How to remove sticker residue?

Most stickers have one thing in common, i.e., is you can place them easily, and they will come off easily as well. However, they leave behind a residue, which is a real pain to remove. Nowadays, there are various products in the market for this sole purpose of eliminating sticker and their residue.

Then again, you cannot use the same item on different objects to clean. The cleaner you used to remove the residue from your car is not suitable for your laptop.

Let’s take a deeper dive into this matter to know how to remove sticker residue from different objects.

Remove sticker residue from a car:

Removing sticker residue from a car or its windshield can be done in various ways. Below are the steps –

Using the regular soap water 

Take a regular dish soap and mix it well with adequate water. Make sure the water is hot because the stickers are usually very sticky and do not come off easily. After that, rub the part with a piece of cloth dipped into the mixed soap water.

Let the sticker residue soak a little bit of the soapy water for a while. Then take something sharp to scrape the residue carefully without damaging your car. When it starts to come off and very few are left, then wash the area with normal clean water, and you will notice its completely gone.

Using fabric softener 

This is one of the most effective methods for removing sticker residue from your car. Mix the fabric softener with hot water in a 1:1 ratio and use a cloth to rub the sticker residue, and it will come off in no time. It requires minimum effort and ensures excellent results.

Using heat

We all have a hairdryer in our houses, a very common appliance. It can be used to remove the sticker residue as well. All you need to do is blow some hot air on the sticker for a few minutes.

It’ll get loosened, and you can now scrape it off with something sharp. In the end, clean the area with your car cleaning agent. Some other essential things you need to remember is to set the temperature of your hair dryer at a limit that does not damage the exterior of the car.

Remove sticker residue from plastic:

Nowadays, more or less every plastic container comes with stickers built-in. Some of the portions will quickly come off, but the residue will be left behind. Follow these steps to remove sticker residue from plastic –

Using your finger 

You cannot use any sharp object to scrape the stickers off as the plastic will be damaged then. Use your finger to scrape the sticker residue off. If you know how to do it properly, then you know that they start to come off slowly. It is not as effective as any other option, but this won’t damage the plastic.

Using soapy water 

If the quality of the plastic is better, then you can opt for this option. Heat the water for a while, ensuring that it is not too hot because it’s plastic. Mix dishwashing liquid in the water. Take the plastic container and dip it in the water to get rid of the sticker residue. Let it soak for a while and then rub it gently with a cloth using normal water.

Using vinegar 

As we all know, vinegar is an all-rounder cleaning agent. It is being used to clean for many purposes. Take a bowl and fill it with normal water and add two to three tablespoons of vinegar in it and mix it properly.

Take an old toothbrush and dip it in the mixture and then use it to scrub the sticker area on the plastic. Do it gently and take your time; it will make the sticker residue go away. When done, rinse the area with clean water.

Remove sticker residue from the car window:

Removing stickers from your car window is not a difficult task to perform. Following a few steps can get this job done. The steps are –

Using rubbing alcohol 

Rubbing alcohol can be used to remove many things, and sticker residue is one of them. Take a dry cloth, spray some rubbing alcohol on it, and rub the sticky area of your car window. The stickers will start to come off after a while. Once you’re done, clean the glass with a dry piece of cloth.

Using a suitable cleaning agent 

This is the most commonly used way to clean the car windows as well as to remove the sticker residue. People who do not know or have no idea about the ideas mentioned above will go to the store to buy a suitable cleaning agent.

Spray the cleaning agent directly to the sticky area and start rubbing it with a cloth. Spray some in the cloth for better results. In a matter of minutes, your car window will be as good as new.

Using ice 

This is an unconventional and lesser-known way to remove a sticker residue. Ice is not a cleaning agent in any case. Put ice in an ice bag and put the bag on the sticky area for about 10-15 minutes. When the area is wet, use your fingers or preferably a razer to scrape them off. This takes a bit of time, and if the sticker is too big, then this is not the method you may want to start with.

Remove sticker residue from utensils:

Every utensil comes with stickers on them. Those are some hardcoded stickers that are on most of the utensils. Some of them are pretty hard to get rid of, whereas some of them come off easily. Follow the steps below to get rid of it –

Using oil 

Heat the oil to the required temperature and take a piece of cloth and dip it in the oil. Then rub the sticky area with the cloth until it comes off. Rub as hard as you can the whole area. The residue will start to come off and then clean it with the dishwashing liquid.

Using rubbing alcohol 

Like a car window, you can also use rubbing alcohol to remove the sticker residue from any utensil. Spray some rubbing alcohol on the sticker and the cloth as well. Rub the utensil’s sticky area thoroughly, and it will get your job done.

Using dishwashing liquid 

This is the most effective and commonly used way to get rid of the sticker residue from your utensils. Whenever we buy new utensils, we wash them before using them. Make sure to scrub them properly while you are cleaning them so you can get both of the jobs done in one go. Your utensil will be clean and sticker free as well.

Remove sticker residue from laptop:

Some of us like to decorate our laptops by sticking various types of stickers on them. It could be of your favorite superhero character or a cartoon character. Eventually, they start wearing off but leaves behind its residue, which looks terrible and needs to be removed. Follow these steps to remove those sticker residues from your laptop –

Using a suitable cleaning agent 

Laptops are exceptionally delicate, and cleaning them needs extra attention. Find a suitable cleaning agent for a laptop like a colin glass cleaner. Spray it on the cloth and laptop carefully after covering the display. Scrub it properly to get rid of the sticker residue. Once you’ve done this, take a dry cloth and wipe the laptop.

Using baking soda or Colgate 

Put some Colgate into place and scrub it with a scotch Brite pad to make the sticker go away. You can also put some baking soda into your scotch Brite pad and then scrub it into the sticky area. Both of these methods are effective. Wipe it with a wet cloth after cleaning.

Using hairdryer 

Using a hairdryer on a laptop could be dangerous if not done properly. Set the heat to an appropriate level and blow hot air on the area, and it will come off very easily, leaving no stain behind. Wipe it down with a dry cloth once finished.

Remove sticker residue from clothes:

Removing the stickers from cloth must be the hardest one and takes a lot of effort. Follow these steps to know how to do it –

Using detergent 

The most commonly used method is by using detergent and stain cleaner. Mix both these into cold water and soak your clothes for an hour. Then take them out and scrub them for 15-20 minutes at least. Rinse them with clear water, and the sticker residue should be gone.

Using iron 

One of the most effective ways to remove the sticker is to use the iron. Place your cloth on the table. Put one or two paper towels on it depending on the thickness. Set the iron to heat(no steam), and iron the sticky area for about 20-25 seconds. Remove the paper towels and wash the cloth. It’ll be good as new.

Using vinegar 

Take a bucket and fill it with water and two tablespoons of vinegar. Soak the cloth into the mixture for an hour and then wash it. The sticker will be long gone.

Sticker residue can be hard to rub off some time. These are the methods to remove those residues from different objects taking different approaches. Read through the article and do as described.