Raise your hand if you think I’m anal.
(I’ll pause while you do that).
Well, I probably am. I’m definitely type A. But I think there might be a misconception that our house gleams and the faucets are always shined and there aren’t any toothpaste splatters on the mirrors. Yeah right, I wish. We tried to disprove the whole perfect thing with this video (yes, we leave clothes on the floor and mail in a pile like the rest of the population- haha) and it seemed like the masses were relieved.
We’re human I promise (although I’m pretty sure if I weren’t human I’d pretend that I was for assimilation purposes), and my dirty goo-related secret might just prove that once and for all (prove that I’m human, not prove that I’m an assimilating robot). Check out this lamp – from Linens N Things back in the day – that I’ve had for over four years. That’s more than 1,460 days. Yup, that’s the sticky rectangle left by the clearance tag that was on there when I got it. Yes, the goo is practically an antique. I’ve just never scrubbed it off.
Same with the back of the ceramic container (from Target) from at least two years ago that we use to hold our serving and cooking utensils. I just turn the container sticky-side-back so it faces the wall and go on my merry way.
Of course outing myself makes me feel like I should remedy these two sticky situations (my mom does occasionally skim the blog- hi ma!), so with a little bit of soap (Dr. Bronners if you’re wondering, the almond kind) and some water I’m off to get my scrub on. Let’s hope in ten minutes I’ll be singing “ding dong, the goo is gone.” I have to admit that I’m worried that it might be a bit rough to remove thanks to years of dormancy. So that’s what I’m up to this afternoon (along with continued console bid-ness and some post writing). Whew, outing my sticky secret feels kind of good. I can’t be alone in this can I? Please tell me someone else out there just rotates things so the “flaws” face the wall.
georgia says
Its a pet hate of mine to leave a label on, I like to pick them off, then usually just rub my finger continuously over the sticky patch to ‘roll’ it off. Or for stubborn ones, kitchen scourer pad, one with half sponge half scourer, dunk in hot/warm water with washing up liquid and then just soak the sticky and scrub away! :)
Linda Wulf says
My secret is hand sanitizer. It gets goo off wonderfully. Also accidentally exploded ball point pen on hands. :)
Sara says
Good ideas for cleaning off those goo tag spots. Now I have another chore on my list … why are sticky tags put on glasses? Another thing I am bad at, cutting, yes CUTTING tags off of bought things. What, am I too lazy to get the scissors and cut the rope, or maybe just undo the tiny safety pin. There is no reason. And when I see the tag, dangling from my chairs (3 that I can think of), instead of fixing the problem, I laugh at myself.
Kaylen says
I reuse a lot of jars so it seems like I’m always scrubbing goo off. (I use hot soapy water and a steel scrubbie – thankfully it doesn’t seem to scratch glass.)
Kristi @ Addicted 2 Decorating says
I still have sticker goo on the front of my refrigerator that I purchased…hmmm…five years ago. It irritates me every time I see it, and I think to myself, “I’ve GOT to get some Goo Gone!” And then I walk away and immediately forget about it and don’t give it another thought until the next time I go to rummage through the fridge. Maybe one day I’ll get around to it…like when I’m ready to upgrade to a new fridge and want to put this one on Craigslist.
kim b says
I just need to clean my refrigerator. Why is it that is the only appliance I forget to wipe down!
Elisabeth@ArtsyBetsy says
Someone might have already said this but another great natural solution is peanut butter! You know how PB gets gum out of hair? Well you can apply that same theory to your other sticky situations. Just put some on an old toothbrush to scrub it and the goo will be gone in no time!
Kate says
The stickers they use at my local thrift store are SUPER difficult to get off. For anything that can stand to get wet, soaking with hot water works wonders (if it’s small, it goes in the sink; if it’s larger, it gets a drippy washcloth on it for a while). Things just slide right off after that.
I also used to use goo-gone all the time, but something it left a residue.
Liz says
I’ve had a ton of success with a baby wipe for sticky things. Slightly concerning that it works…since we use them on tiny behinds…but they work :)
Debby says
Goo Be Gone is the best, but peanut butter also works.
