Re-using glass jars is an effective and easy way to store things. Different sizes work better for different uses. Food storage, craft supplies, gifts, you name it, jars offer a great way to package things with no cost (you are going to buy whatever is in the glass jar anyway right?).
However, there are a few annoying things about jars. First, how do you get those pesky labels off? Secondly, what about the smells of certain jars that held pickles or garlic?
Tips, tricks, and how-to's after the break!
Cleaning the Gunk and Glue:
The first thing you want to do is rip as much as the label off as possible! I've noticed that depending on the brand, some labels are easier than others.
If you are having trouble with the labels try the following:
Fill the inside with piping hot water and let it sit for a bit. This will help moisten the label and make it easier to take off
If that doesn't help then you can run it under hot water then rub and pick at the label. Use those kitchen gloves that I have featured in essentially all of my tutorials
Soak it in hot, soapy water for a few hours. This can also hinder progress, but it helps for exceptionally tough glue.
Note: Do not put the jar in the dishwasher. This doesn't get the label off. Usually it just steams it on there even more or it will get all clumpy and get all over your other dishes!
Now your label is off great! However, I'm sure you have enough sticky glue and nastyness all over where the label once was. I've researched and tried many methods of getting the glue off of the jar, some work better than others and it all depends on the glue. Below are examples of my most successful tools.
What you'll Need:
Sink with hot water
Rubber gloves
Olive Oil
Nail polish remover (WITH acetone)
Paper towel
Sturdy sponge (new, preferably with a rough side)
Steel wool
Dish soap
I've found the best approach is to experiment a little. Olive oil works great with small amounts of glue that aren't too tough, but to be honest, I've found it to be ineffective a majority of the time (and significantly more expensive). I see it everywhere in research and tutorials, probably because it is preferable to working with acetone, but honestly, I don't see the appeal. Let me know if you use it and it works!
So to begin use either your acetone or olive oil (if it were me I'd chose acetone) and start by putting a small-ish amount on your paper towel. Aggressively rub with paper towel on the gluey part of the jar. Put some elbow grease into it! This is tough to do and time consuming, but I think it's worth it in the end. If the paper towel isn't doing it for you use the rough side of the sponge, in extreme cases I've found that using steel wool works too.
Note: Steel wool will scratch plastic instantly, but it beats having all that glue hanging about. Also be sure to dedicate both your sponge and steel wool to jar cleaning/crafting. If you decide to turn around and use this stuff on dishes, be prepared for that glue to rub off on your kitchen gadgets! I learned this the hard way, and believe me, it is a real pain!
If you find that the glue is just smearing everywhere or it is too dry to work with turn on that hot water and rinse the jar off. Rinse every so often for the best results.
Once your jars are sparkly clean you can hand wash them or run them through the dishwasher to clean off the chemicals and oils. Throw the lid in there too!
My Favorite: Mystery Smell:
I know everyone appreciates a good game of mystery smell, but not in your new jars. We had a small jar we used to put milk in for a car-camping trip. Great idea right? Well, not exactly. The jar used to have garlic in it and at the end of our trip we were stuck taking swigs from the garlic-flavored milk jar. Disgusting. Unfortunately, putting the jar through the dish washer is not going to get the smell to go away, but there are answers so don't worry!
First of all, I've found that by putting the jar through the gauntlet of washes in the de-labeling process will get rid of most smells. However, I have had one jar (once filled with cheese stuffed green olives) that still refused to let go of its former scent. The solution is really easy. Just put a tablespoon (teaspoon for smaller jars) of salt (I used sea salt, not too sure if it matters) in the jar, close the lid, and leave it there for a few days. Check on it by removing the salt and smelling, if it still smells replace the salt and continue for another couple of days. Salt is a great at getting rid of mystery smells (add a squeeze of lime juice and it will remove grease stains on clothing as well!).
Uses for you new, awesome jars and other recyclable storage:
Some uses for your new jars are easy; food storage, gifting, office supply storage, toiletry storage, crafting supplies, stamps, doggy treats, candy, alcohol, the list goes on. However, get creative with your jars and bottles, you can re-use a lot more than you would think. Even the smaller pots have their purpose. Here is a list of a few common items and great new uses for them!
