12 Times Goo Gone Saves the Day

Everything you buy these days seems to come with some sort of unsightly sticker attached, be it a price tag, instructions, or even promotional material, and sometimes these stickers seem impossible to remove. Simply apply a dab of Goo Gone to the sticker, wait a few minutes, and wipe with a clean cloth—and voilà, no more sticker!

Stuck on clothing, ground into carpets, or left “on the bedpost overnight,” chewing gum can be extremely tenacious and difficult to remove. Soak the gum and the surrounding area in a liberal amount of Goo Gone, wait for about 10 minutes, and then gently rub with a clean cloth. It may require several applications before all of the gum is removed. Once the gum is gone, clean the area with a mild detergent to take care of any residue.

Transparent tape, masking tape, duct tape, painter’s tape, and packing tape all have their place in the household tool kit, but sometimes they stick a little too well…or leave behind a mess when removed. Goo Gone can remove residue from most types of tape, glue, and other adhesives, although it does not work on most permanent or epoxy glues.

Related: 12 Things You Didn’t Know Duct Tape Can Do

Nothing detracts from the look of your freshly washed car quite like the sight of a bunch of squished bugs all over the front bumper or bird droppings splattered on the roof, hood, and trunk. Goo Gone can help keep your car looking bright and bug-free, and it’s safe to use on fiberglass, painted metal, and clear-coated surfaces. (Hint: You can also use it to remove dated or objectionable bumper stickers!)

Every so often, a potentially sticky substance like gum, wax, hard candy, or a stray cough drop sneaks through the wash and winds up making a mess inside your dryer, where it becomes a baked-on blob that is difficult to remove without damaging the finish. Apply Goo Gone to a cloth and rub it on the affected area inside the dryer. Then, wipe with a clean cloth, and immediately wash the area with a mild dish detergent and warm water. Wipe dry, and then wipe with rubbing alcohol to ensure that all residue has been removed.

Sometimes kids can get overly enthusiastic with their craft projects and end up coloring, gluing, or painting the table, walls, or the floor. Fortunately, an application of Goo Gone, followed by washing with a mild detergent and warm water, will remove most of the “decoration.”

Outdoor chores can sometimes leave your shoes or clothing covered with stubborn stains as well as blobs of pitch, tar, and other materials. Apply Goo Gone to the stain, blot with a clean cloth, and launder the stained item separately using extra detergent.

Grease and grime can build up on kitchen surfaces, especially around and above the stove. Conventional cleansers are hard-pressed to remove these sticky messes, but you can get these surfaces sparkling by spraying or rubbing Goo Gone on those oily, greasy films and following up with a mild dish soap. Goo Gone can also remove grease and oil from hand and automotive tools.

Beauty and personal care products help us look our best, but sometimes they can leave your bedroom or bathroom with nasty spills and stains. Apply a thin film of Goo Gone to an affected surface, allow it to sit for a few minutes, then wipe clean with a dry cloth.

Silly Putty has been a popular toy for more than 60 years, but it’s no fun at all when a big blob of the viscous stuff gets stuck on your carpet or upholstery. To get rid of the mess, gently scrape up as much of the Silly Putty as you can remove easily with a butter knife. Apply a liberal amount of Goo Gone to the remaining Silly Putty; allow it to sit for a few minutes, and then rub with a clean cloth. You may have to repeat the process several times to remove all of the Silly Putty. Clean the area thoroughly with a mild detergent and warm water.

So, you’ve finally decided to get rid of the Pop Art floral wallpaper that your parents thought was oh so trendy, only to find that the stubborn stuff just won’t come off the wall. Even in areas where you can scrape it away, you’re left with a sticky, bumpy residue of wallpaper paste. Goo Gone to the rescue: Spray a generous amount of Goo Gone over the surface of the wallpaper, working in three- to four-foot sections, and allow it to soak in for 10 minutes. Then, peel it off the wall, repeating until all the paper has been removed. Spray the walls again and rub with a clean cloth to remove the paste, then clean with a mild detergent.

Related: 15 Wallpaper Trends to Try in 2019

Burnt-on food, grease, and char can build up on your grill over time, creating a dirty and unappetizing cooking surface. Spray or rub the grates with Goo Gone, let it soak into the grime for an hour (or overnight), and then rub with a clean, damp cloth. Goo Gone is not food-safe, so you must clean the grates thoroughly with dish detergent and warm water before using.

Related: The Top 8 Ways to Hack Your Grill

Is there anything Goo Gone can’t do?