# Labels that peel off easily?



## Geronimo (Oct 20, 2013)

I usually use the labels supplied with my kits and only a few batches of those have been a hassle to peel off. I tried using Avery shipping labels but they don't come off cleanly all the time. Is there a brand (printable or pre-printed) that come off easily without soaking?


----------



## GreginND (Oct 20, 2013)

Avery shipping labels are a real pain to remove. Someone else suggested these post-it labels (sorry, I can't remember who - apologize for not giving credit where it's due). I just got some and they seem to work really well.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002K9O11I/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


----------



## novalou (Oct 20, 2013)

Geronimo said:


> I usually use the labels supplied with my kits and only a few batches of those have been a hassle to peel off. I tried using Avery shipping labels but they don't come off cleanly all the time. Is there a brand (printable or pre-printed) that come off easily without soaking?



I use shrink foils on the neck of the bottles. I write on the foils.

My bottles only get labels on giveaways.


----------



## ibglowin (Oct 20, 2013)

Avery does make "removable" labels that peel off cleanly. Check Amazon for the difference sizes available. You may also wish to look at blank label stock from online labels dot com. I have switched over to them. I have found that if the label is warm it peels off easier than if cold so it helps to either soak in warm water first or hit it with a heat gun.


----------



## Geronimo (Oct 20, 2013)

Thanks for the tips about the new removable Avery and Post-it labels. The same size costs about the same on Amazon.


----------



## Enologo (Oct 21, 2013)

I've gotten some pre printed labels from Midwest they peel right off no soaking.


----------



## wineforfun (Oct 21, 2013)

Geronimo said:


> I usually use the labels supplied with my kits and only a few batches of those have been a hassle to peel off. I tried using Avery shipping labels but they don't come off cleanly all the time. Is there a brand (printable or pre-printed) that come off easily without soaking?



Not sure if this is in line with what you are looking for. I print my own labels on standard paper, then use a spray glue/adhesive from Wal-Mart or any other store, to put them on. They remove very easy.


----------



## Geronimo (Oct 21, 2013)

What brand of adhesive? The stuff I know of, I think it's 3M 77 or something like that, it's like contact cement.


----------



## Runningwolf (Oct 21, 2013)

GreginND said:


> Avery shipping labels are a real pain to remove. Someone else suggested these post-it labels (sorry, I can't remember who - apologize for not giving credit where it's due). I just got some and they seem to work really well.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002K9O11I/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1



Greg thats only in the Dakotas they come off hard. I found a 10-15 minute soak in hot water with oxy-clean and they come right off. 

You might say easy to come off is relative. Most of us are comparing the ease of taking them off compared to commercial labels.


----------



## jcag (Oct 21, 2013)

Ok. My first post here, so excuse me if this has been discussed before. I have found a very easy way to remove stubborn non-water based glue labels-original or aftermarket. Fill the bottle with nearly boiling water and wait a few minutes. Pull up an edge of the label with a razor blade and pull it slowly with your fingers. The heat softens the glue and the label will peel off cleanly. If any glue remains, i clean it with a small dab of glass stove top cleaner on a blue scotch brite pad.


----------



## Runningwolf (Oct 21, 2013)

Jcag I agree with you and that is basically what I do, just not that hot of water. Another point is when using a razor blade, work around the bottle instead of up and down as your blade will sit evenly this way.


----------



## wineforfun (Oct 21, 2013)

Geronimo said:


> What brand of adhesive? The stuff I know of, I think it's 3M 77 or something like that, it's like contact cement.



Loctite brand. It is a craft adhesive. 
Here is the link to it at Wal-Mart.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Loctite-Adhesive-Craft-Spray-11-oz/23591336


----------



## Geronimo (Oct 21, 2013)

Most of the kit labels are designed to peel off pretty easily and cleanly. 

I'm trying to imagine how you use the spray. You lay the paper/label down on some newspaper and spray it lightly, then pick up the label and put it on? Interesting.


----------



## wineforfun (Oct 22, 2013)

I go into my basement/laundry room which has a concrete floor. Lay the label on it, spray, and attach. Now that was all fine and dandy until my wife kept getting her socks stuck to the area I was spraying on. 
Now, I have a towel I set down on top of the cement, spray label, attach. The towel gets sticky'ish after awhile, but the process works well for me. When the towel gets too messed up, I just pitch
it, and use another.

I had tried to hold the label in my hand and use the adhesive, but too much gets on my hands and then makes it hard to affix the label. The towel setup works great for me now.


