Hello Lovelies,

We all have plastic storage bins lying around our homes or garages.  You can use them for absolutely anything.  But in the past, I’ve purged the contents of a bin or two and decided to use it for something else.  It was irritating to have to cross out what I wrote on the outside or try to peel the label off so what I wrote would be accurate.  Most people use a Sharpie permanent marker and some use labels.  I really didn’t want to waste money buying special labels or even waste the ink in my printer to print them off.  Sorry peeps, I’m not about aesthetics when it comes to storage bins.  But I do care about knowing what is inside.  Let’s face it, knowing what is inside, saves time!

This tip is simple.  If you have marker on “most” hard plastic surfaces use olive oil.  That’s it!  Take a piece of paper towel or a small rag, dab on some olive oil and RUB! With a little light elbow grease the permanent marker will wipe right off leaving you with a fresh clean surface to write the new contents on.  This saves you time from rummaging or digging out the bin and money from buying another bin.  Just wipe, write, and reuse!

Now if you use labels, sometimes with the heat of the garage in warmer months, the label will get gunky and stick.  If you try to peel this off, it comes off in pieces leaving a lot of residue behind.  Instead of buying Goo Be Gone or some other commercial product just use what you have on hand.

1 part olive or vegetable oil

2 parts baking soda

The oil helps saturate and soften the label while the baking soda acts as an abrasive. It may take a few attempts to completely come off clean, but after you are done simply wipe with a damp cloth and the residue will be gone.