Raise your hand if you think I’m anal.
(I’ll pause while you do that).
Well, I probably am. I’m definitely type A. But I think there might be a misconception that our house gleams and the faucets are always shined and there aren’t any toothpaste splatters on the mirrors. Yeah right, I wish. We tried to disprove the whole perfect thing with this video (yes, we leave clothes on the floor and mail in a pile like the rest of the population- haha) and it seemed like the masses were relieved.
We’re human I promise (although I’m pretty sure if I weren’t human I’d pretend that I was for assimilation purposes), and my dirty goo-related secret might just prove that once and for all (prove that I’m human, not prove that I’m an assimilating robot). Check out this lamp – from Linens N Things back in the day – that I’ve had for over four years. That’s more than 1,460 days. Yup, that’s the sticky rectangle left by the clearance tag that was on there when I got it. Yes, the goo is practically an antique. I’ve just never scrubbed it off.
Same with the back of the ceramic container (from Target) from at least two years ago that we use to hold our serving and cooking utensils. I just turn the container sticky-side-back so it faces the wall and go on my merry way.
Of course outing myself makes me feel like I should remedy these two sticky situations (my mom does occasionally skim the blog- hi ma!), so with a little bit of soap (Dr. Bronners if you’re wondering, the almond kind) and some water I’m off to get my scrub on. Let’s hope in ten minutes I’ll be singing “ding dong, the goo is gone.” I have to admit that I’m worried that it might be a bit rough to remove thanks to years of dormancy. So that’s what I’m up to this afternoon (along with continued console bid-ness and some post writing). Whew, outing my sticky secret feels kind of good. I can’t be alone in this can I? Please tell me someone else out there just rotates things so the “flaws” face the wall.
Amber says
My “secret” is using a bit of plain old vinegar. It really works. I use it in the kitchen also since it is a natural grease fighter…and the grease just wipes off, no scrubbing required! I clean everything with it now, my floors, kitchen, baby’s highchair etc. because it is antibacterial, cheap and works SO well.
dana828 says
You are so not alone! I blame my biggest goo/sticker issue on the previous owners of our house, though. In the 5 years that they lived here before we did, they never bothered to take the green manufacturers stickers off the toilet lids, and they left all the round white stickers on the glass of all the outdoor lights!! Really, people?! You know how hard it is to get that stuff off after 5 years?? We’re just going to replace those stupid outdoor lights…
Andrea DePew says
Uhm duh! Everyone does that.
Andrea DePew says
OH and the mister clean magic eraser works wonders on that stuff. Just FYI.
Jessica says
Plain rubbing alcohol works wonders for getting stickers off glass (think picture frames w/ price tags!). My utensil container is the same way. The 1/2 peeled sticker faces the wall :-)
Mariah Williams says
At least you try to take the tags off… in my hatred of goo I’ve given up completely and just leave the tag then turn strategically to hide it. I still have tags on chargers and vases that have gone through the dishwasher multiple times. So silly!
MaryAnn says
My dog ran behind the couch and knocked over the lamp. She cracked my lampshade…the crack faces the back needless to say.
Michelle says
When we removed the adoring powder blue carpet in our new-to-us home to refinish the hardwood floors that were hiding underneath, we found rows and rows and rows of crazy-strength double-sided tape (in addition to half-a-million tack strips). I spent over a week on my hands/knees, butt and my husband’s rolly-cart-thing that he uses to change the oil, trying every trick under the sun to remove that nasty stuff. And I’m sure you are familiar with how lovely the area underneath carpet can be – so all that yumminess was stuck to this stuff – ACK! We found that a heat gun & Goo-Gone were the best combination for us.
Janie says
My parents used to buy the discounted Christmas tree (say one that was entirely burned on one side) and then just put that side against the wall. Only trouble was, one year it kept falling over because it was so lop-sided. =)
Fiona says
Orange oil is really good at removing sticky stuff and eucalyptus oil is great for removing grease and oil stains. Both natural and great cleaning products to have in the cupboard for a variety of uses.
