Plastic labels.

[Anisemary]

Hi, has anyone out there discovered a method of removing writing from plant labels? I know, it's SUPPOSED to be permanent  but I have hundreds of the good thick ones and I'm a Yorkshire lass, don't like waste! 

[Chrispy]

Permanent? I write on with a pencil, does not wash off, but when I want to reuse one I just give it a good rub and a rinse and that's it.

[macmac]

Hi Anisemary I'm a Yorkshire lass sadly living in Somerset
I write in pencil and have some of that silicone foam stuff, magic cleaner works with water you can get it everywhere Wilkos, poundshop etc.just wet and rub I keep a bit down the lottie as it's only water needed it's great.
Where are you in Yorkshire ?I was born in Bridlington
ps I'm not sad really 'just miss Yorkshire

[Pesky Wabbit]

If you've used a standard 'permanent' marker, try meths or white spirit.

I use the purple coloured meths, but thats more because of the taste. 

Hic.

[Ninnyscrops.]

If you've used a standard 'permanent' marker, try meths or white spirit.

I use the purple coloured meths, but thats more because of the taste. 

Hic.

 

I use pencil, a nice heavy HB, and then rub them out   

Ninny

[Borlotti]

I grow the same things every year and don't even have to rewrite them, apart from a few spares if I grow something different.  Sometimes I don't label and get a surprise crop.

[Anisemary]

Thanks all, guess it's too late for the pencil advice, I've already used a permanent marker!
Will try the purple stuff Pesky, Hmmm.... sure we had some but hubby says he can't find it!!  (think I overdid it allowing him a workshop with a key AND a secret drawer!)
MacMac, I'm in Bradford, although thankfully not in the 'ghost town centre', on the outskirts at the end of a cart track surrounded by fields. Very peaceful, except when the fireworks go off in the distance to announce the arrival of the latest drug delivery! 

[Vinlander]

If your old labels are nice thick white plastic like mine then I find the quickest way to clean them is to scrape them with a sharp knife held at 90deg to the label. It also leaves a good matt surface for writing on. Sandpaper works but is much more fiddly.

However I now use the bottom half of 2L milk containers as the last pot for my tomatoes and peppers (they fin neatly into a drip tray). The top half I cut up into plant labels. I reuse them, but when they have a useless name on them I dump them into the recycling and make some more. They won't take pencil - you need a CD felt-tip.

Incidentally, if you want a label that will hold a name for decades then you can make dozens from an aluminium beer can - they will take an imprint on the shiny side with a dead biro nearly as well as copper foil, but a lot cheaper.

Be sure to trim the corners off though, they are really sharp.

[macmac]

Anisemary the stuff I mentioned has worked on permenent marker for me 

[shirlton]

I put mine in a little jug with some diluted bleach and within a day they come out sparkling.

[1066]

And to add to the list I use nail varnish remover  . But Shirl's idea using the bleach sounds nice and easy too 

[sunloving]

You can make posh copper ones from the inside of tomato puree tubes.

I'm with vinlander and make most of mine from milk bottles.
and lurk around tescos at the end of the season when they sell of the labels for 10p a pack!
x sunloving

[Robert_Brenchley]

I use a bit of fine sandpaper.

[Mortality]

nail varnish remover. 

[cornykev]

I'm not as tight as a Yorkshire person but its bloody close
I scrub mine with a washing up sponge that has a scourer on one side with washing up liquid
I also cut up the milk bottles
And nice to see Borlotti back, for those who don't know shes been on a trek acrosss the Himalayas.
 

[elvis2003]

what a great idea with the beer cans,usually one or two kicking round our house....

[Pesky Wabbit]

And to add to the list I use nail varnish remover  . But Shirl's idea using the bleach sounds nice and easy too 

But I don't like the taste of  nail varnish remover, and as for bleach.. yuck. 

[1066]

And to add to the list I use nail varnish remover  . But Shirl's idea using the bleach sounds nice and easy too 

But I don't like the taste of  nail varnish remover, and as for bleach.. yuck. 

Better stick to the beer cans then Pesky!     

[1066]

And nice to see Borlotti back, for those who don't know shes been on a trek acrosss the Himalayas.
 

For real ? Cos if so 

[caroline7758]

One of those wire scrubbers works well,too.