Fast Friday Fix: Naturally Removing Gunk

Isn't upcycling glamorous?!  It seems like we're always removing the gunk and crap of centuries baked onto our next piece of art.  Or the sticky residue that is left behind from way too many price tags at Goodwill.  Have you noticed that they price each item a minimum of three times?  No other thrift store does that....maddening.  But I digress.

Seriously?  And I removed one from the bottom!

For a time I used Goof Off.  Yep it works, but man do you get high off the fumes!  It's harsh and toxic and you don't have to use it anymore! {Insert great big smiley face here}  Here is the better solution:

CA Scents Orange Squeeze

I found this quite by accident.  I was at my local hardware store looking for something to remove wallpaper that appeared to be shellaced onto the bottom inside of a drawer that I was turning into a pet bed.  The clerk showed me the California Scents Orange Squeeze air freshener and said that the store actually writes it off and uses it to clean the sticker labels off the shelves.  So I grabbed a bottle along with some very expensive wallpaper remover and a wallpaper scoring tool, just in case.

Sadly neither solution worked on the wallpaper, I'm convinced that someone did indeed adhere it with shellac.  But I have used the Orange Squeeze on the sticky stuff that I would have previously used the Goof Off on and it works with the same ease.  Only it's better because it's made with citrus extracts and smells delicious!  Besides removing the price label gunk, I use it a lot on plastic bottles.  It removes the label glue with amazing ease and lifts the stuck on label bits with a bit of elbow grease.

Just a little tip:  This is a little oilier than Goof Off so it doesn't quickly seep under the plastic labels.  I move the bottle around a bit so the oil can make it's way underneath and give a minute before I start scrubbing.

I love it and I think I'm going to stick with it.  What secrets do you have for removing goopy gop?