How to Remove Print from Plastic Containers

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June 29, 2016 Ashlea 50 Comments

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We’ve all been there. And by “there” I mean standing in front of an open fridge trying to decide which of the eight different containers of “butter” actually contain butter spread.

Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could remove the print from the tubs, making it obvious which are leftovers and which still contain said butter spread? Oh yeah, we did it, and it is much easier than you think!

How to Remove Print from Containers

What you’ll need:

*100% acetone nail polish remover
*gloves
*cotton balls

There are two ways you can go about this. Either submerge the container in the acetone and let it soak for a few minutes (wrapped in an acetone-doused paper towel also works great!) or apply the acetone nail polish remover with a cotton ball in a circular motion.

Doesn’t that just sound waaaay too easy? It really is!

I personally used the cotton ball method because it only takes as much nail polish remover as it does to remove your toe nail polish. With the soaking method, you’re looking at at least half of the bottle. It takes a bit more elbow grease, but I’d rather use less, myself (and tone my biceps).

What you’ll do:

Wear gloves if you like, your fingers will get dried out if you do not (but no more or less than when actually taking off your nail polish).

Take your cotton ball, and douse it with 100% acetone nail polish remover. In a circular motion, work it over the print on the container. It will take a few seconds to get going, but it will start to come off. Keep working, applying pressure and working your way around.

I did notice that the lid took a little bit extra elbow grease, but I just kept on going and voila! I have no more print whatsoever on my cottage cheese tub.

How cool is that?!

Now, I wouldn’t go through this process every single time I empty a tub of butter spread BUT you could save them up and do several of them at a time. Throw them in the dishwasher and BOOM! You’re done.

These can now be used for leftovers, for planting seeds for your garden, for organizing the pantry or the hall closet, the medicine closet and just about anything else you can think of.

You’ll want to check out these posts:

Clean Your Microwave Using NO Chemicals {or scrubbing}
How to Make a Wax Melt Warmer for Your Car (GENIUS!)
How to Make a Floating Cooler {for less than $5}
Make Homemade Baby Wipes
How to Create Personalized Wall Art {Using Only an Old Pallet/Fence Board, Screws and Yarn}
How to Remove Wax from Yarn
Clean Jewelry at Home – Using just ONE or TWO Household Items!

Comments

Kim Conover says
June 25, 2019 at 7:56 pm

I've read most of the comments and the fact that this continues to be a huge problem means that we can do more- we must do more. Every one of us should take 5 minutes to write to companies and ask them to please look for an alternative and more responsible container for their products. I believe the laundry detergent companies, and producers of other soaps and cleaning products should have refilling stations in grocery stores and places like Target and Walmart instead of continuing to sell more filled containers. I would be happy to take my empty Tide jugs to refill them- it would reduce the heavy duty plastic that will be around forever. I personally think plastic should be banned for most things. When you have a minute - google the difference in the types of plastic - the number on the bottom of a plastic container surrounded by arrows. I stopped reusing branded/labeled plastic food containers- they're supposed to be temporary and are not coded for safe food storage. I use glass containers and jars for left overs.

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Nayaz says
February 15, 2019 at 9:20 am

I want idea what means take a pet bottle of pepsi in bottle of pepsi in white print means m r p rate. In white not black giv me idea

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Pam says
February 3, 2019 at 5:53 pm

Rubbing alcohol will remove some print, but not all. I would worry about using acetone on food containers. It’s pretty hazardous (and also quite flammable.) I just use stick-on labels to go over the print. And as another poster said, glass jars are awesome.

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Deborah says
February 2, 2019 at 9:53 pm

This will be very helpful to us. I am looking forward to a time when I do not add to the landfills. Reusing will essential. I look for as many products as possible that are packaged with less plastic but there are some products I do enjoy like the cottage cheese and butter with canola oil...

