# Label removel - easy



## tcavan01 (Aug 20, 2012)

I have struggled with removing the glue used on some wine bottles. I found Goo Gone, WD40, and charcoal lighter all work. To me all of these have their drawbacks. As a coincidence a friend of mine sent me a little FYI about WD40. This FYI said the main ingrediant was fish oil. That got me thinking, the oil in peanut butter will get chewing gum out of things.

Long story short, after I scraped off the labels I gently scrubbed them with a scotchbrite soaked in corn oil. I let them sit for 30 minutes and washed them off with warm water and Dawn. It worked like a charm and is cheap. I like cheap.


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## roadwarriorsvt (Aug 21, 2012)

Sweet! Thanks for the tip.


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## olusteebus (Aug 21, 2012)

I soak bottles in hot, soapy water overnight, scrape the label off with a wooden stick and rub the glue residue off with a scotch pad and it is clean. Not hard work at all. I don't use anything boat soap and water.


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## tcavan01 (Aug 21, 2012)

olusteebus,

I have soaked bottles for a week straight in soapy water and the did just what you do. Some glues just smear around when they get warm.


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## Boatboy24 (Aug 21, 2012)

What do you do to get all the oil off the bottles?


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## shoebiedoo (Aug 21, 2012)

I scrape the bottles prior to soaking in oxyclean. The residue from ever the most stubborn labels comes off.


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## UBB (Aug 21, 2012)

Good tip Thanks!!


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## tcavan01 (Aug 21, 2012)

Boatboy24,

Read the whole post. I wash them with warm water and Dawn.


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## olusteebus (Aug 22, 2012)

tcavan01 said:


> olusteebus,
> 
> I have soaked bottles for a week straight in soapy water and the did just what you do. Some glues just smear around when they get warm.



I guess it depends on the label type. The bottles I have used were mostly Aldi's Winking owl and also Woodbridge. I just have been fortunate. 

Walmart sells a cheap wine called Lucky Duck and those labels are clear and a real bear to get off. If I were doing a lot, I would use a propane torch or a heat gun to melt.


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## DirtyDawg10 (Aug 22, 2012)

B-Brite works well for me. Soak in warm water with B-Brite, rinse in cold water so the glues don't melt and get gooey. Cleans the bottles at the same time.


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## barryjo (Aug 22, 2012)

*Clear,sticky labels*



olusteebus said:


> I guess it depends on the label type. The bottles I have used were mostly Aldi's Winking owl and also Woodbridge. I just have been fortunate.
> 
> Walmart sells a cheap wine called Lucky Duck and those labels are clear and a real bear to get off. If I were doing a lot, I would use a propane torch or a heat gun to melt.


 
The propane torch sounds a bit like overkill.
I had the same problem with New Age wine bottles. Found that filling them with hot water, letting them sit a few minutes and then peeling them off worked great. Used GooGone to remove the residue. Washed well and filled. 
I like the clear bottles for my Blushin' Skeeter and other "pretty" wines. Like Cranberry.


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## tcavan01 (Aug 23, 2012)

barryjo, I use corn oil instead of googone. It's cheaper and it's always in the pantry.


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## blackfin1 (Aug 23, 2012)

I soak mine over night with oxyclean, then scrape with a razor blade or wood scraper, then the clue comes off easily with Goo Gone. I spray the goo gone on an old rag and wipe off. Its that easy. 

Sal


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## JoaniB (Aug 23, 2012)

I tried the vinegar-in-hot-water-bath trick, and it worked... on some labels.

I must have gotten some easy labels on my first night because I was so impressed with the ease with which they came off. On the second night, the labels ran the gamut - some came off easily, but others, like the Apothic Red, took some elbow grease. 

Sad, because my boyfriend and I like Apothic Red so we end up buying a fair amount of it...

I'll have to try OxyClean in the future. My friend just promised me a bunch of her bottles *cackles gleefully* so I'm sure I'll get lots of chances to try different methods!


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## wood1954 (Aug 23, 2012)

after about 300 bottles i came up with scraping the labels off with a razor and then soaking them in water with StarSan added. After a couple days the glue comes off with a little scrubbing with a Scotch brite pad. However after doing 300 bottles I'm going to buy new ones from now on. Going forward I'll recycle my wine but I'm not taking anymore from friends.


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## UBB (Aug 23, 2012)

JoaniB said:


> I tried the vinegar-in-hot-water-bath trick, and it worked... on some labels.
> 
> I must have gotten some easy labels on my first night because I was so impressed with the ease with which they came off. On the second night, the labels ran the gamut - some came off easily, *but others, like the Apothic Red, took some elbow grease.
> *
> ...



Isn't that the truth! We drink lots of Apothic Red as well and I hate their labels!!