Angela B says
I second the eucalyptus oil for removing anything sticky! Not only is it natural, but it has so many other uses. Add a couple of drops to a bowl of boiling water to steam out your nasal passages when you have a cold, add it to a reed diffuser for a great-smelling room…
DanielleR says
I have a canister set with wooden stained lids … The stain is chipping off the lids on one side, so instead of fixing them I just twirl them around so no one can see. Same with price tags I can’t remove, and the goo. WE’RE SOUL MATES lol.
Siobhan says
WD-40! And if that fails – a magic sponge thingy.
WD-40 even cleans up the greasiest greasy gook from a toilet seal. Now that’s impressive.
Amanda says
I hate the tag goo and take tags of as soon as I get home. I use clear packing tape and apply it over the sticky spot and pull it off. Do this a few times and you won’t have any residue spots left like some cleaners can leave.
Carole White says
I know y’all are Bar Keepers Friend fans, I’m a Bon Ami fan myself (I know it’s non-toxic, don’t know about Bar Keepers Friend). Regardless, Bon Ami (which is the same thing) works AMAZINGLY well at removing goo.
Brianna says
Peanut butter works like a charm!
NIC says
Yup – rubbing alcohol works GREAT and is natural and cheap, and for really heavy goo, if you have any alcohol based hand sanitizer that is a bit “gel like” let some of that soak on for a while and then clean it
[email protected] says
I hate those sticker leftovers, too. But now, I have a solution, thanks to all your readers that suggested Goo Gone. I will be heading to Hobby Lobby this weekend!
Good post!
Jessie
Tom says
I’m an organic chemist, and thought you might like to know. if you are not already aware, goo gone, and goo off, and all those types of goo removers are made of petroleum distillates, and have some nasty stuff in them called xylenes, or assorted interesting things that resemble gasoline very closely.
Someone mentioned nail polish remover, which I was going to suggest, the acetone based removers work better, but the ethyl acetate ones will work as well. WD40 has a lot of petroleum distillates in it, and works real well, but no one knows whats in it (trade secret), so it’s hard to tell. If I were trying to be all natural I would try a light cooking oil (veg/olive oil) if that doesn’t work nail polish remover is actually not that harmful/nasty. Just a little fyi. (sorry if this is a repeat of another reply, i didn’t see it, but may have missed.)
StefanieK says
The other day I bought a placemat at Target for decoration in the center of the table. It had the tag on it, but it was on the bottom, and the centerpiece to go on top hid the plastic tag hanger…so I just left the tag on, under the placemat. Later my husband lifted it all to help me get the table cloth out from under (to iron it, b/c we had company coming and I can also sometimes be a little anal), and he saw the tag and gave me the strangest look. “Can we remove this tag?” …Pure laziness. You couldn’t SEE the tag, so I didn’t care that it was there. Anyway, this sort of reminded me of that. Concerned enough to iron the table cloth…but not so concerned to remove the tag form the placemat ;)
rachel says
Definitely still have the goodwill tags on the back of a jar on my vanity. i saw them again yesterday and just shrugged.
Jessica says
Why exactly do you guys use Dr. Brooner’s? I get that its made from olive oil ( fatty acid), but regular soaps are also made from fatty acids ( vegetable or animal source). How is Dr. Brooner’s any better?
Also, Is it possible that the charming Dr. Dan can give us detailed info about different kinds of soaps?
YoungHouseLove says
It’s plant based unlike many other soaps (you can even water plants with soapy water and instead of killing them like other soaps can do it’s a-ok). It’s also certified organic and a member of the fair trade org. I don’t know we just love it and have used it for years. We even wash burger with it because it’s nice and pure. I’d love to get Dr Dan to weigh in on soap but it’s not his expertise (he’s so weird about that, only likes to talk about stuff he has specifically studied). Ah the mind of a genius.
xo,
s
Jessica says
Wow thanks for the quick reply.. u guys work very hard.. so inspiring! I did some research and found that it contains glycerin which is removed from other soaps, so its good for skin. Burger must have the softest skin of any dog :D
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, yes. He’s the belle of the ball.
xo,
s
Ariel says
This short post definitely deserved another haiku! The last one was hilarious:)
YoungHouseLove says
You’re right:
I like to hide goo.
