Cleaning labels

[zazen999]

They are

I have this 'thing' that the MiL gave me which she called a magic sponge, no idea where she got it. Anyway, I have just tried it on them and guess what - the permanent ink has gone, totally - without the need to resort to scratchy stuff

Amazing - must ask her what it is and where she got it from

I was just gonna say that you should get a magic sponge; it gets pencil and ink off labels....but I see you got there already.

[COMPOST CORNER]

i often cut up ice cream containers,works well,especially the lids,when you have different varieties of tomatoes ext,when you pot them up individualy means you can use and it not matter how many,like loo rolls collect through the year,chop and store ready for when you need,and for outside i cut up wood,or like the brassicas,write on a bigger bit and just lay on the soil,but remember to keep an eye out for the sluggs hidding underneath,also use cut up plastic milk cartons

I saw someone, possibly on here, using painted bricks for labelling larger areas/beds. looked very effective.

[piskieinboots]

Ice lolly sticks!

I don't eat them

[quark1]

Have no immediate solution for removal, but sure many of the advisories above would work - but for the 'start' of the process....

What about a chinagraph pencil to mark the labels - waterproof and should not fade even in the brightest sunshine? I remember these from my younger days - don't know how readily available they are these days - but for those who've never heard of them - they are a hardened crayon (wax) inside a 'pencil' of wood or sometimes paper container. Can be sharpened to quite fine for writing but not as fine as a pen. Original use would have been to mark up prices on china and glass, and other shiney objects in shops, long before the days of sticky labels - hence name!

This wax 'ought' to be able to scrape off with a finger nail or scourer I'd have thought.

[sapper sav]

I use my girlfriends nail polish remover. before that i bought tipex thinner

[quark1]

Oh sapper - 'quiet' for so long (join date june 2007!) - but welcome to the vine - better late than never to join in!

[Bren In Pots]

I've just done a bit of a search and found a chinagraph pencil in my desk drawer

[SarzWix]

I'm pretty sure that Lakeland do 'magic sponges', I might have to get one!

I mostly just reuse them with the writing on - I don't date the labels (that info goes in a book), so as long as I'm sowing the same stuff as the year before (which I mostly do) then I can just use them over again.

[ammi]

I use a permanent marker for writing on labels for seed trays - I use both sides. But then what? Throw them away? Or is there something that would remove the premanent ink, but I guess if there were then it wouldn't be permanent would it!

Am I being tight?

Nail polish remover is great to get perminant marker off of labels. I use the non conditioned kind and it works realy quickly and cleans them up like new.

[nerdgas]

I'm using one of these so I can re-use the labels although I'm not sure I'm saving any money what with the cost of replacement tape and all.

Dymo Letratag Plus ABC Keyboard: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

But I like it cause it's nice and neat.....

[zazen999]

I'm using one of these so I can re-use the labels although I'm not sure I'm saving any money what with the cost of replacement tape and all.

Dymo Letratag Plus ABC Keyboard: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

But I like it cause it's nice and neat.....

I can get 779 Wilko labels for that price; last me years......

I just write them neatly.

[piskieinboots]

I've just been told by an excellent gardener that he keeps his in a large pickle jar with 50% bleach and water throughout winter.

I like bleach

[nerdgas]

I can get 779 Wilko labels for that price; last me years......

I just write them neatly.

I have to admit I am a bit of a gadget freak.......

Oh well.....

[Sanjo]

Have no immediate solution for removal, but sure many of the advisories above would work - but for the 'start' of the process....

What about a chinagraph pencil to mark the labels - waterproof and should not fade even in the brightest sunshine? I remember these from my younger days - don't know how readily available they are these days - but for those who've never heard of them - they are a hardened crayon (wax) inside a 'pencil' of wood or sometimes paper container. Can be sharpened to quite fine for writing but not as fine as a pen. Original use would have been to mark up prices on china and glass, and other shiney objects in shops, long before the days of sticky labels - hence name!

This wax 'ought' to be able to scrape off with a finger nail or scourer I'd have thought.

I've used a chinagraph pencil for years. They are brilliant in that they don't fade or get washed off. The downside is that they DONT wash off! It always leaves the the original writing showing, although much fainter. It's especially noticeable on old labels.
On the other hand, once you've used the chinagraph again on the same label the fresher writing stands out more.
I now find a good old pencil just as efficient and washes off old labels a bit better than the chinagraph.
However, I do find that the chinagraph is excellent for writing on the pot itself if necessary.

[chris]

I use my girlfriends nail polish remover. before that i bought tipex thinner

Ahh, your "girlfriend's" nail polish remover?

It's ok to admit it - I've had my nails painted before too