Amirah says
I too always use nail polish remover. Works every time! That reminds me… there is a sticky spot on my glass entry table that I’ve been meaning to get to for several weeks!! :)
Jennifer W. says
We have black stonewear dishes, one day I accidentally chipped the bottom of one.. so I colored the chip in with permanent marker! You can only see the chip if you look really close!
Elizabeth says
I do this with LOTS of things. Black and brown sharpies are my friend.
Lara says
The best way to get that nasty goo off is to use nail polish remover. Works like a charm in no time!
Stacey says
I keep a mug at my desk for tea. I don’t trust office dishwashers for some reason so I always hand-wash it. Yesterday I turned it over and saw that the sticker was still on the bottom… I’ve had the mug since Christmas… obviously outta sight is outta mind.(and my mother would be ashamed of my dishwashing skills).
Had a bottle of my magic goo remover (hand sanitizer=SUPER rubbing alcohol) at my desk so it’s all good now.
Julane says
Goo-Gone is AMAZING if Dr. Bronners doesn’t work… I use it a lot. And it smells so nice and citrus-y! :-)
Sarah says
I’m so happy that you showed those “imperfections”. The blogging world has made me think that everyone’s houses are perfect, all projects are done ahead of schedule, and they’re spotless all of the time!
Although, I’m very much anal, too… hello rainbow organized clothes and labelled everything. ;)
marissa says
Vinegar sometimes works too! Good luck! (and at least you take the sticker off – you kind find stickers on things all over my house – my sister in law is always laughing at me :)
Jane @ The Borrowed Abode says
I’m totally a lazy label-peeler. but sometimes I get in the mood to clean off some old glass jars and for that, I love Goo Gone. But when I am out of Goo Gone I’ve found that using some veggie or olive oil works pretty well too! And it’s not abrasive like alcohol, etc.
Robin @ Our Semi Organic Life says
Love Dr. Bronners – started using after hearing so much about it from you! Love that TJ’s has the best price on it. We love the peppermint, what all do you use it for & in what concentrations?
YoungHouseLove says
We use it for everything. Hand soap (watered down 50%). Cleaning wood floors (watered down 75%). Giving Burger a bath (watered down 50%). We never use it full concentration (because we’re cheap and it does ok watered down).
xo,
s
Marcie says
My always-on-hand environmentally friendly goo remover is peanut butter! Works every time. Just rub a small bit into the sticky area, scraping with your fingernail or a non-scratch scrubber and then wash with soapy water to remove the p.b. and last of the sticky residue.
Allison says
I think the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser does it too for the gooey! Those things really are magic. Keep a box of those on hand. When Clara the peanut gets older and starts coloring your walls, coffee table, kitchen tables, etc. etc. you will thank me!
Lyndsay @ Mr and Mrs says
Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are magic!! I always have a box in my closet :). I even use them on our glass cooktop, gets it back to its gleaming self!
Stacy says
You can also use peanut butter. Just spread a layer over your sticker and let it sit for a bit, and the oil picks up the stickiness!
Beck's Chic Life says
Not sure if anyone else said this, but Mayonnaise will take the goo off. Just let it sit for a few minutes and then wash with your normal dish soap and warm water. I think it is less messy than veggie oil.
Lindsey B. says
My secret is to use eye make-up remover. I showed this to my husband when he was attempting to remove some heavy duty gook from our kitchen. He was mortified that something that I rub on my eyes is strong enough to do that sort of job. Personally, I use Mary Kay remover but I bet you could get other brands to do the trick too.
rebeccable says
I’m with the rubbing alcohol idea, only I work in a hospital so I have easy access to the alcohol wipes they use for skin prep, so some always wander home in my pockets – its amazing how much you can clean with those. My personal favorites (aside from sticker goo) are white Apple keyboards and power cords, those things get pretty dirty!
Leah @ L4L says
We save/reuse glass jars (like salsa jars, olive jars, almond butter jars) so I’m delabeling jars at least once a week! Goo-Be-Gone has saved my life and it smells orangey and amazing!
Heather says
I accidently left the “I voted” sticker on my shirt for too long before washing it. The sticker fell off in the wash; however, the goo did not. All the lint stuck to the goo mid wash and now my shirt is ruined. Anyone know how to get goo off of a shirt? I’m thinking the oil and the goo be gone would ruin fabric.
