Hurrah, it’s back to the garden centre – we’re all shoping again! After worldwide lockdown (apart from Sweden) we are now happily queuing outside stores and centres. We’re snapping up pots and plants to make up for lost time, but there’s one thing some of us have Not been missing – here’s how to remove a sticky price tag from a hard surface.

Mostly, a price tag is part of the packaging, either as a bar code or attached to the plastic covering. But sometimes the tag is glued to the product itself – particularly larger products, and particularly outdoor products.

However, much as we like a ceramic vase or bowl, we don’t want to break our finger nails over them.

Avoid Breaking Fingernails when Removing Stickers

After much experimentation, broken nails and bruised thumbs we’ve discovered an easy way to remove the sticker… It’s quick and painless – and, when done carefully, leaves no unsightly stains or marks.

Here is a stoneware ceramic pot we bought at the Dulwich Pot and Plant Garden – we bought quite a fiew. It’s made in Vietnam, and an absolute favourite because of its beautifully simple outline. It has no moulding or curvy edges.

But the price tag was almost impossible to remove until eventually we discovered the trick with our nail cutter. Incidentally, the pots cost £12 back in 2020 – two years on they have risen to £30 in another London garden centre.

How to Remove a sticky Price Tag – easily

Pick just enough of a corner of the sticker – with a knife if not a finger nail – and hold it to pull gently to one side. Drag a sharp tool – but not too sharp so that it cuts into the product – in gentle strokes up or down.

One long, smooth stroke at a time for better control against the product and into the tag. Slice right in the middle of the tag and the product – where the glue meets the product. As you drag the nailcutter, pull the sticker away sharp from the cutter with the other hand.

In the past it’s taken us 20 minutes using knives, finger nails, sponges and steel sponges to try and remove it. This, of course can be highly damaging to the product itself as well as our finger nails. But this method removes the sticker clean in a minute or two…No unsightly residue left on the pot to clean up!