This TikTok-Approved Hack Makes Removing Bottle Labels A Breeze

Bringing reusable water bottles into your home is a great way to save the planet, but those UPC stickers on the bottoms are a pain to remove. Still, stores put those stickers on tumblers, bowls, and everything else sold individually. But rather than wasting time picking and peeling off those pesky labels, only to have chunks left behind, one TikTok maven shared an easy way to remove them.

@Lexie_byers shared a tip she got from her mom that has had over a million views on TikTok since it went live. In her quick video, she demonstrates how to use a single piece of tape to remove multiple labels in one quick swipe. She uses a chunk of tape, with half of it hanging over the side, pushed snuggly onto the label. Once the tape is in place, rip it off quickly like a Band-Aid. The TikTok video makes it look quick and easy, but does it actually work?

Thousands of comments on this TikTok hack may make you think it works, but it's hard to find any comments where people say they tried it out. In our opinion, you can bet this hack will work if the cup is new and the sticker isn't glued on tight. To that end, the more likely result of this hack is partial label removal; then, you're still stuck jumping back into the old-school hacks. Trying it on previously washed cup labels was a disappointing failure (and a waste of tape).

If the tape trick doesn't work, try soaking the bottle in hot water for 30 minutes, and then peel the label off easily. If you have label residue that doesn't want to let go, use any of these tricks from Better Homes & Gardens. Rubbing alcohol and olive oil are two of the most commonly used tricks for removing sticker residue, and with a short soak time, the sticky usually rubs right off — no TikTok hack required.