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We’ve all been there. And by “there” I mean standing in front of an open fridge trying to decide which of the eight different containers of “butter”actually contain butter spread.
Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could remove the print from the tubs, making it obvious which areleftovers and which still contain said butter spread? Oh yeah, we did it, and it is much easier than you think!
There are two ways you can go about this. Either submerge the container in the acetone and let it soak for a few minutes (wrapped in an acetone-doused paper towel also works great!) or apply the acetone nail polish remover with a cotton ball in a circular motion.
Doesn’t that just sound waaaay too easy? It really is!
I personally used the cotton ball method because it only takes as much nail polish remover as it does to remove your toe nail polish. With the soaking method, you’re looking at at least half of the bottle. It takes a bit more elbow grease, but I’d rather use less, myself (and tone my biceps).
What you’ll do:
Wear gloves if you like, your fingers will get dried out if you do not (but no more or less than when actually taking off your nail polish).
Take your cotton ball, and douse it with 100% acetone nail polish remover. In a circular motion, work it over the print on the container. It will take a few seconds to get going, but it will start to come off. Keep working, applying pressure and working your way around.
I did notice that the lid took a little bit extra elbow grease, but I just kept on going and voila! I have no more print whatsoever on my cottage cheese tub.
How cool is that?!
Now, I wouldn’t go through this process every single time I empty a tub of butter spread BUT you could save them up and do several of them at a time. Throw them in the dishwasher and BOOM! You’re done.
These can now be used for leftovers, for planting seeds for your garden, for organizing the pantry or the hall closet, the medicine closet and just about anything else you can think of.
There are two ways you can go about this. Either submerge the container in the acetone and let it soak for a few minutes (wrapped in an acetone-doused paper towel also works great!) or apply the acetone nail polish remover with a cotton ball in a circular motion.
There are two ways you can go about this. Either submerge the container in the acetone and let it soak for a few minutes (wrapped in an acetone-doused paper towel also works great!) or apply the acetone nail polish remover with a cotton ball in a circular motion.
Let it sit on the face of the labels for at least 15 minutes for an easy way to remove labels. Once you see the alcohol has soaked into the label you can begin to peel it back and remove it from the container.
For items like plastic or metal water bottles with a silkscreened, painted, or printed label, try 100% acetone (or vinegar first if you are concerned about damaging the material). Either with a cotton ball or paper towel, douse with acetone, and rub to remove most inks.
Try soaking and wiping off with hot soapy water first if you think the label will remove easily. Vinegar or nail polish remover work better for more stubborn stains. Wet a rag with the solution you've chosen and apply it to the glue residue area. Let it soak in for 15 minutes.
Plastic is made of petroleum resin and forms in a multitude of ways to harden and solidify. When in contact with acetone, plastic will soften, deform, and ultimately break down as the acetone deconstructs the molecules.
Rated Fair. This category indicates that acetone would have a moderate effect on the plastic. On our chemical resistance chart, we just list one: acetal. If it comes into regular contact with acetone, your part will have a limited life.
A magic eraser sponge is designed to remove stains from any surface, mostly walls but also very good at cleaning dishes including plastics. The secret is that it is abrasive but not too abrasive.
Rubbing Alcohol or Isopropyl Alcohol: Place a cotton ball or swab on the stain and gently dab it with rubbing alcohol. The ink should not spread if you rub it gently. After the stained area has been dabbed with a paper towel, remove any loose ink by dabbing it with a paper towel.
Introduction: My name is Arline Emard IV, I am a cheerful, gorgeous, colorful, joyous, excited, super, inquisitive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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