Contact lens cases
Over the years I have amassed a great number of these. The last time I went through my bathroom I found eight (YES 8!!) unused ones. I generally keep three for their intended purpose. One for me, one as a backup/for travel, and one extra case in the event that I have a friend stay and they forget theirs. But what about the other five!?! I've used some for my purse. I put some medicines I sometimes need on the go (anti-acid, headache). You can keep one type in the left and one in the right. Saves a lot of space! I also do this with lotion and mouthwash. Great purse space saver. The other ones are in our camping box. Now when we camp we can bring along some spice! Salt & pepper i oregano and basil, turmeric and cayenne the lists go on! You can even use these for picnics. Saves space and weight while letting yourself enjoy a little spice out in nature.
Medicine bottles
Depending on the size and type you can hold just about anything in a medicine bottle (either prescription or over the counter). I placed some q-tips in a small medicine bottle so I didn't have to have the large box of 500 lying around, saving space in my drawers. The larger medicine bottles have been painted and hold pens and brushes on my desk. Some hold buttons, some small beads, charms, doggy treats to go, home made scrubs, you get the point. As a space saver, you can combine half empty bottles of the same medicine into a single bottle, although health professionals don't recommend you do this because of the medicine expiration, but I honestly don't believe in that. It won't turn to poison, or they couldn't keep it on the shelves, it just won't work as well.
Small jars and spice jars
Small jars are great for a lot of things. They work well for condiment storage camping, picnicking, or leftovers on the go. They are also great for melting tea candles. Spice jars and small jars can also house your own spice mixes (I'll be posting some great ones at some point). You can also use them to refill spices as you run out. Try out a local spice shop, which usually sells spices in baggies, or bring your own jars! Spice shops are surprisingly cheaper than you would expect. Plus, you can buy what you need, instead of having a lot of leftovers. Both of these jars also work well for travel, you don't have to buy the travel sized whatever anymore, just use these and add your own product.
Candle Jars
Candle jars are not just great to hold recycled or home made candles (see my tutorial
here) but they also have other uses. The bigger ones are perfect for bengals and bracelets. I also put my sample fragrances in one, rubber bands and desk knick knacks, even one that is just great for a glass.
Once again, get creative! And happy crafting!
-M
Re-using glass jars is an effective and easy way to store things. Different sizes work better for different uses. Food storage, craft supplies, gifts, you name it, jars offer a great way to package things with no cost (you are going to buy whatever is in the glass jar anyway right?).
However, there are a few annoying things about jars. First, how do you get those pesky labels off? Secondly, what about the smells of certain jars that held pickles or garlic?
Tips, tricks, and how-to's after the break!
Cleaning the Gunk and Glue:
The first thing you want to do is rip as much as the label off as possible! I've noticed that depending on the brand, some labels are easier than others.
If you are having trouble with the labels try the following:
Fill the inside with piping hot water and let it sit for a bit. This will help moisten the label and make it easier to take off
If that doesn't help then you can run it under hot water then rub and pick at the label. Use those kitchen gloves that I have featured in essentially all of my tutorials
Soak it in hot, soapy water for a few hours. This can also hinder progress, but it helps for exceptionally tough glue.
Note: Do not put the jar in the dishwasher. This doesn't get the label off. Usually it just steams it on there even more or it will get all clumpy and get all over your other dishes!
Now your label is off great! However, I'm sure you have enough sticky glue and nastyness all over where the label once was. I've researched and tried many methods of getting the glue off of the jar, some work better than others and it all depends on the glue. Below are examples of my most successful tools.
What you'll Need:
Sink with hot water
Rubber gloves
Olive Oil
Nail polish remover (WITH acetone)
Paper towel
Sturdy sponge (new, preferably with a rough side)
Steel wool
Dish soap
I've found the best approach is to experiment a little. Olive oil works great with small amounts of glue that aren't too tough, but to be honest, I've found it to be ineffective a majority of the time (and significantly more expensive). I see it everywhere in research and tutorials, probably because it is preferable to working with acetone, but honestly, I don't see the appeal. Let me know if you use it and it works!
So to begin use either your acetone or olive oil (if it were me I'd chose acetone) and start by putting a small-ish amount on your paper towel. Aggressively rub with paper towel on the gluey part of the jar. Put some elbow grease into it! This is tough to do and time consuming, but I think it's worth it in the end. If the paper towel isn't doing it for you use the rough side of the sponge, in extreme cases I've found that using steel wool works too.
