7 answers
Alcohol or nail polish remover dissolves the glue really well. WD-40 works too.
Regular vegetable oil: soak a rag, hold it on the stain for a couple minutes and wipe it off. Then wash it with dish soap.
melamine sponge and that's it, you don't need to wet anything
I'd add that it all depends on how long ago the tape was stuck on. If it's fresh - yes, a melamine sponge works great, I use it all the time. But if the residue has dried, it's better to soak it. Personally, I like to use acetone (aka nail polish remover) - you take a cotton pad, apply it, let it sit for about five minutes, then carefully wipe it off. The main thing is not to press too hard, otherwise you can scratch the glass, especially if there are some sand particles in it.
Vegetable oil definitely works, but then it leaves a greasy film for a long time. After oil you need to wipe it several times with glass cleaner or alcohol, otherwise the glass gets cloudy. I like WD-40 better - I always have this universal product on hand at my dacha, it handles tape quickly, and then it washes off easily with regular soapy water.
My advice: start with a mechanical method - a dry melamine sponge or even your fingernail (if you're careful). If that doesn't work, then move on to chemicals. And when using acetone, air out the room - the smell is unpleasant, though it does dissipate quickly.
We solve this problem simply at our house - I take regular acetone, which we always have on hand and it's cheap too. I soak a piece of cotton wool or a cotton pad with it, press it against the tape mark for about five to ten minutes and then wipe it with a cloth. The adhesive softens and comes off easily. Though you do need to watch out so the acetone doesn't get on any plastic frame - it can damage it. After treatment, the glass shines if you wipe it with a clean cloth and water.
Someone already mentioned vegetable oil correctly above - it really does work, I've done it myself when I was visiting my sister and didn't have anything suitable on hand. It takes a bit longer, but it's completely safe for any surface. But a melamine sponge is great for fresh marks - I remember when my granddaughter was sticking decals on her new cabinet, I just ran the sponge over the adhesive residue and it came right off.
If the mark is really old and dried up, I usually combine methods: I'll hold oil or acetone on it first to soften it, then I take a plastic scraper or an old card and carefully scrape, trying not to scratch the glass. The main thing is not to rush and not to press hard, or you can get micro-cracks on the glass.
I've run into this more than once, especially when I was putting labels on glass jars in the bathhouse (yeah, we label everything there). I can confirm the guys above are basically right, but there's a detail people usually forget about. If you use alcohol or acetone, you gotta be more careful with the glass - these things can leave streaks if you don't rinse them completely. After chemical treatment, always wipe it down with a cloth dampened in plain water, otherwise you'll end up with something even worse than what you started with.
Personally, I usually go for oil because it's safer and doesn't leave a smell. I soak a cotton pad, press it against the mark for about five to ten minutes, then carefully rub it with my hand or a soft cloth - the glue rolls off pretty well. After that, you really do need to wash it with dish soap to get rid of the oiliness.
I agree about the melamine sponge - if the tape is fresh, it's basically magic, does the job in a minute. But if the mark is old and dried on, oil or alcohol will work better. The main thing is don't rub the glass aggressively, you can scratch it, and I've seen about twenty of my own scratched pitchers from last year alone.
Tape glue softens really well with heat, and I often save time using this method. When I'm repairing gadgets, I frequently have to remove stickers and glue residue from display glass - so I've tested this approach for real. Just aim hot air from a hair dryer at the residue for about five to ten minutes. The glue gets more pliable and basically rolls off with your finger. Then you just wipe the glass with alcohol or a damp cloth.
If you don't have a dryer or there's a lot of residue, I combine approaches: first soften it with the dryer, then soak a tissue in acetone or white spirit and hold it on the spot. This combo works even with old residue that's dried rock solid. After treatment, I rinse the glass well with soapy water so the chemical smell dissipates.
I can confirm that oil actually helps - I've tried it. But compared to heat it's slower, especially if the residue's been there a while. Plus you have to wash the dish afterwards to get rid of the oily streaks. Melamine foam is solid, but if the tape was stuck on recently, a hair dryer saves effort and doesn't require any abrasive at all.
Your answer
Log into answer.