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Patricia says
January 25, 2019 at 3:47 pm

I agree with everyone about reusing things. I already knew about removing the print with acetone. But I also reuse glass jars. I make soup to take to work for lunches. I make big pots and use glass jars I've collected. I fill the jars and take them to work with me and put them in the freezer. Right now I have five different kinds of soup in the freezer at work and all I do is take a jar out in the morning and then heat it up later. However, I have an issue with our throw away society. People keep purchasing cheap plastic shoes that when the heels go bad or they don't look so nice anymore they just go in the trash. Why don't we spend a little more on leather shoes that look nicer longer and can be repaired? The leather shoes don't make your feet stink and they give a cobbler a job to do! Quit buying disposable everything! I'm also a seamstress, When I'm finished with a garment that isn't going to Salvation Army or some other place that they can be passed on to others I remove the buttons and or zippers and use them again also. We need to stop throwing so much stuff away! Pass it on to someone who can use it or find a way to reuse it yourself!

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- Olivia says
  January 27, 2019 at 7:30 pm
  
  Patricia, love your reuse/ reduce/ recycle methods which I practice as well. I have a tip regarding fabric that is of no use at all. Salvation Army does collect ANY fabric fibres that is destined to the garbage , bundle all, ship it to where these fabrics ( clothing, stuffed toys, etc) are then chopped to shreads and reused for insulation, anything marked "unknown fibres", stuffing, etc. I drop off a bag with our ripped socks, overly stained clothes, raggaty rags. Simply let them know and they'll know what to do.There was a televised program on this subject. That's how I learned about it. Let's all be part of the solution instead of the problem.
  
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- Sandy says
  February 21, 2019 at 9:57 am
  
  I also am a recycler. I take dresses, jeans, sweat suits and cut them into narrow strips and crochet things out of them. I reuse soda cans by making purses from the pull tabs and bottoms of the cans or you can make cute decorations from the whole can. Have a garden save your garbage. Have house plants save your eggshells. Have dishes you no longer want make garden art, bird feeders or bird houses. Have coffee cans and smaller tin cans make a tin man. Reuse the spice jars with home made spices or go buy fresh spices in quantites from specialty stores and refill those bottles with the same thing that was in them (leave old labels right on them). I love using those smaller plastic jugs that cat litter comes in, they work great as baskets. I use these baskets to organize my food items. Stuck for ideas look on the internet there’s plenty of ideas.
  
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  - Susan says
    May 2, 2019 at 2:04 pm
    
    If you buy soda for someone in your household, get aluminum cans if possible rather than plastic bottles. Aluminum can be recycled an almost infinite number of times, and since there is an ongoing demand for aluminum, the more we recycle, the less we must mine. Aluminum foil, unless very polluted, can also be recycled. Plastic is seldom recycled even once. Now that China is refusing to take our recyclables anymore, they mostly end up in landfills, so we really need to focus on reusable/recyclable/biodegradable packaging.
    
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- Taide says
  May 15, 2019 at 1:41 pm
  
  100% True, is easy to throw away and buy cheap than buy a quality product that we can use more
  
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Anonymous says
January 17, 2019 at 12:54 pm

I can appreciate the idea, but I just stick tape on top and mark it, not cream cheese..lol

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Martha says
January 9, 2019 at 8:42 am

I wish we could work harder on more biodegradable containers. We did not have plastic for everything. Paper, glass and metals.

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- Connir says
  January 21, 2019 at 12:27 pm
  
  We recycle all plastic and glass and metal we possibly can. I absolutely agree with the biodegradable comment!
  
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nancy Perdue says
October 29, 2018 at 1:10 pm

I really need to use something that does not cost a lot. I want to remove print from gallon ice cream container and then use them for easter basket for the children in our town.

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Mike says
August 4, 2018 at 8:23 am

I tried this method on some black plastic plant pots in order to remove the lettering so that they could be re-used at a plant sale. Yes, it does work, but too expensive. I use white spirit to remove sticky label residues, it works faster and is cheap - unfortunately it doesn't work with printed lettering. If only there was something as efficient as Acetone but cheaper.

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Patty P says
January 30, 2018 at 8:02 pm

Ashlea, Thanks for the clear tutorial and for taking the time to share! I was determined to re-use a number of containers, but remove the print first. I'm so happy it isn't any harder than removing old fingernail polish (which I don't wear but have tried).

