Ditch The Scraping: There's A Better, Easier Way To Remove Stickers From Glass

You know the frustration: You get a lovely glass decorative purchase home, and you try to remove the price sticker, but it seems to be bonded to the glass with some sort of uber-super sticker glue. The stubborn sticker is impervious to your removal attempts, leaving you frustrated with disgusting sticker stuff under your fingernails. There are better ways to remove stickers from glass. One of the best? Just use hot water.

Whether you are trying to remove a manufacturer's sticker from a vase, a label from a lovely wine bottle, or a sticker from a yard sale, the challenge can be real. Removing sticker residue is difficult, so rather than scraping it off and perhaps leaving behind unsightly residue, hot water loosens the adhesive, making the sticker easier to remove. The heat and moisture work in combination to relax the adhesive's bond to the glass. Hot water will also help you remove stickers from other waterproof surfaces like porcelain, metals, or plastics. But don't try it with porous, water-sensitive surfaces like finished wood, as it could damage the object.

The simplest way to apply hot water to a sticker is to soak the glass object in a bowl or sink of hot water. This method not only completely surrounds the sticker with hot water, but the large volume of water will help it retain its heat. When soaking the sticker, let it sit for several minutes (ten or so) to allow the water to saturate the sticker. Then, remove the glass object from the water and gently peel the sticker away. You may need to follow up with a damp soapy cloth to remove the last of the adhesive residue.

If the glass object is too large or otherwise difficult to soak in a bowl or sink (removing adhesive tape from a wall, for example), you can use a damp cloth to soak the sticker. Saturate the cloth in hot, but not boiling, water and place it on the sticker. Repeat this several times. Fold the cloth and hold it to the sticker to help it retain its heat. A neat trick for this technique is to heat the damp cloth in your microwave, which is quick and effective. After a few minutes, remove the sticker in the same way, and the job is done.