5 Steps to Remove Sticker Residue – Easy & Effective Steps 2024

Different tools whether meant for gardening like a shovel, scraper, or woodturning tools like saw or sander often come with stickers. Most of the time, you remove the sticker but some part of it still sticks. For that, it is important for you to know how to remove sticker residue so that it won’t get in the way of performance.

These stickers can either be of price tag, the company where it is made, etc. You won’t know where the sticker would be and the sticky material left behind can be daunting to remove with just your hands. You’ll be needing small tools and products to scrape it off.

Before starting the process, you must remove it the most you can from the surface with the help of your fingers. You just have to roll it as it leaves the surface and plucks it. In this blog, we’ll be discussing ways of removing sticker residue from different types of tools.

5 Simple Ways for Removing Sticker Residue

When you’re done removing the sticker residue from your fingers, it’s time to use different products to get rid of the rest of it. The tip here is to first test out if any certain product is suiting the material of the tool by applying it on a smaller surface. Some of these products are as follows:

1. Peanut Butter

As tasty as you find it for PB&J sandwiches, peanut butter is known to be an effective product to remove any sticker residue due to moisture. Just spread it over the sticker and leave it for around an hour. After that just clean the surface and the residue would no longer stick.

2. Hair Dryer

If you don’t want to experiment with products then just use a hairdryer instead. Keep it close to the sticker residue for around 30 seconds in the highest setting. The heat coming from it can melt the residue which you can wipe off later. You can’t use this method for plastic surfaces as it would melt the plastic as well.

3. Pencil Eraser

Another handy tool for removing sticker residue is using a pencil eraser. Although this method is a bit daunting yet if you have time then it could work well. The adhesive part would be dragged by the rubber which becomes easy to remove.

4. Rubbing Alcohol

If you have to rub alcohol or nail polish removing toner with you then you’re all set to remove the sticky residue. Dip the cloth piece in the alcohol and do a slight dab over the sticker. After that, you can leave it for half an hour and clean it with a dry cloth.

5. Baking Soda & Coconut Oil

If the sticky residue you’re dealing with is extra stubborn then the baking soda and coconut oil mixture can get it off easily. This mixture can loosen up the stickiness of the paper which you can scrape off later. Baking soda is also effective to remove the oil out of clothes.

Removing Stickers Residue from Different parts of Tools

Different tools have stickers on different parts and these parts can be of different materials including glass, metal, wood, or plastic. Some of the methods of removal are defined below:

Glass

Have you come across a vintage tool kit made of glass and the sticker really fades the beauty of it? Then removing the sticker residue from it without leaving any mark would be a blessing. You can choose between the following two methods for easy sticker removal.

Initially, you can start by filling a bowl with warm water and mixing some washing soda with it. Soak the glass surface of the tool in it and leave it for some minutes. After that just drain the water and you can easily remove the sticker off the surface.

Finally, rinse it off with water and leave it from drying before use.

The second method would be to soak a piece of cloth with either nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol and leave it overnight. You’ll find the sticker leaving the surface the other day. Just scrape it away with any scraper.

This method would not only remove the sticky residue but also gives a brand new shine to the glass.

Plastic

Around 40% of the surface of the tool and even the tool kit is made out of plastic. You’ll often find stickers on it which can be easily removed. Here’s how you can remove stickers from the plastic:

Just get a bowl of warm water and mix dish soap in it. Soak the plastic part in the bowl with a piece of cloth in rubbing alcohol to saturate it and leave it for 5 minutes. After then just rinse with clean water and you can peel it right off.

If the plastic part is too big to fit a bowl then you can just rub it with a piece of cloth dipped in warm water.

Metal

Metal is the foundation of the tools and almost every tool, equipment, and gear is made of metal. That’s the reason why it is essential to remove stickers depending on the tool you’re dealing with. Here’s how to remove sticker residue from metal:

The first method is gently scraping the sticky part with either a scraper or just a piece of card. After that, you can pour some WD-40 on a cloth piece and scrub it on the sticker so that it gets loosened up. Finally, you can wipe down the surface with water and some dish soap.

Secondly, you can use a razor blade for removing the adhesive as much as your can after preparing it with a warm piece of towel. Then get a mixture of coconut oil and baking soda and smear it over the stubborn part. After 5 minutes clean it with warm water.

Wood

Whether you’re dealing with a saw or a shovel, you’ll find wooden surfaces dominating the tools. There can be a manufacturer’s label sticking on it that has some sticky part that won’t just go. Try out the following method for easy removal of sticker residue from wood:

Start by soaking a piece of cloth in white vinegar and covering the sticker with it. Wait for almost 5 minutes, after which you can gently peel it off from the surface with the help of a scraper. For effective removal, you must repeat the process and finally clean it with wood polish.

These processes can be a little time-consuming but once you’re done with it you can get started with working on your masterpiece.

As we’re done with this blog, you must have many queries in your heads. Some of them are as follows:

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can’t hair dryers be used on plastic?

A hairdryer isn’t recommended for removing sticker residue from plastic surfaces as the heat from it can melt the surface itself ruining the entire tool.

What should be used to scrape the residue?

There are many scrapers specifically designed for scraping sticky material. Find a local hardware store and you’ll get the right scraper as per your need.