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Lanna Lane says
October 27, 2017 at 1:49 am

I think the planet needs less acetone.

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Michelle says
June 14, 2017 at 6:19 pm

I wonder if it would take less acetone (and maybe less elbow grease) if I sprayed it from a bottle to soak? Has anyone tried it?

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Just Me3 says
March 23, 2017 at 5:05 am

Have you ever thought how much and what it takes to produce acetone? Also you need to buy rags and gloves that you need trash after using them once. Better for the environment is to recykle that plastic container and use it as energy source.

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- Lucinda says
  January 24, 2018 at 10:38 am
  
  LOL! as if "recycled" items are actually 'used as an energy source.' They end up on huge barges headed for China where the poorest of the poor pick through and look for anything they can turn in for a tiny bit of money. Do a little research on how much of our recycling actually gets recycled and how much just becomes someone else's problem.
  
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  - Calum Mackinnon says
    February 4, 2018 at 3:56 am
    
    Well Said, Better to recycle them into seed pots in this country than exploit the poor of other countries, If we all did that little bit more recycling rather that just dumping it in the trash, there would be less going to landfill and less plastic ending up in our oceans. It seems to me that them that moan about having to recycle should seriously think what sort of planet we are leaving behind for our children and grandchildren and indeed for generations to come, I personally would like to see a more sustainable planet being left behind that it was when I was born due to advances made during my lifetime, we call it progress but is it really better if we have a more throw away attitude to things instead of forcing manufacturers to make better and longer lasting products which can be 109% recycled. This in my opinion is the way to go n stop telling people lies about the destruction that is happening on a global level to our planet as once it’s gone it’s gone & there will be no return from the awful destruction we are causing to our world on a daily basis, we must reverse the decline in so many things like forests, lakes, animals, birds and other resources exploited to the point of irreversible destruction. Rant over, Thanks for reading..
    
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  - Diana says
    January 31, 2019 at 4:35 pm
    
    5% that’s all. Only 5% of the worlds plastic is recycled. And China is no longer accepting North America’s plastic. Most of our plastic ends up in illegal dumps in Malaysia. It’s pitiful!
    
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Anonymous says
November 15, 2016 at 9:00 am

After cleaning the print off, I wonder if a dry erase marker could be used to label it, then the marker could then be washed off to re-label.

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- Ashlea says
  November 15, 2016 at 1:08 pm
  
  I will have to give that a try! Great idea!
  
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- Anonymous says
  April 9, 2017 at 7:07 am
  
  You can buy dry erase pencils and they are great for labeling plastic containers in fridge. I used them for baby food when my children were little.
  
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- Polly says
  January 25, 2018 at 1:30 pm
  
  If you label it with permanent marker, you can remove the permanent marker by rubbing a dryerase marker over it. Try it, it's my favorite hack.
  
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Christina says
November 2, 2016 at 8:57 am

This is a great DIY! I've been using my Greek yogurt tubs for sewing notions for a while now and it will be great to clean those off. Also, we're hosting Thanksgiving this year for my extended family, and I've been thinking about buying some inexpensive containers, making cute labels, and sending everyone home with leftovers in personalized containers, i.e. "We Loved Sharing Thanksgiving with You & Yours, Lezlee!"(my sister). It would be so great to send love (food) home with my family, and declutter my stash of dairy tubs (margarine, cream cheese, cottage cheese, feta, yogurt, etc.), and save a little money.

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- Ashlea says
  November 2, 2016 at 7:30 pm
  
  Oh that is a great idea!!
  
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Anonymous says
November 1, 2016 at 11:57 pm

Nice way to reuse !!! Appreciate your idea.

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CarolynK. says
October 23, 2016 at 5:38 pm

LOVE this idea, & will definitely try the technique. HOWEVER, I highly recommend doing this outdoors. Be VERY careful that you are away from any fire or open flame, i.e. candles or pilot lights. Acetone is EXTREMELY flammable/ combustible. Word to the wise from a fireman's daughter!!

