Here's What You Can Substitute For Goo Gone

Maybe your little one got a little carried away with putting stickers on their bedroom wall, or you need to remove a stubborn price tag from a newly purchased vase. After you've tried scrubbing with hot water, you may need something more serious. Goo Gone is beloved for its fast-acting power against even the stickiest of adhesives. But what should you do if you don't have the time or budget to keep yourself in stock? This guide will walk you through some of the easy at-home recipes you can whip up to tackle sticky messes. 

Goo Gone's famous formula is made from petroleum distillates, alcohol, d-limonene (a product of citrus plants), and a handful of oils. These work to break down adhesives gently without damaging your surfaces. But you don't need a chemistry lab to achieve the same results as Goo Gone. Here are two Goo Gone alternatives you can use in your home when sap attacks. 

Our first Goo Gone substitute is a simple DIY recipe, and you probably already have the ingredients under your kitchen sink. Modpodge Rocks Blog recommends a combination of 1/4 cup baking soda, 1/8 cup vegetable oil, and 3 drops of citrus essential oils of your choice — lemon or orange will not only give it a fresh scent but also help to break down the adhesive. Baking soda is a must in almost any DIY cleaning recipe because of its multi-functionality. The abrasive nature of the powdered particles gives you scrubbing power, and the vegetable oil helps to dilute the oil-based adhesive. 

For best results, add this liquid adhesive remover to the surface area and let it sit for five to ten minutes. This will help the formula to start breaking down the glue and will involve less elbow grease from you in the long run. Then, using either a warm wet rag or label remover (a pastry cutter can also work), gently work the adhesive off. If you're using a label remover, putty knife, or metal pastry cutter, be sure to use caution to avoid injury. 

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser has quickly become a household staple, used for cleaning crayon marks off of walls, freshening backsplashes, and, yes, easily removing adhesive. What makes the erasers so magical? It's actually just really good chemistry. According to Wired, these miraculous scrubbers actually use a combination of melamine and formaldehyde to create the signature sponge foam, which works to neutralize any toxic traits in formaldehyde. This pairing, with the help of sodium bisulfite, makes this sponge have incredible scrubbing powers at a microscopic level. 

When you add water to this amazing little sponge, the eraser absolutely slashes through grime and goo with much less elbow grease than using a label remover. You will want to use gloves when cleaning with an eraser as your skin and nails can become dried out. It should also be noted that these scrubbers can leave residue on glossy surfaces, like a stovetop, so be sure to rinse surfaces with water.