Instead of removing it.
We all have problems.
xo,
s
Karen says
My mom gave me the best suggestion to get off old stickies…peanut butter! I just rub some peanut butter on it until the stickiness is gone, then wash or wipe clean. Just keep away from Burger so he won’t eat it! :)
Good luck!
Katreena says
I constantly leave Goodwill stickers on the bottom of items! I bring them home, clean them, and for some reason I am too anxious to re-decorate, that I don’t want to take the time to deal with sticky leftovers.
alg says
At least you’re less anal than me.
As soon as I get a new object home I MUST get ALL the stickers & goo off. Like immediately. I could NEVER live for 4 years with sticker goo on my pretty lamp. Turning it toward the wall would only anger me more.
BTW — I know this sounds all Judge Judy, but honestlyhonestly it’s not. I’m actually impressed & more than a little envious of your ability to let the goo stick around (hardy, har, har)!!!
Go with your Zen self!
Steph at Modern Parents Messy Kids says
Oh I TOTALLY do that – and I usually only bother when company comes over :(
Jenn says
Olive oil and a razor blade is my go-to combination for removing sticker residue.
Teresa says
At least you take the tags off. :/ I have a bad habit of not knowing if I’m going to keep something, start using it and then never go back to take the tags off. i.e. throw pillows for the couch (don’t worry, they’re decor only- we don’t have any pets or kids), or decorative placemats that I want to watch the color a few days. Then I forget until I move them months later and still don’t bother. Oh well.
Emily Rae says
Wash out that utensil pot while you’re at it — I looked inside mine recently and GROSS! It got added to the “wash at least monthly” list.
Candice says
At my house we call that cleaning stuff “Goo Be Gone”. I always thought it was invented by someone with poor grammar. I just got out my miniature bottle out of my desk drawer and I see it is called “Goo Gone”. Whatever, it works great!
Courtney says
I use Windex to remove the goo from stickers. The worst is on new picture frames. But Windex works wonders (plus I usually clean the glass on the frame before I put it out anyway!) :)
C
Tara says
Eucalyptus oil works like a charm. Totally natural and smells lovely too.
Kim from Milwaukee says
I can’t believe no one mentioned a razor blade….I hate chemicals, and a blade in one of those little plastic holders works wonders on a million things around the house, from scraping paint off windows to getting burnt food off the bottom of a pan.
If a little glue is still left after using the blade, wet your finger and poke it in a bit of baking soda to scrub it clean. Works every time!
(glad to see you’re human, Sherry…thanks for that.)
Emma says
My sticky goo secret is out too – I bought a frame to hold my grandparents wedding photo for a similar-to-yours hall gallery we’re doing and the sticker label left goo on the glass. I haven’t started hanging the pictures because I keep saying I need to clean the glass off (I generally use eucalyptus oil, is that readily available in the states or is that just an Aussie thing?) So our hallway looks exactly like yours with newspaper all over the walls!!! I blame the goo.
Bonnie says
If you put a little hand sanitizer and rub it around on the goo, it should go away!
Cait says
Goo Gone is a godsend. I think it’s just orange oil. Smells good, too!
Lisa says
lol! My step-dad always says
“shiny side up, dirty side down!”
Alex Falco says
Agreed, a few seconds swiping nail polish remover on a q-tip works it right off. Goo drives me nuts but other messes don’t half the time. Don’t know why. I’m weird.
linda says
i LOVE that you are showing you’re human after all! LOVE all four of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Josianne says
If it’s really stiky try WD40 ! Work’s like a charm !!
joyjoy says
Ooohh, I HATE the goo left behind by labels! I don’t understand why they need to make that goo so darned potent. I used to use alcohol to remove the goo, but it turns out, alcohol doesn’t remove all “brands” of goo.
