Q&A for How to Remove a Paper Label from a Plastic Prescription Bottle

The methods in the article should clean off the glue residue. A cotton ball soaked with 90% isopropyl alcohol will also clean the adhesive off without damaging the medicine bottle. Use of acetone will dissolve plastic as well as any adhesive.

Try peeling back one corner of the label and then heating it with a hairdryer on high heat for about 30 seconds. Then, peel off the label carefully and scrub the sticky glue away with a mild dish soap. If that doesn't work, soak the bottle in a small container with 3–4 cups (710–950 mL) of warm water and about 4 tablespoons (50 g) of baking soda for 30 minutes before peeling it off.

Get as much of the label off of the bottle as you can and then spread olive or vegetable oil all over the bottle. Let the oil sit for 5 minutes so it can soak into the glue. Then, take a paper towel, cloth, or sponge, and scrub away the sticky adhesive before rinsing the oil off of the surface with clean water.

One way to get a sticky label off of a plastic surface is to freeze it. Put the plastic in your freezer for 5 hours to freeze the adhesive on the label. Sometimes, the label will actually fall off on its own because the adhesive has lost its grip on the plastic. If the label is still on, pry up 1 corner with your fingers and then pull it off of the plastic.