----------



## Geronimo (Oct 23, 2013)

wineforfun said:


> I go into my basement/laundry room which has a concrete floor. Lay the label on it, spray, and attach. Now that was all fine and dandy until my wife kept getting her socks stuck to the area I was spraying on.



Ah ha! That's exactly what I was wondering, thanks!


----------



## kevinlfifer (Oct 23, 2013)

I use heavier plain paper and glue stick. It takes a little longer to apply the labels but they come off clean in a snap. It takes me 15- 20 min to apply 30 labels. On the positive side as well, if your label is a little crooked, it's easy to adjust.

You can find gummed paper (moisten and apply) in 8.5 x 11, print, cut and apply. They come off easily as well. Our local supplier carries that product, but from a cost aspect, it's a bit pricey.


----------



## Noontime (Oct 23, 2013)

As was already mentioned, removable adhesive labels are available and work well (we provide that on many of our labels). The thing about adhesives (and this goes for almost all adhesives) is that time and temperature play a major role. The longer a label is on a bottle, the more the adhesive will "set". Labels should always be applied to relatively warm bottles (room temperature, but again...that's relative). Then when they are stored cooler, they become harder to get off. The longer they sit, the harder it gets to remove. So heating them to remove is a great idea. We use our heat gun to remove the labels from commercial bottles.

With the removable adhesive, be sure it's a very clean bottle, since anything that compromises the bond can pull up the edges on the label (since it's made to be removable).


----------



## k47k (Oct 24, 2013)

grogtag.com havent used them but looks like a cool product and gets good reviews.


----------



## ckvchestnut (Oct 24, 2013)

k47k said:


> grogtag.com havent used them but looks like a cool product and gets good reviews.



Those look nice and are reusable! I like that idea! Thanks for sharing!


----------



## jamesngalveston (Oct 25, 2013)

I have tried every way that I have read that is posted here.
I dont think there is an easy way. I tried, wd40,bleach,oxiclean,tsp,dawn
gasoline,paint thinner, goof off, glue gone,wire brush,pressure washing,

I put all my bottles in a huge igloo cooler..add water,and soap,and after a few weeks, there done...they just come right off.


----------



## Geronimo (Oct 25, 2013)

ckvchestnut said:


> Those look nice and are reusable! I like that idea! Thanks for sharing!



At $1 a bottle, I'll pass.


----------



## Kraffty (Oct 25, 2013)

I do like James but use two large coolers, one with hot water and soap and one with just water. Each holds 24 bottles and I soak for about 24 hours in the soap, clean off the labels then soak in water for a day or so as a rinse. I save them up and try to do 4 to 6 cases at a time.
Mike


----------



## homer (Dec 15, 2013)

Use paper to print labels and stick on with 2% milk. bk


----------



## cimbaliw (Dec 15, 2013)

I simply use neck labels, Avery 8167 return address to be specific. I use MS word > tools > mail merge to create the "masterpiece." I stick them on as I'm moving bottles from upright to sideways on the wine shelf and move on.


----------



## Adame (Jan 7, 2014)

Do the shipping labels come off really easy. Obviously easier if for no other reason than they are smaller.


----------



## novalou (Jan 23, 2014)

Adame said:


> Do the shipping labels come off really easy. Obviously easier if for no other reason than they are smaller.




Shipping labels come off fairly easy after soaking a bit in hot water.


----------



## jswordy (Jan 24, 2014)

I feel like such a broken record saying this.

1.) Make up your labels using Microsoft Word (free on most computers).

2.) Print them out on your printer on regular paper. Or, if like me you have a printer/copier, print 2 out and double them up on a page, then copy the remainder. Saves paper.

3.) Cut them out. I use a guillotine blade cutter I bought for $2 at a business sale. 





4.) Pour some milk into a coffee cup and lightly coat the back of a label with an artist's brush (you can buy cheap small brushes at Harbor Freight for about $2 a bag of 25 or so). Don't be real heavy with the milk, a light coat works best. I like to paint the back of the label on a folded newspaper. You can see the outline of my painting work on the paper here and also my brush and coffee cup.





5.) Line up and affix the label lightly. Roll bottle over a folded up towel on a counter or table to press label on. The more you do this, the better you'll get at it. With some printer inks, you can smear it by rubbing over it while wet, so just line it up and roll it over the towel.





6.) Allow to dry. The label will be firmly affixed.





7.) Once the bottle is empty, run the label under hot tap water for a few seconds and peel or scratch it right off with your fingers. Ready for refill.

This is so easy, so simple, so cheap that it cannot possibly be any good. But it works and saves tons of label cleaning time. It's the only way I've ever made labels.


