DIY Diva

Goodbye, Gummy Stuff

With a growing list of reasons not to use plastic food containers, one of my favorite ways to store prepared food and leftovers is in glass spaghetti-sauce jars. Doing so not only keeps said jars out of the trash, it lets me avoid inadvertently putting any chemicals into my eats.

What drives me batty, however, is the labels' usual death-grip on the glass. Soaking and scrubbing only work marginally well, and usually a residue still remains. But there's an easy way to remove them without any noxious-smelling, petroleum-based solvent with a cheesy name like Gunk-B-Gone. (Clearly I'm not a big fan of infomercial cleansers.) My weapon? Vegetable oil. In addition to removing jar labels with ease, it also works to get rid of price tags and sticker residue.

The process is simple: After tearing off as much of the label as possible, just soak a cotton ball or pad in olive or other vegetable oil and gently rub it over the jar's sticky surface. With the remainder of the label and adhesive dislodged, just wash the jar in soapy water to get rid of the oil. (If you're just removing the price tag from a new vase or another, non-washable item, just wipe it clean using a least-toxic surface cleaner; personally, I like Ecover, Seventh Generation, and Method.)

Et voilà--a clean, clear, chemical-free container you can use again and again. Take that, Tupperware.

© The Green Guide, 2008

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