The Best Method on How to Remove Labels from Glass Jars for Reuse and Upcycling
Reusing glass jars is a wonderful way to reduce waste around the home, add charm to your house, and embrace a zero-waste living. Whether you’re a fan of homemade jams, pickles, or simply looking to repurpose store-bought jars for DIY projects, one task you’ll often encounter is removing the stubborn labels that come with them.
At first glance, removing labels off jars seems easy, right? Well, any zero waste warrior or anyone who has tried to do this, knows that it is not a straightforward task!
How many times have you been scrubbing jars with steel wool only to still have a nasty sticky residue stuck on their surface? The labels would only peel in small chunks thanks to a nasty adhesive backing…
In this article, we will show you the best-tried method to remove the labels off glass jars in an easy way, including tips for dealing with particularly stubborn adhesives. We’ll also explain why glass jars are an excellent material for upcycling and why taking the time to clean them properly can make all the difference in your DIY projects.
Why Reuse Glass Jars?
Before diving into the best method of removing labels, it’s worth highlighting why it’s important to reuse glass jars instead of just recycling them.
- Glass jars have an aesthetic appeal that plastic containers often lack. Yes, we are referring to all those Instagram worthy pantry & kitchen images!
- They’re versatile, durable, and completely recyclable.
- You can use them for storage in the fridge or freezer so you avoid storing food in plastic containers, this is particularly important for liquids and you avoid any leaching of microplastics. Glass storage & non-toxic cookware and utensils are our recommendations for a healthy kitchen set-up.
- More importantly, by upcycling your jars, you’re reducing your environmental footprint by giving a new life to a product that would otherwise be discarded.
Glass has a high carbon footprint due to its weight and the scarcity of sand reserves, therefore despite being a material with a high recycling rate, the most sustainable way is to reuse and repurpose an item instead of buying new.
Here are just a few creative ways you can reuse glass jars:
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Storage Containers in the Kitchen
Use these jars for storing dry goods, herbs. spices, loose tea leaves, grains, rice, pasta etc. or even for mason jar salads in colorful layers of vegetables.
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As Food Storage Containers for Fermentation, Jams, Chutneys, Pickles etc.
Jars are ideal not just for dry foods, but also for fermented food storage, or when preparing jams, chutneys, pickles, homemade Italian tomato sauce etc. especially as preserved food for the winter.
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As Food Storage Containers for your Bulk Store Shopping
Having a few clan containers ready with your reusable shopping bags and reusable produce bags will be handy when going to bulk store to prchase your grocery essentials! We purchase loose leaf tea instead of tea bags, honey, and even laundry detergent with our containers.
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Storage Containers in the Bathroom
They can be used as cotton ball or cotton swab containers. Small glass bottles and droppers can be used as shampoo and conditioner bottles when you travel, or for plastic free essential oils treatments.
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Candle Holders
Glass containers, particularly those with an open mouth, are perfect for homemade candles or as decorative holders for tealights (which by the way, can be used as well for DYI gifts, see below!)
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Vases and Plant Pots
Glass jars are ideal for small plants or cut flowers to display on a kitchen sill, on shelves or the dining table etc.
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DIY Gifts
Fill these containers with homemade food-based treats like biscuits, seed crackers, kimchi you name it or they are also perfect for DIY gifts like bath salts, sugar / coffee body scrub etc, all amazing tips for a plastic-free Christmas.
The possibilities are endless!
However, for these projects to truly shine, you’ll want to make sure the jars are clean, free from sticky labels, and looking their best. Here we’ll show the best tried method!
Related: Zero Waste Cooking: A Simple Guide to Eliminating Food Waste
The Best Way to Remove Labels from Glass Jars and Bottles: Soaking in Hot Water and Dishwashing Liquid Soap
We tried so many methods and we can truly reveal that using warm (better hot!) water and dish soap is for us the best method for removing labels. This method works best for paper labels that are adhered with water-soluble label glue, however, we’ve had success also with plastic labels.
This post contains affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. This helps us continue the hard work we put into researching products and solutions to plastic/ microplastic pollution.
Step 1: Gather Your Supplies
You’ll need:
– A sink, large bowl or a large stainless steel pot (i.e. 8 quart pot)
– Warm water (better if hot!)
– A plastic free dish soap
– A plastic free dish sponge, loofah or dishcloth. We recommend using a steel wool scrubber pad as the best tool to scrub off the labels
Step 2: Soak the Jars
Fill your sink, a large bowl, or a large pot with the jars first, then add warm water, and add a generous squirt of dish soap. Make sure that the water is hot, but not so hot that it will burn you. Submerge the jar completely with pouring water on them and let them soak at least overnight, yes, the time is the secret to dissolving the glue from glass! The heat from the water helps to loosen the adhesive, making it easier to remove but so that’s it’s easier for you it’s best to forget them overnight or even for a few days in the water! We say this by experience as shown in the video linked below.
Step 3: Peel Off the Labels
After soaking for at least one night, try peeling off the labels with your fingers. If they don’t come off easily, use a butter knife first to lift the edge of the labels. Work slowly to avoid tearing the label into small pieces. If any paper remains stuck to the jar, use a steel wool sponge to rub them off.
Youtube Shorts Video by I’m Plastic Free
Step 4: Scrub with a Sponge
Using a compostable rough sponge, dishcloth, or even better a steel wool scrubber pad, scrub away any remaining bits of paper or adhesive. If the label was particularly sticky, you may need to apply a little more elbow grease, but usually, this will do the trick!
Final Step: Rinse and Dry
Once the label and adhesive are removed, rinse the jar with clean water to remove any soap residue. Dry it with a towel or let it air dry. Your jar is now ready for its next purpose!
Related: Creating a Sustainable Kitchen: The Best Plastic-free, Non-Toxic Small Kitchen Appliances
Other Methods to Try for Stubborn Labels: Vinegar, Alcohol, Baking Soda and Cooking Oil Paste
There are of course plenty of other methods – which we all tried – but nothing beats for us the secret we discussed above. For completeness though, we’ll list here the other methods of what to use instead.
- Lemon essential oil
- DIY paste made from baking soda and vegetable oil to be applied on the label area
- White vinegar used for cleaning (better bought in bulk to have less plastic)
- Rubbing alcohol
- Use a hairdryer to apply heat
- Non-toxic nail polish remover
- WD-40 (We do not recommend using this as it contains nasty chemicals!)
Related: The 10 Best Zero-Waste Cleaning Products
Conclusion: Be Patient & Let the Jars Soak in Soapy Water!
Removing labels from glass jars can be a bit tedious, but with the right techniques, it becomes a quick and easy task. By using methods like soaking in warm soapy water for several hours or overnight, even better if for a few days, applying a baking soda and oil paste, or turning to household solvents like vinegar and rubbing alcohol, you’ll have clean, reusable jars in no time.
Once the labels are gone, you can unleash your creativity and repurpose those jars into everything from stylish storage containers to charming home decor pieces. Try this method on how to remove labels from glass jars and let us know your experience in the comments!
Happy upcycling!
