A Simple Trick To Remove Stickers From Glass Uses A Common Household Essential

You can use vegetable oil to remove a stubborn sticker, but sometimes that's only half the battle. The residue left behind can be frustrating to clean off and unpleasant to see. But there's a simple solution you might be overlooking — WD-40. This common household lubricant fixes squeaky hinges and rusty bolts, and you can even use WD-40 to clean your grout. However, it's also surprisingly effective at removing the residue left by stickers on glass!

WD-40 can dissolve adhesives, which is why this hack works so well. Since the residue left behind is primarily the adhesive from the sticker (sometimes with a bit of dust or grime stuck in it), loosening and dissolving it is the most effective way to remove it. While scraping the residue off can also be effective, it can leave scratches on the surface the sticker was applied to. That isn't a problem with WD-40! It won't hurt glass, so you can use it to remove stickers from windows, car windows, and the bottoms of glasses.

WD-40 is not food-safe, so avoid using it if the sticker is in an area that food will touch, such as inside a glass or on top of a plate. There is a food-safe specialist WD-40, but if you don't already own it, it's more effective to use a different hack to remove that sticker residue.

You should use this hack in a ventilated area. Start by opening the windows or taking your glass outside, then spray WD-40 onto the sticker residue and leave it to soak in. It typically only takes a few minutes to work, but particularly heavy-duty adhesive may need longer. After it's had some time to sit, use a rag or sponge to wipe off the WD-40. Wipe firmly to remove both the spray and the adhesive. Clean your glass with soap and water, and your glass should be good to go!

You can also use this hack to remove the sticker itself. Simply spray the WD-40 onto the sticker or label itself, let it soak, and then gently scrape it to peel it off. Since the spray has already loosened the adhesive, you should be left with little to no residue. A relatively minor downside to this method is that, depending on the size and strength of the sticker, you may need to use quite a bit of WD-40 to remove it. This may leave you with a mess to clean up. Fortunately, cleaning up WD-40 is fairly quick and easy if you know what to do. Use a dry rag or sponge to soak up the excess, then use soap and water to clean up any leftover residue.