Doni says
Goo Gone is awesome. It uses citrus oils, and I think it smells good. I noticed someone said they don’t like the smell. Hmmm, to each his own.
Newness says
*clutches pearls*
Why I NEVER!
lol
Jenny says
Anyone know a way to get dried-on sticky sappy goo off a car? In our old apartment we parked under a tree of some kind, and it was fruitless to fight the drips. But two years later, they’ve apparently backed on to the point where the carwash guy said he couldn’t do anything about it. I’m thinking there must be something. Will goo gone mess with the finish?
YoungHouseLove says
Anyone know?
xo,
s
Jennifer B. says
Got my bottle right here. Directions for hard surfaces: “Apply Goo Gone to stain. Allow a few minutes for Goo Gone to begin working. Wipe clean with a clean white cloth. Clean area with soap and water.”
I think using a white cloth is optional… haha. But I don’t think it should take the finish off. As always, the bottle says to test in an inconspicuous area first.
Jennifer B.
Jenny says
Thank you, Sherry and Jennifer B!
betsyinbham says
I use a hot hair dryer to remove stickers from any purchases. Just heat the stickers for a few seconds and peel.
I can’t take credit for this awesome tip. My mom passed this piece of advice to me. It totally works and no other products needed.
Rebecca says
I like to use a baking soda/water paste, it also works wonders for goo removal and doesn’t smell!
Candace says
I use rubbing alcohol for sticker residue. Though, looks like EVERYONE has a common household remedy for the goo!! I wonder what works best….
I would say, after using over 2 bottles of Goo Gone, it’s kinda oily (which makes sense to anyone who has used Pam/Olive Oil to get off tree sap from their hands!). I think nail polish remover, which someone else suggested, or the rubbing alcohol would be a cleaner solution.
I love when you look at the bottom of a plate/vase/whatever and the full sticker is still there. Awesomeness.
Christy says
You guys HAVE to buy some Goo Gone! It’s super easy to use and gets the job done, stat!
Sarah says
The absolute best remover-of-adhesive, EVER, is definitely WD-40!
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
I have chipped vases that are too cute, so I just turned it around so that I can keep it :)
Marla says
The worst is when an article of clothing goes through the washer and dryer and then you discover there was a sticker on it. The goo becomes part of the fabric. Haven’t been successful in finding a remedy for that one yet, but I’m sure there’s one out there!
shanna says
I have the best solution and it’s totally green! I know you already have the ingredients on hand (BTW this makes an excellent scrub for the bath too!). This makes a bunch, so you could cut it down. Or just kind of eyeball the combo in a little dish. It is my go-to product for goo. Or crayons on Macbooks.
1/2 c. castille soap
1 & 2/3 c. baking soda
1/2 c. water
2 Tbsp. vinegar
Good luck! Goo luck? haha.
Jennifer B. says
This sounds awesome! I have a bottle of Goo Gone, but I hate that it’s not natural. Thanks!
Jennifer B.
Heather says
It seems like some stores have stickier stickers than others. Marshall’s and TJ Maxx — two of my favorites! — are the worst sticky sticker offenders, in my opinion. And why must they put them right on the front of the glass on pictures and wall hangings? Wouldn’t it make so much more sense to put the sticker on the back?
liz @ btb says
If Dr. B’s doesn’t work, try using a little cooking oil on there. I normally use stainless steel cleaner but in a pinch, veggie or olive oil works great.
Laura says
Totally. Made. My. Day. Thanks, Sherry! :)
Shion says
A great, cheap way to get gunk off smooth surfaces is to cover it with a thick layer of moisturizer (any kind will do), step away from it for at least 15 minutes, and come back with a credit card or hard surface (or your fingernail) and it should come off easily. I use this trick all the time when I want to re-use glass jars that used to have labels on it :D
Laura says
Sorry, normally I love your posts but when I read posts like this I can’t help but feel like you’re really reaching for things to write about.
I think you guys have a ton of great ideas, but I could do without you mentioning that you forgot to take a few price tags some items.
