How to Remove Stickers

It can be really aggravating to get a new picture frame or similar item with a stick-on price tag, and rush it home to put the photo in, only to discover that the price tag, or its remnants, won't come off!

Hard, non-porous surfaces like glass, metal, and plastic, are perhaps the easiest to deal with. All it takes is some rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover applied to the sticker with a Q-tip or cotton ball. Let it soak a minute and the sticker will peel right off. If you already tried to remove the sticker and are left with a mess of paper backing and glue, just soak it and wait, then use your thumbnail or a dull edge to scrape it off.

Oil is also useful, and anything in the kitchen such as canola or vegetable oil will do, except on surfaces that will stain. Alcohol should be used on cardboard, like a gift box, and will lift the sticker while not damaging the design on the surface. Oil or furniture polish should be used for stickers on wood, to avoid damaging the finish. Wash the spot after removal with mild soap and water if using oil.

If someone has plastered your car bumper with a political sticker (especially if your candidate lost), you can remove it with the same tricks. For a paper sticker with gum backing, put alcohol in a spray bottle and give it a good soaking. Let it set for a while, then peel it off, rubbing along any leftover gum, which will gather itself together, much like chewing gum as it rolls. If the sticker is vinyl, try heating it with a hair dryer and lifting from one end, drawing it away steadily as each section is heated and becomes pliant.