Note: Steel wool will scratch plastic instantly, but it beats having all that glue hanging about. Also be sure to dedicate both your sponge and steel wool to jar cleaning/crafting. If you decide to turn around and use this stuff on dishes, be prepared for that glue to rub off on your kitchen gadgets! I learned this the hard way, and believe me, it is a real pain!
If you find that the glue is just smearing everywhere or it is too dry to work with turn on that hot water and rinse the jar off. Rinse every so often for the best results.
Once your jars are sparkly clean you can hand wash them or run them through the dishwasher to clean off the chemicals and oils. Throw the lid in there too!
My Favorite: Mystery Smell:
I know everyone appreciates a good game of mystery smell, but not in your new jars. We had a small jar we used to put milk in for a car-camping trip. Great idea right? Well, not exactly. The jar used to have garlic in it and at the end of our trip we were stuck taking swigs from the garlic-flavored milk jar. Disgusting. Unfortunately, putting the jar through the dish washer is not going to get the smell to go away, but there are answers so don't worry!
First of all, I've found that by putting the jar through the gauntlet of washes in the de-labeling process will get rid of most smells. However, I have had one jar (once filled with cheese stuffed green olives) that still refused to let go of its former scent. The solution is really easy. Just put a tablespoon (teaspoon for smaller jars) of salt (I used sea salt, not too sure if it matters) in the jar, close the lid, and leave it there for a few days. Check on it by removing the salt and smelling, if it still smells replace the salt and continue for another couple of days. Salt is a great at getting rid of mystery smells (add a squeeze of lime juice and it will remove grease stains on clothing as well!).
Uses for you new, awesome jars and other recyclable storage:
Some uses for your new jars are easy; food storage, gifting, office supply storage, toiletry storage, crafting supplies, stamps, doggy treats, candy, alcohol, the list goes on. However, get creative with your jars and bottles, you can re-use a lot more than you would think. Even the smaller pots have their purpose. Here is a list of a few common items and great new uses for them!
Contact lens cases
Over the years I have amassed a great number of these. The last time I went through my bathroom I found eight (YES 8!!) unused ones. I generally keep three for their intended purpose. One for me, one as a backup/for travel, and one extra case in the event that I have a friend stay and they forget theirs. But what about the other five!?! I've used some for my purse. I put some medicines I sometimes need on the go (anti-acid, headache). You can keep one type in the left and one in the right. Saves a lot of space! I also do this with lotion and mouthwash. Great purse space saver. The other ones are in our camping box. Now when we camp we can bring along some spice! Salt & pepper i oregano and basil, turmeric and cayenne the lists go on! You can even use these for picnics. Saves space and weight while letting yourself enjoy a little spice out in nature.
Medicine bottles
Depending on the size and type you can hold just about anything in a medicine bottle (either prescription or over the counter). I placed some q-tips in a small medicine bottle so I didn't have to have the large box of 500 lying around, saving space in my drawers. The larger medicine bottles have been painted and hold pens and brushes on my desk. Some hold buttons, some small beads, charms, doggy treats to go, home made scrubs, you get the point. As a space saver, you can combine half empty bottles of the same medicine into a single bottle, although health professionals don't recommend you do this because of the medicine expiration, but I honestly don't believe in that. It won't turn to poison, or they couldn't keep it on the shelves, it just won't work as well.
Small jars and spice jars
Small jars are great for a lot of things. They work well for condiment storage camping, picnicking, or leftovers on the go. They are also great for melting tea candles. Spice jars and small jars can also house your own spice mixes (I'll be posting some great ones at some point). You can also use them to refill spices as you run out. Try out a local spice shop, which usually sells spices in baggies, or bring your own jars! Spice shops are surprisingly cheaper than you would expect. Plus, you can buy what you need, instead of having a lot of leftovers. Both of these jars also work well for travel, you don't have to buy the travel sized whatever anymore, just use these and add your own product.
Candle Jars
Candle jars are not just great to hold recycled or home made candles (see my tutorial
here) but they also have other uses. The bigger ones are perfect for bengals and bracelets. I also put my sample fragrances in one, rubber bands and desk knick knacks, even one that is just great for a glass.
Once again, get creative! And happy crafting!