YoungHouseLove says
Feel free to skip any and all posts that don’t do it for ya. They’re not all gonna be amazing to everyone, this we know. Other random things I’ve blogged about include: buying ceramic animals, painting things white, weird dreams I’ve had, and my secret middle name. It’s the good, the bad, the ugly, and the mundane all day every day around these parts.
xo,
s
Barb says
Sherry, I love that you are random, mundane, gracious and kind.
Agreed says
I agree with Laura. And I’m not sure why you would be proud of any posts considered “mundane”.
YoungHouseLove says
The point is that we just blog about our own little world. Always have, and always will. You know, like all the weird things we do and projects we take on, big and small. We never promise that every post will be earthshatteringly amazing to everyone. That’s like promising everyone will love the same food or the same outfit. I guess that’s why we’re proud to own it and say “yeah, some posts are mundane and average just like our life.” We’re so not fancy. And while we wish we could do major demo and 10K projects every day for you guys, that’s just not gonna happen. But there are some awesome HGTV shows with that kind of stuff if it’s what you’re looking for.
The thing about it is that most people (judging by over 300 comments on this post) don’t think the mundane stuff should be left out. They like it and we have nice little chats about it and people share info and it becomes a great reference, like this post for anyone with sticky crap they can’t remove. And we like posts like this. They’re real. So they stay. To me it seems like skipping posts that bore you is the answer. That’s how we read other blogs, (soak up every word about projects we love and scroll on by whatever we don’t). You can even ditch us entirely if we annoy you. Haha. Whatever makes you happy! We just enjoy sharing whatever goes on here at Casa Petersik with people who want to drop in on our little (sometimes boring) world. And if you don’t, no worries!
In summary: YHL = not the most amazing blog ever. That’s not the goal. Waaaay too much pressure. So yes, we’re happy to be mundane and average and real. That’s what got us “here.” And we’re pretty darn excited to be here.
xo,
s
Rina says
Keep up the “mundane” topics! That is totally what I love about you guys and what makes every word you say so relevant to our normal lives! Even all the way down here in Melbourne Australia!
Ashley E says
I second Barb… especially on the gracious bit.
Sandra says
Amen! I don’t expect every post to be a “superstar” post, in fact I think 99% of the people responding to this post (that I have read, anyway/how the heck do you guys do this EVERYDAY?) like that there is some mundane…everybody has mundane (me way more than I like!), that’s part of being human! I like that you guys show the real parts of it, and I appreciate it! Did I say “Thank You?” ; )
Lindsay says
I actually really appreciate all of the suggestions given here about how to remove that goo and I am really sorry you have to deal with the snarky comments about it being mundane.
Sarah says
I used to hide the goo until I found this trick: before taking a sticker off, take your hair dryer to it. After a minute or so of applying the heat, the sticker will come right off!
Lauren says
Two plus years ago, I was attempting to quickly remove the plastic wrapping on a new lamp shape with scissors and managed to cut right through the lamp shade itself. We are still using that sliced lamp shade just with the cut facing the wall. Still need to motivate to buy a new one.
Amy says
The best goo remover I know of is mineral spirits. I buy the green version, put it in a spray bottle and always have it handy to remove those pesky clearance stickers. It’s fantastic! It even removes double sided tape off of walls. No scrubbing necessary! I read the comment about the dryer sheets and have to say they are great for pet hair removal too. Just rub them over your bedspread, couch, etc. It’ll loosen the hair up and make it MUCH easier to vacuum up.
Whitney says
So, a little trick from a scientist – use nail polish remover or the rubbing alcohol from your first aid kit to get rid of adhesives. It’ll work every time, and evaporate!
Molly says
Maybe I have too much time on my hands, but if I don’t get every last bit of goo off my item, it will keep me up at night!
Adriane @ GreenhornLiving says
I’m loving these great ideas! Real Simple magazine does a feature about ‘problem-solvers’ but this list is a gold mine…veggie oil and erasers, who knew?! Anybody have goo I can test? LOL
Charlotte says
I use a magic eraser to scrub off the residue left by what seems like fifty million price stickers on each and every Goodwill purchase (why do they use so many???)
Krissy says
You know that hairdryer that you used to dry your dining room chair? Yeah, that will work perfect to get your stickers off too! Apply a little heat and rub your finger over it… There you have it!