I save glass jars. Pasta sauce jars, pickle jars, jam jars. They are perfect for storing bulk-bin rice, homemade stock, random screws in the garage. But every single one comes with a sticker that leaves behind a gummy mess that laughs at soap and water.

I scraped. I scrubbed. I soaked jars in hot water for hours. The sticker would come off but the residue stayed behind like it had signed a lease.

Then I learned about oil.

The Oil Method

Sticker adhesive is not water-soluble. Soap and water cannot touch it because the adhesive is oil-based. To remove something oil-based, you need oil.

Here is what works in under a minute:

1. Peel off as much of the paper sticker as you can. The more paper gone, the less work for the oil.
2. Put a few drops of cooking oil on the residue. Vegetable oil, olive oil, whatever is in your kitchen. Even peanut butter works — the oil in it dissolves adhesive.
3. Rub with your finger for about 30 seconds. You will feel the residue ball up and roll away. It is oddly satisfying.
4. Wash with soap and water. This removes the oil and any remaining adhesive bits.

The first time I did this I was genuinely angry. Angry at how easy it was. Angry at the hours of my life I had spent scraping labels with my thumbnail while the solution was sitting in my pantry the whole time.

What If the Sticker Is Extra Stubborn?

Some stickers — especially the foil ones on fancy olive oil bottles or the clear plastic ones on supplement jars — need a little more persuasion. Try these in order:

• Hair dryer. Heat the sticker for 30 seconds. Heat softens adhesive. Then peel and use the oil method for what remains.
• Baking soda paste. Mix baking soda with just enough oil to make a gritty paste. The grit provides abrasion while the oil dissolves adhesive. Rub in circles.
• Rubbing alcohol. For the truly stubborn ones. Soak a cotton ball, press it against the residue for a minute, then wipe. Works on metal and plastic too.

I keep a small squeeze bottle of vegetable oil under my kitchen sink now. It has removed stickers from at least fifty jars. My jar collection has never been cleaner.