DIY: Remove the Sticky Residue From Your Jars

 

I don’t know if you guys know this, but we love drinking out of jars. I remember drinking out of an apple cider jar at my older sister’s house when I was a kid. I guess I thought it was fun to drink out of something that wasn’t usually meant for drinking. Lately, Harry has been buying those Starbucks Frappuccino drinks that come in glass bottles. So now we have a big stockpile of those. We have been drinking out of them ever since and I call it “millennial chic.” I mean, it’s pretty millennial of us to be drinking out of jars, right? 

I love the versatility of jars. I use them all over the house, not just in the kitchen! I use them to store our cotton swabs, toothbrushes, makeup brushes, buttons, other small items like screws and safety pins. The same jars that we drink out of are used to display flowers or to store odds and ends. It’s actually very minimalist--one thing is used for multiple purposes. I also love how every jar is different. Some are large and some are oddly shaped. It gives character to our home and whimsy to each moment. 

Our goal is to have shelves and shelves of jars!!! They will be full of things we’ve canned, pickled, fermented, and dry food. I love to repurpose things when possible, so it’s no surprise that I save jars. My repurposed jars will be used for storing things like nuts, rice, and coffee, not for canning! But the big problem with reusing jars is those pesky stickers! I don’t really want a Tomato Basil spaghetti sauce label on the outside of a jar that’s holding walnuts. So today I’m sharing how to get the sticky residue off of your jars so you can use them for whatever your heart desires! It’s really simple. 

All you need is dish soap, water, baking soda, and a rag. 

  1. Remove your label.
  2. Make a paste with your ingredients. Thicker is better. Don’t use too much water.
  3. Rub the paste onto the sticky spots.
  4. Let it sit for at least 5 minutes.
  5. Wet your rag with hot water.
  6. Rub the paste off (along with the residue). 
  7. Voila! Your jars are now label free. Millennial chic!

Now go and do this to all the jars in your house! Then, tell me what you’re going to store in your jars!