I moved on to Goo Gone, which worked for most things, but I also come across a few “brands” of goo that even Goo Gone couldn’t tackle. These were all goo spots left by store labels, btw, not random heavy duty goo.
So far, the best thing I’ve found for goo removal is Simple Green. I only use that stuff for mega, heavy duty cleaning…and label goo removal. If the goo is stubborn, I lay a paper towel over it, soak the paper with Simple Green and leave it. When I come back, the goo usually wipes right off. If it’s still there, I just let it sit longer. It hasn’t failed me yet! :-)
Jenna says
“Just rotates things so the ‘flaws’ face the wall” does happen to be my middle name. At least now I know I’m in good company!!
Kate S. says
Am I the only reader that’s disappointed (in a smiley, I still love you guys kind of way) that you’re bursting the perfection bubble lately? I really enjoyed picturing your house as neat and tidy and clean all. the. time. That little house tour the other day nearly broke my heart. Now four-year-old sticky goo? I feel like I don’t know you at all. Heartbroken, I tell you. Heartbroken.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, yup, I think you might be the only one. Anyone else?
xo,
s
aaroohii says
I actually love my place now that I’ve seen ur not so perfect house!
Jen @ The Decor Scene says
yup I have done the same thing. I just recently got the goo off of three Ikea white plant pots. Wish I had known about the olive oil. That would have been much easier then scrubing then the way I did. But no worries the Ikea pots are safe and with no goo. ;)
Tiffany S. says
No way! Goo-Gone is my BFF. Only if there’s a spot on the bottom of a solid object, then *maybe* I’d leave it. But I’d always know it was there, and I’m not sure I could take it (true Virgo).
I thought of you guys today when I bought a “stone” snail that’s just begging to be painted white.
hdstoker says
Ha!! Love your “goo” haiku. Hilarious!!
I have goo from a sticker on the front of my daughter’s changing table (used it with my son too, so the goo’s been there for 3 years!), and I tried Goo Gone and it didn’t work. Might try the hair dryer or oil thing.
And this is probably a random place to put this, but I saw someone else talking about their kid’s 1st birthday. We’re doing a double party for my son & daughter (my daughter’s a week older than Clara!) and the theme is “lemon & lime.” I was totally inspired by all of your yellow & green (including your wedding!) My cousin is making a skirt for my daughter out of that lemon print fabric. My son will be the sourpuss lime, of course (he’s turning 3.) And we’re having a yellow & green candy buffet (holy cow, there are SO many yellow & green options!!) & a lemon/lime scavenger hunt (using painted plastic easter eggs, like Katie did!)
Now I just need to figure out how to display Lilah’s weekly pics. You said you were gonna do a clothesline for Clara’s? Do clothespins crease pictures?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so cute! As for the clothesline, for our wedding we used plastic picture sleeves from Office Max (from those three ring binder sleeves, we just cut each pocket out so it was separate). That way the pics were sort of “laminated” in the sleeves and they didn’t get creased. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amanda says
I’m so excited that you have a goo story! I was just cleaning goo off of my apartment walls yesterday and found that fragrance oil worked and made my hallway smell yummy! I also tried eye makeup remover, and though it didn’t get rid of the goo, it took off all of those pesky smudges you get on apartment walls (since they are generally only painted with primer).
Kaity says
Eucalyptus oil does the job :) It’s also good for getting paint out of clothes, and the smell isn’t a worry.
Wintry Mix says
LOL. The fact that you think revealing this will prove that you’re not a clean freak….proves just how much you really are a clean freak. :) At least that’s how it seems to someone who’s definitely more toward the “major slob” end of the spectrum. (Hint: that someone is me.)
rachael says
We do the same with the goo from price stickers if we buy a vase!