-M
Re-using glass jars is an effective and easy way to store things. Different sizes work better for different uses. Food storage, craft supplies, gifts, you name it, jars offer a great way to package things with no cost (you are going to buy whatever is in the glass jar anyway right?).
However, there are a few annoying things about jars. First, how do you get those pesky labels off? Secondly, what about the smells of certain jars that held pickles or garlic?
Tips, tricks, and how-to's after the break!
Cleaning the Gunk and Glue:
The first thing you want to do is rip as much as the label off as possible! I've noticed that depending on the brand, some labels are easier than others.
If you are having trouble with the labels try the following:
Fill the inside with piping hot water and let it sit for a bit. This will help moisten the label and make it easier to take off
If that doesn't help then you can run it under hot water then rub and pick at the label. Use those kitchen gloves that I have featured in essentially all of my tutorials
Soak it in hot, soapy water for a few hours. This can also hinder progress, but it helps for exceptionally tough glue.
Note: Do not put the jar in the dishwasher. This doesn't get the label off. Usually it just steams it on there even more or it will get all clumpy and get all over your other dishes!
Now your label is off great! However, I'm sure you have enough sticky glue and nastyness all over where the label once was. I've researched and tried many methods of getting the glue off of the jar, some work better than others and it all depends on the glue. Below are examples of my most successful tools.
What you'll Need:
Sink with hot water
Rubber gloves
Olive Oil
Nail polish remover (WITH acetone)
Paper towel
Sturdy sponge (new, preferably with a rough side)
Steel wool
Dish soap
I've found the best approach is to experiment a little. Olive oil works great with small amounts of glue that aren't too tough, but to be honest, I've found it to be ineffective a majority of the time (and significantly more expensive). I see it everywhere in research and tutorials, probably because it is preferable to working with acetone, but honestly, I don't see the appeal. Let me know if you use it and it works!
So to begin use either your acetone or olive oil (if it were me I'd chose acetone) and start by putting a small-ish amount on your paper towel. Aggressively rub with paper towel on the gluey part of the jar. Put some elbow grease into it! This is tough to do and time consuming, but I think it's worth it in the end. If the paper towel isn't doing it for you use the rough side of the sponge, in extreme cases I've found that using steel wool works too.
Note: Steel wool will scratch plastic instantly, but it beats having all that glue hanging about. Also be sure to dedicate both your sponge and steel wool to jar cleaning/crafting. If you decide to turn around and use this stuff on dishes, be prepared for that glue to rub off on your kitchen gadgets! I learned this the hard way, and believe me, it is a real pain!
If you find that the glue is just smearing everywhere or it is too dry to work with turn on that hot water and rinse the jar off. Rinse every so often for the best results.
Once your jars are sparkly clean you can hand wash them or run them through the dishwasher to clean off the chemicals and oils. Throw the lid in there too!
My Favorite: Mystery Smell:
I know everyone appreciates a good game of mystery smell, but not in your new jars. We had a small jar we used to put milk in for a car-camping trip. Great idea right? Well, not exactly. The jar used to have garlic in it and at the end of our trip we were stuck taking swigs from the garlic-flavored milk jar. Disgusting. Unfortunately, putting the jar through the dish washer is not going to get the smell to go away, but there are answers so don't worry!
First of all, I've found that by putting the jar through the gauntlet of washes in the de-labeling process will get rid of most smells. However, I have had one jar (once filled with cheese stuffed green olives) that still refused to let go of its former scent. The solution is really easy. Just put a tablespoon (teaspoon for smaller jars) of salt (I used sea salt, not too sure if it matters) in the jar, close the lid, and leave it there for a few days. Check on it by removing the salt and smelling, if it still smells replace the salt and continue for another couple of days. Salt is a great at getting rid of mystery smells (add a squeeze of lime juice and it will remove grease stains on clothing as well!).
Uses for you new, awesome jars and other recyclable storage:
Some uses for your new jars are easy; food storage, gifting, office supply storage, toiletry storage, crafting supplies, stamps, doggy treats, candy, alcohol, the list goes on. However, get creative with your jars and bottles, you can re-use a lot more than you would think. Even the smaller pots have their purpose. Here is a list of a few common items and great new uses for them!
