How To Remove Sticker Residue From Plastic Bottles Without Scrubbing

Most plastic bottles used for beverages, like soda bottles and common water bottle brands, have plastic or paper labels that are affixed with a strong glue, such as water-based or hot melt adhesive. This durable, powerful adhesive effectively prevents the label from falling off, therefore, trying to remove it can be a bit of a headache. Luckily, there's an easy hack for removing the label from your plastic bottle that will only take a couple of minutes. 

Someone might want to remove the label from a plastic bottle in order to reuse it for a different purpose or simply for aesthetic purposes. Most labels and adhesives on plastic bottles will disintegrate with extreme heat in the recycling process, therefore it's generally not required to remove them before recycling. However, some people might choose to remove the labels in order to ensure their plastic bottles are recycled and create less work for recycling center. 

To easily and cleanly remove the label, fill the empty bottle with hot water then screw on the cap and allow it to sit for a couple of minutes. Hot water from the sink will suffice, but the water should be hot enough to melt the adhesive on the bottle (so take care when handling the hot bottle). After about two minutes, begin at one corner and slowly peel the label off. Once the label is off, there is often a sticky residue remaining from the glue. The good news is, this can also easily be removed. 

No one wants to hold a sticky water or soda bottle. Once the label is removed, take a minute to clean off the remaining adhesive residue so that you can have a clean, clear plastic bottle. To do this, simply pour a bit of cooking oil (vegetable oil, coconut oil, olive oil, etc.) on the bottle and gently scrape it over the adhesive with a kitchen tool such as a rubber or plastic bowl scraper or spatula. Avoid using anything sharp since this can cut the plastic. Optionally, add a small amount of baking soda to the oil to make a paste to rub over the adhesive. Baking soda is a mild abrasive and can help remove the sticky residue. 

If the glue isn't coming off, try soaking a paper towel with cooking oil and wrapping it around the bottle. Allow it to sit for several minutes to a few hours, then scrape off the remaining adhesive and wash with dish soap to remove the oil. This can be done with vinegar instead of oil, just make sure to wash it well and soak it in soapy water to remove the pungent odor. 

Bear in mind that reusing disposable plastic bottles, like bottled water, is generally safe if cleaned and stored correctly. However, when using them for food or drink purposes, it's recommended to put them in recycling if they become scratched or cracked (even slightly) due to the potential of harmful chemicals leaking into your drink.