How To Remove Sticker Residue

Stickers have been around a long time and continue to go in and out of fashion. Nobody knows the exact time for when it happened, but they seem to be everywhere. From books and tools to utensils and packaging, there seems to be a sticker label on everything. More often than not, they are also seen on clothes. They are an essential part of marketing but can be a headache to remove completely. 

The Gen Z generation has also taken a liking to stickers and you will see them scattered across their personal belongings. Whether it be decorating your laptops or phones, stickers are the new trend nowadays. But to remove these stickers manually you would have to use some elbow grease. That said if you want some tips and tricks to remove sticker residue from surfaces, keep reading this article to find out safe and effective ways to do it. 

Tips and Tricks To Remove Sticker Residue 

There is yet to find a good sticker-removing device – an idea for you to explore – in the market. But there are things we can make do with it. Multiple approaches can be taken for sticker removal and the first of them is the mechanical approach.

1. Mechanical Approach

The mechanical approach is the removal of sticker residue using a scrapper. It is a basic and straightforward approach that works and requires a bit of elbow grease. Though this option is not suitable for surfaces like laptops, phones, and wood, that are liable to scratches. But on harder, resilient surfaces, scrapers are ideal. There are three types of scrapers you can use to remove the sticker residue, depending upon the sticker:

1. Plastic pan scraper
2. Paint scraper
3. Razor Scraper

All of the above have their pros and cons and are available in the market easily. You have to choose one that suits your requirement and scrape away! If you are interested in other house cleaning tips, here are some tricks you can steal from your house cleaner.

2. Chemical and Thermal Approach

To proceed with the sticker removal, you can scrape off the bits that can easily come off and leave the stubborn parts to the chemicals. There are a multitude of tips that people have tried over time and have proven to be successful for them. It is important to keep in mind that different chemicals have certain reactions with different elements. Therefore, it is important to patch test them on one area to see if it leaves a stain or a mark. Here are some ways to remove sticker residue from your surfaces using common ingredients:

• Use a Mixture of Hot Water and Detergent

Hot water does the trick. Fill up a bowl with hot water and a little bit of detergent and soak the part that has the sticker residue and leave it in for a couple of hours. Wash the soap off the surface with water and scrape the residue off with a scraper or your fingers. It is the easiest and safest way to remove sticker residue from a surface like a pan or a utensil that is used to prepare food. 

• Use a Hairdryer or a Heat Gun

Another easy way to remove sticker residue is to use a hairdryer or a heat gun. Aim your hairdryer at the surface that has the sticker and let it run for a couple of minutes. The heat from the hairdryer or heat gun with melt the adhesive from the back of the sticker, and the sticker will come right off. Be careful of the surface you are using your hairdryer on. Most surfaces like glass and laptops cannot withstand heat and you may end up damaging the surface permanently.

• Dab on Some Isopropyl Alcohol

Isopropyl alcohol, also known as rubbing alcohol, has proven to be effective in removing sticker residue from surfaces. It is one of the safest methods to remove stickers from surfaces like plastic, wood or glass, without damaging them or causing a bad reaction. This can also be used to remove stickers off of your gadgets, keeping the quantity and handling of the rubbing alcohol in mind.

Wet a paper towel, cotton ball, or rag with rubbing alcohol and rub it on the surface of the sticker to remove it. It may require some time and effort, but it will come right off without leaving a sticky residue behind. For more stubborn stickers, drench a cotton pad in rubbing alcohol and lay it over the sticker for a few minutes. It ought to loosen up the adhesive and you can scrape the rest, off. If you do not have rubbing alcohol lying around, vodka serves as a great alternative to it. 

• Put Some Vinegar on It

Out of all the household items important for DIYs, vinegar tops the list. It is versatile and multipurpose and has no damaging factors. To use it for sticker removal, you need to soak a paper towel/rag in vinegar and lay it on top of the sticker. Let it sit for a few minutes and allow it to soften. Use the rag/paper towel to rub and remove the sticker or scrape it off. 

• Lather on Some Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is as useful as it is delicious. The oil content in peanut butter is relatively high which makes it the ideal component to use for sticker removal. The key here is to use ingredients that can negate the adhesive. Lather some peanut butter on the sticker and let it sit overnight. The oils in the peanut butter, soften the sticker and make it easy to slide it off. Use a rag to wipe off the gunk and scrape the leftover softened sticker with a rag or sponge. 

Other substances that have high oil content like mayonnaise or cooking oil can also work in removing the sticker residue. Just put a generous amount on the sticker, leave it overnight and scrub it off in the morning. All the surfaces you apply this trick to must be cleaned with a wipe or washed, if possible. 

• Use Store-Bought Cleaners

There are multiple surface cleaners available in the market that can also be used in cleaning the sticker residue off your surfaces. The only drawback to that is they can be damaging to the surface and can vary from material to material. But in terms of effectiveness, they work great. Some of them are WD-40 or Goo Gone that have multiple uses and work well with sticker removal. Just drench a cotton pad with the solution and let it sit. After a while, rub the sticker off with a rag or a scraper.

Conclusion

If none of these tips have worked for you, or you are scared of damaging expensive and valuable items, allow My Cleaning Angel to take care of all your cleaning needs. With a wide variety of expert cleaning technicians, we provide you with surface cleaning, deep cleaning, bathroom cleaning, plus each and every cleaning service that you might need. Your belongings are cared for well while we remove the dirt, dust, grime, or any kind of sticker residue from them. Call or email us for cleaning services or other inquires about our brand! Also, you can book cleaning services online, it’s super easy.