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Kim says
October 20, 2016 at 11:26 pm

I think it's a great idea. I have been saving and reusing my empty ones for a while now (with the print on them) my husband will forever be grateful for your tip on how to remove the ink. He just said he is so tired of going for the cottage cheese only to find half of an onion. Also a great way to reduce waste in the landfills. Thanks!

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- Richard says
  April 7, 2017 at 10:54 am
  
  Haha sounds like me... I store my half onions in those plastic containers too and my family are expecting to see butter/spread in there instead too :-)
  
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MJM says
October 20, 2016 at 7:15 am

Thinking of putting cookies in them and decorating them for Christmas gifts

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- Ashlea says
  October 20, 2016 at 7:21 am
  
  That's a great idea! Never would have thought about that. Ha!
  
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Tammy says
October 5, 2016 at 5:11 am

Love this!! Great to recycle and resuse.

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JunkyMonkey says
September 26, 2016 at 1:06 am

Good FYI, I've been using cheap address labels on my good Rubbermaid lids, this hack will work for the food I want to send home with my Dad cuz never takes the labels off b4 running thru the dishwasher & they get really stuck on!

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Carol says
September 25, 2016 at 9:33 pm

It's a nice hack, but I'd rather go to the dollar store and spend a dollar for 4 containers of that size than spend the time salvaging margarine containers.

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- Tracy Anatole says
  September 26, 2016 at 12:10 am
  
  If you have nothing nice to say; say nothing.
  
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  - Courtney says
    December 23, 2016 at 5:10 am
    
    Amen!
    
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  - Gail says
    March 26, 2018 at 2:07 am
    
    Saving money is better than spending it. I have a question I reuse my spice bottles in my craft classes for anything from jewelry supplies to glitter etc.... My problem is some labels come off so nice but others i have to soak n scrape but end up with sticky left on. Any suggestions for removing that??? P. S. If Carol wants to spend instead of saving I'll take the miney. Lol
    
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    - Kathy says
      May 21, 2018 at 3:04 am
      
      I use goo-gone for the extra sticky ones...or rubbing alcohol will work sometimes.
      
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    - Andrea says
      July 12, 2018 at 5:01 am
      
      for the residue from the labels, methylated spirits often works, or paste made with bicarb soda + cooking oil, or goo gone. By reusing/repurposing containers you often find great size & shape ones perfect for your needs ;-)
      
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    - Gayathri says
      August 31, 2018 at 12:03 pm
      
      Any cooking oil (coconut, olive, sunflower...) will work for the sticky ones. To remove stickers: Day 1- soak over night in water. Rinse and wash. Day 2- apply little bit of oil and leave it overnight. All the sticky glue can be wiped out with a tissue paper the next day.
      
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    - Virginia rohde says
      May 2, 2019 at 11:45 am
      
      Try dish. Soap & hot water or goo-off
      
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    - Susan says
      May 2, 2019 at 2:16 pm
      
      I find that pouring hot water from my teapot into the bottle will usually loosen the label after a minute or two. The bottle will be HOT so hold bottle with a potholder while pealing off the label. Remaining adhesive will usually dissolve with a coating of Goop Waterless hand cleaner, or cold cream. This also works with plastic bottles, but the heat will distort some bottles, so put a little cool water in 1st to lower the overall water temperature from boiling to just hot. If you find a local spice store, or a natural foods store that sells spices in bulk, they may even weigh your empty bottle so you can fill it in the store & just pay for the weight of the spice.
      
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- Anonymous says
  October 3, 2016 at 3:49 pm
  
  Ever hear of "reduce, reuse, recycle"?
  
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- Kathy says
  January 5, 2017 at 5:32 pm
  
  We might live in a throw away society but I don't like throwing my money away. So I say thanks for the tip
  
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- Nóirín Uí Chaomhánaigh says
  January 28, 2017 at 6:47 am
  
  By doing that you add to the amount of plastic, something which the world has far too much of already. Recycling is the way to go if we want our oceans and soil unpolluted. What happens to plastic when you bin it? Where does it go really? How does this affect the planet we depend on to survive? Do check it out!
  
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