Denise asked: How do I remove sticky labels from my stainless steel oven door? I bought my oven, and when I got it home, it had a large label stuck to the outside front of the oven door. I removed the label, but have been left with a sticky, glue residue on the door. I don’t know how to remove it. I’m scared of scratching it and ruining the finish. Can you please advise me of what to use? Thank you.
What makes stickers work so well is their adhesive, but sometimes it works a little too well and you are left with a residue when the sticker has served its purpose and been removed. Here are two methods for removing the adhesive using products you probably already have available.
Using WD-40
WD-40 
is a handy product known for making adhesive removal a breeze. Even better, it’s not only safe for stainless steel, but it will provide a beautiful polish!
You Will Need:
- WD-40
- Soft, non-abrasive cloth
Steps to Remove the Adhesive:
- Spray the sticky areas with WD-40.
- Wait several moments for it to break down the adhesive.
- Wipe at the adhesive with the cloth, making sure to move with the “grain” of the stainless steel.
- Repeat as needed. Depending on the type of adhesive, you may need a second or third application to remove it completely.
- Wipe away any remaining WD-40 with a clean section of the cloth.
Using Household Products
There are a variety of household products that can work well to remove residue. If one doesn’t work, try another until you find one that works best for your specific adhesive. These products can work on a variety of other sticky messes as well.
You Will Need:
- A solvent (choose one):
- Cooking oil
- Peanut butter
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Vodka
- Windex
- A cloth
Steps to Remove the Sticky Residue:
- Choose a solvent from the list above. Any of them can work.
- Pour a small amount of the solvent onto a cloth.
- Apply the solvent onto the residue and let it sit for a few minutes to loosen it.
- Gently rub the area to remove the residue, always going with the grain of the stainless steel.
- When the residue is gone, wash it with some soapy water on a cloth.
Using Heat
If you don’t have any of the above products or would prefer not to use a solvent, heat is another effective way to remove adhesive.
You Will Need:
- A hair dryer
- Hot water
- A cloth
Steps to Remove the Residue:
- Put a hair dryer on the warm setting and point it at the residue, holding it several inches away.
- Hold the hair dryer in place for a minute or two.
- Wet a cloth with hot water (not so hot you get burned!).
- Rub off the residue, always going with the grain of the stainless steel.
Additional Tips and Advice
- If necessary, use a small amount of mild dish soap on a wet paper towel to wipe away any oily residue from the WD-40. Wipe with the grain on the stainless steel, then dry immediately.
- If the residue is stubborn, there are commercial products you can try as well, such as Goo Gone or Un-Du. Be sure to test these products in a small hidden area first though as some, such as Goo Gone Original, could damage faux stainless steel.
- Scouring powders and other abrasive products, such as steel wool, should never be used on stainless steel as they can easily scratch the surface.
Thank you for your advice on removing my sticky label residue off my new cooker door. I did exactly as you said and it removed every trace of the glue. Now it looks great.
I used nail polish remover and it worked!! Took off all the residue from the front of my new stainless steel fridge.
Is there anything else besides WD-40? I am chemically sensitive. What would work and be the least toxic? Playtex gloves melted in hot water and left a checkered print from the glove on my Revereware pots and glass Vitamix container. Playtex said they knew about the problem and fixed it.
Beth,
There is a list of a bunch of items that you can try in the article: How to Remove Sticker Residue.
You could also try using olive oil or club soda, as mentioned in the How to Clean Stainless Steel Appliances article.
This may not sound logical, but I rub baby oil onto sticky label residue and as I continue to rub it in, the residue start to gum together into large clumps and is then easily picked off!
I also do this when sticky tape from the hospitals adhere to my skin after having an IV done! It works great for me!
Hope this helps!
Thank you much for posting both of those tips about using baby oil. I’ve been in and out of hospital several times in the past year. I tried several different ways and things to try to remove that sticky tape and the really sticky pads they leave on you after a EKG and the leads to the heart monitors. It took the hide off my skin several times. Baby oil will now be in my household. Cheap and inexpensive. I love it. Thank you again so much.
The WD-40 worked great!
Olive oil worked for me to remove Scotch tape reside from my stainless steel fridge.
I tried WD-40; it didn’t work that well, the sticker was still there and it slid around, but then I tried the virgin olive oil and it worked great and shined it up. I was getting the sticker off a metal ice bucket.
Thanks a million Suzie. I used non-acetone nail varnish remover and it worked fine. 😉
Just bought a stainless steel kitchen waste can and the olive oil worked perfectly. I just had to wait about three minutes before I did it again until the glue residue was totally off.
Thanks ever so much for such a great tip.
It worked on my steel resonator guitar beautifully. Very pleased with this tip.
Worked like a charm! And fast. Wasted my time earlier on olive oil – WD-40, my hero!
Eraser plus some acetone worked well on glue from duct tape (and rolling it off by pushing hard with my thumb). Was at 25C so probably easier if temp is lower; glue not as soft/sticky.