Contact lens cases
Over the years I have amassed a great number of these. The last time I went through my bathroom I found eight (YES 8!!) unused ones. I generally keep three for their intended purpose. One for me, one as a backup/for travel, and one extra case in the event that I have a friend stay and they forget theirs. But what about the other five!?! I've used some for my purse. I put some medicines I sometimes need on the go (anti-acid, headache). You can keep one type in the left and one in the right. Saves a lot of space! I also do this with lotion and mouthwash. Great purse space saver. The other ones are in our camping box. Now when we camp we can bring along some spice! Salt & pepper i oregano and basil, turmeric and cayenne the lists go on! You can even use these for picnics. Saves space and weight while letting yourself enjoy a little spice out in nature.
Medicine bottles
Depending on the size and type you can hold just about anything in a medicine bottle (either prescription or over the counter). I placed some q-tips in a small medicine bottle so I didn't have to have the large box of 500 lying around, saving space in my drawers. The larger medicine bottles have been painted and hold pens and brushes on my desk. Some hold buttons, some small beads, charms, doggy treats to go, home made scrubs, you get the point. As a space saver, you can combine half empty bottles of the same medicine into a single bottle, although health professionals don't recommend you do this because of the medicine expiration, but I honestly don't believe in that. It won't turn to poison, or they couldn't keep it on the shelves, it just won't work as well.
Small jars and spice jars
Small jars are great for a lot of things. They work well for condiment storage camping, picnicking, or leftovers on the go. They are also great for melting tea candles. Spice jars and small jars can also house your own spice mixes (I'll be posting some great ones at some point). You can also use them to refill spices as you run out. Try out a local spice shop, which usually sells spices in baggies, or bring your own jars! Spice shops are surprisingly cheaper than you would expect. Plus, you can buy what you need, instead of having a lot of leftovers. Both of these jars also work well for travel, you don't have to buy the travel sized whatever anymore, just use these and add your own product.
Candle Jars
Candle jars are not just great to hold recycled or home made candles (see my tutorial
here) but they also have other uses. The bigger ones are perfect for bengals and bracelets. I also put my sample fragrances in one, rubber bands and desk knick knacks, even one that is just great for a glass.
Once again, get creative! And happy crafting!
-M
Re-using glass jars is an effective and easy way to store things. Different sizes work better for different uses. Food storage, craft supplies, gifts, you name it, jars offer a great way to package things with no cost (you are going to buy whatever is in the glass jar anyway right?).
However, there are a few annoying things about jars. First, how do you get those pesky labels off? Secondly, what about the smells of certain jars that held pickles or garlic?
Tips, tricks, and how-to's after the break!
Cleaning the Gunk and Glue:
The first thing you want to do is rip as much as the label off as possible! I've noticed that depending on the brand, some labels are easier than others.
If you are having trouble with the labels try the following:
Fill the inside with piping hot water and let it sit for a bit. This will help moisten the label and make it easier to take off
If that doesn't help then you can run it under hot water then rub and pick at the label. Use those kitchen gloves that I have featured in essentially all of my tutorials
Soak it in hot, soapy water for a few hours. This can also hinder progress, but it helps for exceptionally tough glue.
Note: Do not put the jar in the dishwasher. This doesn't get the label off. Usually it just steams it on there even more or it will get all clumpy and get all over your other dishes!
Now your label is off great! However, I'm sure you have enough sticky glue and nastyness all over where the label once was. I've researched and tried many methods of getting the glue off of the jar, some work better than others and it all depends on the glue. Below are examples of my most successful tools.
What you'll Need:
Sink with hot water
Rubber gloves
Olive Oil
Nail polish remover (WITH acetone)
Paper towel
Sturdy sponge (new, preferably with a rough side)
Steel wool
Dish soap
I've found the best approach is to experiment a little. Olive oil works great with small amounts of glue that aren't too tough, but to be honest, I've found it to be ineffective a majority of the time (and significantly more expensive). I see it everywhere in research and tutorials, probably because it is preferable to working with acetone, but honestly, I don't see the appeal. Let me know if you use it and it works!
So to begin use either your acetone or olive oil (if it were me I'd chose acetone) and start by putting a small-ish amount on your paper towel. Aggressively rub with paper towel on the gluey part of the jar. Put some elbow grease into it! This is tough to do and time consuming, but I think it's worth it in the end. If the paper towel isn't doing it for you use the rough side of the sponge, in extreme cases I've found that using steel wool works too.
