# Has to be a better way



## rhythmsteve (Jun 16, 2011)

Anybody got a good trick to remove labels from bottles.....tried soaking them in hot water with a little dish soap, but a few of these have some serious adhesive on them


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## CCtex (Jun 16, 2011)

I soak mine in a cooler with oxyclean for about 6 hours. I then use a scraper that has a razor blade in it. The tougher ones get soaked a little longer and that usually does the trick. I have noticed that the more expensive the wine the harder it is to get the label off.


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## mrzazz (Jun 16, 2011)

For the ones with plastic labels, I put about 1 tbl of water in the bottle and microwave for 30 seconds. They peel right off. I can clean 2 labels off 1 bottle before the microwave is finished with the other one


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## robie (Jun 16, 2011)

There are many ways to de-label, we all have our favorite.

I use a razor bladed window scraper; then spray clue with De-Solv-It from Ace Hardware. Let it set awhile, then use a scotch-brite pad to loosen any clue not dissolved. Afterward wash bottle's outside surface with some oxiclean.


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## Runningwolf (Jun 16, 2011)

I soak in Hot Water with Oxy Clean for about 90 minutes and then scrape what I can. Put bottles back in sink and soak another 30-60 minutes and most of what was left will scrape off now. Now I soak another 30 minutes same water and then finish them up with a scotch brite pad. I do not leave them in the sink for hours and hours or the glue will reset itself.


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## mmadmikes1 (Jun 16, 2011)

Oxy clean in big rubbermaid tub. I soak em as long as needed. I collect bottles from recycling and have learned with labels come off easy and that is all I take now. For really cool bottles you are dying to use, if oxyclean does not work, I use vinegar and soak in that. Haven't tried the microwave yet.


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## ffemt128 (Jun 16, 2011)

Soak in oxyclean water for couple hours then scrape with razor knife, soak a little longer then scotchbrite pad. I started using the avery repositional labels recently as I got a good deal on them on amazon. Peel right off with little effort.


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## Wade E (Jun 16, 2011)

I myself am not a soaker anymore. I find it easier to just go right to a good scraper like one made to remove stickers from a windshield. I can get alomst any label off this way and some will just require a little scrubber to remove that excess adhesive.


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## MrTaylor (Jun 17, 2011)

I would use goo gone for the adhesive.


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## Duster (Jun 17, 2011)

these are all good. I have tried the microwave trick before and it works well with some labels. SOS pad work well as well.
also for a note, I have found that a glue stick like the ones we used in kindergarten work very well to apply labels and it comes off easily.


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## JasonH (Jun 19, 2011)

Acetone is excellent for the adhesive, just make sure you wear some gloves.


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## Russ Stewart (Jun 21, 2011)

I also quit soaking my bottles to get the labels off. Instead, I use a razor blade window scraper to scrape the label off. This takes all of the paper and some of the glue off. Then, I wipe it down with vegetable oil, and let it set for a couple of hours. Then, I proceed to wash the bottles in hot water with dishwasher liquid, rinse well, and then sanitize.


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## Brian (Jun 21, 2011)

I still soak my bottles. I put them in the tub with water as hot as it gets with some oxyclean for about 4 hours. Then I use a sticker scraper to take off the lables. If there is any glue left I use goo gone spray on a rag to get that off...


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## JohnT (Jun 22, 2011)

For labels with water soluable glue, I make it a point to scratch or score the labels before I go to soak them. This has the same effect of using a "porcupine" in removing wall paper (in that it aides the water in soaking through). this, I find, greatly reduces the time it takes to soak off a label.


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## Larryh86GT (Jun 23, 2011)

When I run into a bottle that has the serious adhesive on it I toss it. Life's too short to put the labor and what not into removing the label on some bottles. There are too many bottles out there with easy to remove labels. 

Larry


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## DasK (Jun 24, 2011)

I have started seriously contemplating buying bottles from now on.

On a related topic, how hard is it to remove homemade labels? I haven't ever tried them, but would like to make a more presentable bottle, especially for gifting.


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## Wade E (Jun 24, 2011)

It all depends on what label material you use and in saying that some of these label materials are very susceptible to ink running or even getting moldy in not so good conditions. My De Humidifier crapped out right after I emptied it and i know have quite a few bottles that the labels are ruined. Im going to get a new unit tomorrow and then I am seriously thinking about stepping up from the usual 8" x 11" pre gummed label paper I usually use which comes off nice and easy and is very cheap. A Laser printer might have also helped in no ink running.


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## Charlietuna (Jun 24, 2011)

I'm buying bottles from a local winery at $2 / case. I've got 3 cases to do & they are a bear, they have a non-permeable coating. I've tried: 

1.scraping with a knife then scotch brite pad with paint thinner. which does work, but time consuming. 

2.Tried soaking in DIF (a wall paper remover sold at lowes, menards, home depot), it wouldn't soak through the outter coating of the label. But, may work well for labels with no "plastic" coating.

3. Also, just yesterday tried a wire brush attachment on my bench grinder. It worked, but will still need wiped with acetone / mineral spirits or similar for the glue. This may be the way I go until some other idea I find is quicker. I can have a bottle done in around a minute.

Brian


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## Duster (Jun 25, 2011)

Charlietuna said:


> I'm buying bottles from a local winery at $2 / case. I've got 3 cases to do & they are a bear, they have a non-permeable coating. I've tried:
> 
> 1.scraping with a knife then scotch brite pad with paint thinner. which does work, but time consuming.
> 
> ...



for labels like this I find it best to heat the bottle up with hot water, maybe even stick them in the oven for a few min with hot water in them. once the glue is warm it tends to let go pretty easily. You will then just need to wipe them off with goo gone and your good to go.


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## Runningwolf (Jun 25, 2011)

I finf the ones with a plastic coating not so bad. Soak in hot water with oxy clean for an hour then the plastic coating can be peeled off. Now soak the bottles another hour or two and scrap with razor scraper. You're right though until you peel off the plastic coating the water will not reach the paper or glue.


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## Koshpa (Aug 7, 2011)

CCtex said:


> I soak mine in a cooler with oxyclean for about 6 hours. I then use a scraper that has a razor blade in it. The tougher ones get soaked a little longer and that usually does the trick. I have noticed that the more expensive the wine the harder it is to get the label off.


This is the procedure I also use.


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## Daisy317 (Aug 7, 2011)

mmadmikes1 said:


> Oxy clean in big rubbermaid tub. I soak em as long as needed. I collect bottles from recycling and have learned with labels come off easy and that is all I take now. For really cool bottles you are dying to use, if oxyclean does not work, I use vinegar and soak in that. Haven't tried the microwave yet.



I also soak in oxyclean in a giant tote. Scrape with a razor blade or utility knife.


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## Runningwolf (Aug 7, 2011)

I agree with hot water but not for six hours. Letting them go for that long allows the glue to reset.


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## whine4wine (Aug 16, 2011)

I use the wire wheel on my bench grinder. I hook up the shop vac to catch the fuzz.


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## Rocky (Aug 16, 2011)

I soak mine in my utility sink in very hot tap water and oxyclean. Some labels float off, need a little help with the edge of a chef's knife and others are a real bear to get off. I find that the wines from Australia are generally the toughest and Italy is the easiest. I also have found that many of the adhesives can be cleaned off with a Brillo pad. The real tough adhesive requires mineral spirits. I did two cases yesterday in about two hours elapsed time (less than 1 hour attended time).


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