----------



## ckvchestnut (Jan 24, 2014)

jswordy said:


> I feel like such a broken record saying this.
> 
> 1.) Make up your labels using Microsoft Word (free on most computers).
> 
> ...




That was a great post! I'll be trying the milk thing too then. I tried egg whites and they made my paper too soggy and the ink bled and the labels started peeling off at the corners right away. Must have done something wrong...


----------



## jswordy (Jan 24, 2014)

Carolyn, brush the milk on lightly and be quick about your business of affixing the label. Position it, then roll the bottle on the towel to press it down. That's the way to do it. The more you mess with them and the more you swipe across them with your fingers, the less happy you'll be.

The beauty part comes when you take them off!

If you want a semigloss label, lightly spray your labels with hairspray or hobbyist clear gloss paint and allow to dry before attaching. I don't bother.


----------



## ckvchestnut (Jan 24, 2014)

Thanks! I'll be doing this trick shortly when I bottle my batch of db next weekend... appreciate the advice!


----------



## Geronimo (Jan 25, 2014)

I just ran a test of the paper/milk labels and was sufficiently impressed! I just have a B&W laser printer though so my labels might be lacking any flair. 

Do you find the labels stay on for years? Using milk, I'd guess the bond breaks down in the really dry air of winter.


----------



## ckvchestnut (Jan 25, 2014)

Geronimo said:


> I just ran a test of the paper/milk labels and was sufficiently impressed! I just have a B&W laser printer though so my labels might be lacking any flair.
> 
> Do you find the labels stay on for years? Using milk, I'd guess the bond breaks down in the really dry air of winter.




Ahh that sounds like good news! What weight paper did u use?


----------



## GaDawg (Jan 25, 2014)

Jim, what a great tutorial


----------



## Geronimo (Jan 25, 2014)

ckvchestnut said:


> Ahh that sounds like good news! What weight paper did u use?



Ordinary 20 lbs white laser (copy) paper.


----------



## ckvchestnut (Jan 25, 2014)

Perfect! It's all I have ATM that is white


----------



## jswordy (Jan 28, 2014)

Geronimo said:


> I just ran a test of the paper/milk labels and was sufficiently impressed! I just have a B&W laser printer though so my labels might be lacking any flair.
> 
> Do you find the labels stay on for years? Using milk, I'd guess the bond breaks down in the really dry air of winter.



My oldest bottle is 3-1/2 years old. Label still firmly affixed. No peeling.

I can't take credit for using milk to affix labels, as I learned it from a post by a past member here. I see in review that above my post is one by homer saying the same thing. I have posted it so much here I really do sound like a broken record. So I decided to add pix and do it one … more … time!

I've gotten now to where I do not even like to give away labeled bottles, because I have already peeled off the hard commercial label and I want to keep my easy-peelers for myself! I make people promise to return my bottles and tell them why - which results in about 50% actually returning them.

This fulfills my three goals in life: Cheap-Fast-Easy. It's not often I get the trifecta!

One of the best things about it is that you have unlimited free images at Google Images. Or use your own pictures.


----------



## cintipam (Jan 28, 2014)

Jim thanks for posting this. Hubby and I are both lactose intolerant, so only have dry milk around. Have you ever used that? Just in case we have to buy some do you use 2%, fat free, or what?

from the oh too persnickity Pam in cinti


----------



## jswordy (Jan 28, 2014)

cintipam said:


> Jim thanks for posting this. Hubby and I are both lactose intolerant, so only have dry milk around. Have you ever used that? Just in case we have to buy some do you use 2%, fat free, or what?
> 
> from the oh too persnickity Pam in cinti



It's the casein in the milk that sticks 'em, same as Elmers Glue, so rehydrated dried milk ought to work. I use 2%, whatever we have around the house. You could always buy a lil half-pint carton. That will go sour before you use it all up. A little tiny bit goes a long way. You could even dilute Elmers Glue and use it, but it would probably be more expensive than milk.


----------



## jamesngalveston (Jan 28, 2014)

wordy, have you ever known a woman that didnt mess with things...LOL


----------



## Julie (Jan 28, 2014)

jamesngalveston said:


> wordy, have you ever known a woman that didnt mess with things...LOL



Watch it James, you don't want to be the guy who is known for ticking off every female on the site do you?


----------



## cintipam (Jan 28, 2014)

Julie, thanks for sticking up for me, but I've noticed that James is especially ornery today. Lots of posts with no slant towards gender, so ok by me.

Pam in cinti


----------

