How to get rid of sticky residue on your stuff |
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| Caroline Mullen/NYT Wirecutter |
It’s frustrating to see a perfectly good candle jar, glass, or thrifted lamp ruined by some unsightly sticker schmutz.
Luckily, you likely already have everything you need at home to easily banish adhesive residue and leave all manner of surfaces sparkling and smooth — without needing to buy a single-use cleaning product or scrub up a storm. Below, our cleaning expert’s go-to ways to get rid of adhesive goo (which, despite what certain corners of the internet might advise, don’t involve slathering your stuff with vegetable oil or peanut butter).
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For most items: Reach for dish soap |
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| Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter |
A high-quality dish soap is one of the most versatile cleaning products in your home. And when combined with warm water, it’s a stellar adhesive remover, too. Our method works with the least scrubbing effort when the surface is first soaked in a dish-soap solution for at least an hour, and it satisfyingly peels labels off glass, plastic, ceramic, or metal.
The very best dish soap→
For non-soakable surfaces: Try baking soda |
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| NYT Wirecutter |
A paste of baking soda and water is one of our favorite ways to scour stainless steel skillets and loosen long-forgotten crust in microwaves, and it’s also effective at removing adhesives.
This baking-soda method is particularly good for surfaces such as walls, doors, windows, or anything else that you can’t dunk in a soap-and-water solution, because the paste clings to vertical surfaces without dripping. Plus, the leftover paste is great for scrubbing any remaining residue off with mechanical action.
To unstick electronics: Apply rubbing alcohol |
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| Photo: Michael Hession |
Rubbing alcohol can be effective for removing adhesives and sticky crud from electronics such as phones and laptops, because its quick evaporation prevents liquid from seeping inside and causing damage. Use an alcohol wipe or dampen a cloth with rubbing alcohol, hold the cloth to the affected area for a couple of seconds, and then wipe in circular motions — reupping on alcohol as needed. Et voila: goo-free tech.
More of our expert advice to clean tech→
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Happy cleaning.
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