.
The surface will be left clean and no stickiness will remain.
Safe for any surface that can get wet, but no water is necessary to make it work. It will not harm the surface or remove color when you use it. It will simply break down the material and make it more slippery so you can just wipe it off.

See It In Action

1. In the picture above, we have a glass bottle that had a product label on it. It could just as easily been a price tag, warranty label, some tape, or anything else. As you can see, upon trying to peel it off, that familiar white portion remained glued in place, and no amount of picking or peeling deemed to make ti budge. Keep reading to see how easy it was to take it off and reveal a perfectly spotless glass bottle underneath.

2. The first step we took was to use the paste full strength. We took an ample amount and then sort of smeared it all over where the label was. In areas that are white you can use less, but for areas where it remains fully intact, you should layer it on a bit thicker.

3. Once in place, we let it sit for about five minutes. At this point, and for this surface and residue, that amount of time was plenty, and we could tell because the paper began sliding around. If yours is still stuck in place, just let it sit for another five minutes. The piece removed in the picture above was done so with a single finger swipe downward.

4. To get the rest off, just continue peeling with your finger, and it will slip right off completely.

5. Once the majority has been removed, just take a clean microfiber cloth to wipe the surface, and remove any smaller pieces. In just a few minutes, and without any struggle, the sticker is completely gone, and there is no sticky residue, or any paper left over.

This stuff works so well for this type of application it could easily be packaged as a specialized cleaner for just this task, but the great thing about Quick’n Brite is the level at which it works on a whole spectrum of cleaning chores. Don’t purchase a specialized goo remover for one little job and then leave it to sit in a drawer somewhere to collect dust. Just buy Quick’n Brite instead and take advantage of all that it has to offer beyond removing gooey label messes. You will find that it works just as good, and in most cases, better than anything else available for this job. The real benefit though, is that it works great for hundreds of other jobs too.

So buy some Quick’n Brite to remove that sticker residue, and then discover the hundreds of other uses for it. This great natural cleaner will also do similar jobs like removing gum, tar and wax. It is also an excellent stain remover and laundry pre-treater, carpet shampoo solution, kitchen de-greaser, tub and tile cleaner, and so much more. Buy with confidence because it comes with a full satisfaction guarantee from our company, and a money back guarantee from the manufacturer. This is because it works so well. Most anyone that tries this all-purpose wonder cleaner loves it and becomes a user for life. You have nothing to lose but that sticky build-up. Order yours today!