Q&A for How to Remove a Jar Label

I like to use them for holding things like cosmetics, cotton swabs, and sticky notes. You can also take them with you to a zero-waste store if you have them nearby, and you can fill them up with the food you're buying, like oatmeal, nuts, or dates.

If you already took the label off, but residue is left behind, you may skip steps involving peeling the label off, and get straight to residue removal. These work for both removing residue and labels.

Yes. The only difference between white vinegar and malt vinegar is that white vinegar is made of purely of water and acid, while malt vinegar has malting barley in addition.

It is sodium carbonate. It is mainly used to dissolve water for washing and cleaning.

You could, but heat guns might melt plastic containers or break glass jars, because most glass jars aren't heat-treated.

Soak it in a sinkful of very hot, soapy water for a bit. It should slide off easily. If there is still sticky residue remaining, use a product called "Goo-Gone" to remove it.

It varies by brand and the adhered surface material. A common example is the brand Oui, which uses a kind of thermoplastic on glass. Exposure to direct sunlight degrades it. Subsequent exposure to moisture swells the glue, then easy to peel or wipe off. The longer/more intense the exposure, the weaker the glue. Sunlight alone will weaken the glue and leave it easier to chip off, but it will practically float off if the glue is afterward left in high humidity, rain, or a soaking tray. It helps if the moisture is slightly acidic compared to tap water, e.g. rainwater or water with vinegar), 4 to 36 hours sun, 20 minutes to 24 hours soaking.

Cold water shouldn't make it harder to remove, but warm water could make it a litte easier than cold water because it helps to soften the adhesive behind the label.

Use the baking soda and olive oil method as described above; this would be the best way. Then you will not end up scratching the pan or damaging it with chemicals (which sometimes can affect a pan that has a non-stick coating, for example).

If it's a separate label, try peeling it off gently, then move on to residue removal steps, like oil and scrubbing. If it's silk-screened directly on the glass or plastic, there may not be much you can do.

Thanks for your comment. You're right. The fine scratches can interact with temperature and pressure changes and crack the jars. There's now a warning added in the article.

Correct, they are the same, but not everyone knows that, and it's possible to buy products with either label. There's no harm in being a little redundant in this case.