Note: Steel wool will scratch plastic instantly, but it beats having all that glue hanging about. Also be sure to dedicate both your sponge and steel wool to jar cleaning/crafting. If you decide to turn around and use this stuff on dishes, be prepared for that glue to rub off on your kitchen gadgets! I learned this the hard way, and believe me, it is a real pain!
If you find that the glue is just smearing everywhere or it is too dry to work with turn on that hot water and rinse the jar off. Rinse every so often for the best results.
Once your jars are sparkly clean you can hand wash them or run them through the dishwasher to clean off the chemicals and oils. Throw the lid in there too!
My Favorite: Mystery Smell:
I know everyone appreciates a good game of mystery smell, but not in your new jars. We had a small jar we used to put milk in for a car-camping trip. Great idea right? Well, not exactly. The jar used to have garlic in it and at the end of our trip we were stuck taking swigs from the garlic-flavored milk jar. Disgusting. Unfortunately, putting the jar through the dish washer is not going to get the smell to go away, but there are answers so don't worry!
First of all, I've found that by putting the jar through the gauntlet of washes in the de-labeling process will get rid of most smells. However, I have had one jar (once filled with cheese stuffed green olives) that still refused to let go of its former scent. The solution is really easy. Just put a tablespoon (teaspoon for smaller jars) of salt (I used sea salt, not too sure if it matters) in the jar, close the lid, and leave it there for a few days. Check on it by removing the salt and smelling, if it still smells replace the salt and continue for another couple of days. Salt is a great at getting rid of mystery smells (add a squeeze of lime juice and it will remove grease stains on clothing as well!).
Uses for you new, awesome jars and other recyclable storage:
Some uses for your new jars are easy; food storage, gifting, office supply storage, toiletry storage, crafting supplies, stamps, doggy treats, candy, alcohol, the list goes on. However, get creative with your jars and bottles, you can re-use a lot more than you would think. Even the smaller pots have their purpose. Here is a list of a few common items and great new uses for them!
Contact lens cases
Over the years I have amassed a great number of these. The last time I went through my bathroom I found eight (YES 8!!) unused ones. I generally keep three for their intended purpose. One for me, one as a backup/for travel, and one extra case in the event that I have a friend stay and they forget theirs. But what about the other five!?! I've used some for my purse. I put some medicines I sometimes need on the go (anti-acid, headache). You can keep one type in the left and one in the right. Saves a lot of space! I also do this with lotion and mouthwash. Great purse space saver. The other ones are in our camping box. Now when we camp we can bring along some spice! Salt & pepper i oregano and basil, turmeric and cayenne the lists go on! You can even use these for picnics. Saves space and weight while letting yourself enjoy a little spice out in nature.
Medicine bottles
Depending on the size and type you can hold just about anything in a medicine bottle (either prescription or over the counter). I placed some q-tips in a small medicine bottle so I didn't have to have the large box of 500 lying around, saving space in my drawers. The larger medicine bottles have been painted and hold pens and brushes on my desk. Some hold buttons, some small beads, charms, doggy treats to go, home made scrubs, you get the point. As a space saver, you can combine half empty bottles of the same medicine into a single bottle, although health professionals don't recommend you do this because of the medicine expiration, but I honestly don't believe in that. It won't turn to poison, or they couldn't keep it on the shelves, it just won't work as well.
Small jars and spice jars
Small jars are great for a lot of things. They work well for condiment storage camping, picnicking, or leftovers on the go. They are also great for melting tea candles. Spice jars and small jars can also house your own spice mixes (I'll be posting some great ones at some point). You can also use them to refill spices as you run out. Try out a local spice shop, which usually sells spices in baggies, or bring your own jars! Spice shops are surprisingly cheaper than you would expect. Plus, you can buy what you need, instead of having a lot of leftovers. Both of these jars also work well for travel, you don't have to buy the travel sized whatever anymore, just use these and add your own product.
Candle Jars
Candle jars are not just great to hold recycled or home made candles (see my tutorial
here) but they also have other uses. The bigger ones are perfect for bengals and bracelets. I also put my sample fragrances in one, rubber bands and desk knick knacks, even one that is just great for a glass.
Once again, get creative! And happy crafting!
-M
No comments:
Post a Comment