Glass jars have become a staple in home decor, organization, gifting, and more. There are so many things you can do with them, and it's a great way to reuse what you already have.
However, if you've jumped on the trend, you know there's one obstacle you must overcome: getting the labels off of the jars. It can feel tedious, time-consuming, and almost impossible at times.
Fortunately, there is a quick and easy solution for this sticky situation.
The scoop
TikTok user, jar hoarder, and "Mama Earth fan-girl" Happy Earth Habits (@skysaba) has a surefire way to remove those annoying labels off of used jars to give them a clean, sleek look so you can use them for something else.
@skysaba this one goes out to all my jar lovers…. you know how annoying it is to get the lables off #jars #reuseable #reusejars #jarlabels #lowwaste #lowwastelifestyle #ecofriendly #eco ♬ Hey Lover - The Daughters Of Eve
The simple hack requires a pot, boiling water, a steel wool scrubber, and dish soap. You can do multiple jars at a time depending on the sizes of the pot and jars.
Just bring a pot of water to a boil and then place the water-filled jars in the pot. She gives a pro tip saying, "Unscrew the lids a little so the pressure can release."
Let them soak for five minutes, wait for them to cool, and then peel off the labels with your fingers. If the label is stubborn, use a steel wool scrubber with dish soap — and voila!
She displays a label-free jar after using her stress-free method. "They should just peel right off. All clean and easy," she says.
Never to be wasteful, she recommends letting all of the leftover water cool off so that it can be used to water your plants.
How it's helping
Making the label removal process less daunting is a huge incentive to save and repurpose jars. It's also a smart way to save money, time, and a trip to the store.
Glass jars can be reused for a variety of intentions — storage, drinking glasses, planters, vases, organizers, arts, and crafts. They're an especially great way to store leftovers, replacing plastic Tupperware.
While glass is infinitely recyclable, only 33% of the 11 million tons of glass disposed of every year is actually recycled in the United States. Due to improper disposal, waste, and breakage, the rest is still finding its way into landfills.
According to Recycle Across America, "More than 28 billion glass bottles and jars end up in landfills every year — that is the equivalent of filling up two Empire State Buildings every three weeks."
So truly, every little bit helps. Anytime you can save something to reuse instead of buying new is the wiser choice — financially and economically.
What everyone's saying
Several users were grateful to learn this no-fuss method of removing jar labels to ease their frustrations.
"This is such a great tip!" one user exclaimed.
"So smart," said another.
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