How To Reuse Jars - Get Rid Of Stickers From Plastic And Glass

Many a time, grocery items are packed in lovely jars. I love to reuse these jars for storing kitchen stuff but hate the stickers on them. Recently, when I tried cleaning them by soaking in water and then applying elbow grease, I was rewarded with half torn stickers which looked even shabbier! I wasn't able to throw away the jars because of the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) but at the same time, I couldn't get myself to use them. 

Then I turned to omniscient Google. (Is there anything that google can't answer!!) Google recommended to apply oil / peanut butter on stickers and leave them for 24 hours. I had a bottle of used oil - the leftover after frying - and I was delighted to use it in some manner.

Here's how I went about the whole process and you can too:

1. Apply oil liberally on sticker with brush or finger. Rub it well on edges. 

2. Let the jar stand for 12 hours. 

3. After the wait, try peeling the sticker from one of the edges. Chances are, it will come off partially. Repeat the process from all 4 corners. 

4. If the sticker doesn't come off fully, don't despair. Rub oil all over again, with more emphasis on the edges and let it stand for next 12 hours. 

5. This time, the sticker should come off fully. If there are still a few traces, you can reapply oil. 

6. Wash the jars with warm soapy water. 

My jars looked as good as new. And without any ungainly scratches too! I was so happy with a job well done. The cherry on the cake was that there was absolutely no elbow grease required. This is a frustration-free and foolproof method to get rid of stickers both from plastic and glass bottles. 

So what are you waiting for? Get going!