This one is an oldie but a goodie – if you’ve seen it before sorry for the repeat but it’s too good not to share for those new to DIY (like me!).
I don’t know about you, but I seem to accumulate empty jars. I’d love to say it’s from being a culinary whiz, but it’s much more likely the result of one too many ‘instant pasta sauce’ dinners (I can do many things, but sadly cooking isn’t one of them!).When I get a new jar, I make a half-hearted attempt to remove the label, only to be frustrated by the label glue that just DOESN’T COME OFF. At which point I usually shove the jar into a cupboard, never to be seen again.
I realise that there are easy fixes for this sort of thing such as methylated spirits or turps, but my house is a bit deprived of these chemicals and I’m usually too lazy to do a last-minute trip to Bunnings.
Enter my trusty nail polish remover. It does the job and does it well, and best of all it’s right there in my bathroom cupboard! Just soak the jar and peel off the label so only the glue is left, then grab a couple of cotton buds, dip them in the nail polish remover and rub over the sticky parts. There you go! Instantly clean jars, no stickiness, no label and it even takes off things like the printed used-by-date.
I know there must be plenty more clever tips out there for removing labels from jars, maybe even ones that are environmentally friendly (nail polish remover is great, but it smells so toxic!). If you’ve got any to share, I’d love to know!
xx Steph