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## barryjo (Aug 23, 2012)

wood1954 said:


> after about 300 bottles i came up with scraping the labels off with a razor and then soaking them in water with StarSan added. After a couple days the glue comes off with a little scrubbing with a Scotch brite pad. However after doing 300 bottles I'm going to buy new ones from now on. Going forward I'll recycle my wine but I'm not taking anymore from friends.


 
Rather than using a Scotchbrite pad, I use one of those stainless steel pot scrubbers that look like Lil Orphan Annies hairdo. They don't seem to plug up as bad.


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## JoaniB (Aug 23, 2012)

UBB said:


> Isn't that the truth! We drink lots of Apothic Red as well and I hate their labels!!



I'm sipping on some right now, and dreading the future task... However, the sipping helps with that...


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## Boatboy24 (Aug 23, 2012)

JoaniB said:


> I'm sipping on some right now, and dreading the future task... However, the sipping helps with that...



I like the AR, though it is a tad fruity/sweet. I've found a few wines that I like with somewhat easy to remove labels: J Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon and Dreaming Tree (by Dave Matthews if you happen to be a fan) "Crush" (red blend) and Cabernet Sauv. All three are decent wines for $10-12 with labels that aren't too much pain to remove.


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## blackfin1 (Aug 24, 2012)

Try oxyclean its cheap and effective and it cleans the bottles at the same time. When using the goo gone, all I do is wipe on and wipe off. The glue comes right off. No scrubbing required.

Just a thought,
Sal


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## edv (Aug 24, 2012)

Hot water to remove the paper...
SOS pad and hot water for the glue.
Cheap and usually works fine for me.


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## JoshDivino (Aug 24, 2012)

I use rubbing alcohol, a razor, and some elbow grease to get mine all clear, would be much easier with a wire brush, but I can't afford too much more on my budget! Best of luck!


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## LoveTheWine (May 17, 2013)

This is an older thread but I thought this might help some newbies out there

I discovered a fast and cheap way to remove the tough glue off bottles today.
Washing Soda  (AKA Sodium carbonate)

In the past We've used goo gone and different cleaners.
These methods work but require time and or lots of effort.

As usual I soaked bottles in a tub full of piping hot water and cleaner.
After a 20 min soak I used my hands, a knife and a hand scrubby to remove labels from the bottles but unfortunately 1/2 the bottles out there are stubborn and some will have glue that will not come off with any amount of scrubbing.

Instead of fighting it I took the scrubby, dipped it in Washing Soda and the glue/residue scrubbed right off with almost no effort.
It works well because the Soda is gritty almost like sand paper.


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## jamesngalveston (May 17, 2013)

i mounted a wire brush on my drill.....mounte bottle in vise and wire brushed.
it worked... but was not pretty


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## cimbaliw (May 17, 2013)

I used to; soak in hot water at least over night, peel with window scraper/razor blade then clean with steel wool saturated in whatever type of paint solvent I had on hand. Recently I've omitted the solvent step and use a scrubby to get the glue off and it's just as easy as using solvent. My guess is that more wineries are moving to "earth friendly" water soluble adhesives. 

By the way, I wear a heavy leather glove on my left hand during scraping to avoid puncture wounds.


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## LoveTheWine (May 17, 2013)

jamesngalveston said:


> i mounted a wire brush on my drill.....mounte bottle in vise and wire brushed.
> it worked... but was not pretty



How many bottles do you lose that way?


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## petey (May 18, 2013)

cimbaliw said:


> I used to; soak in hot water at least over night, peel with window scraper/razor blade then clean with steel wool saturated in whatever type of paint solvent I had on hand. Recently I've omitted the solvent step and use a scrubby to get the glue off and it's just as easy as using solvent. My guess is that more wineries are moving to "earth friendly" water soluble adhesives.
> 
> By the way, I wear a heavy leather glove on my left hand during scraping to avoid puncture wounds.



I just soak bottles in cold water in garage with oxiclean after a few hrs or whenever ill go and most labels will come right off some with help of razor scraper. Then a little rub with green scrubby. Refill tub w new bottles and repeat. My bucket has been going for a week now. Just a few bottles to go


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## terroirdejeroir (May 20, 2013)

I have been fortunate enough to get access to recycled bottles from a local winery. I fill the bottles with boiling water, wait ten minutes and the label peels right off. Then I immerse in an old primary bucket with b-brite (holds about a case of bottles) while I am boiling and peeling the next case. Then take the bottles out of the b-brite solution and lightly scrub, or just rinse, to clean. Reasonably easy - did 13 cases on Saturday in about four hours.


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## johngg123 (Jun 6, 2013)

I just tried the boiling water technique and WOW! So much better than soaking in oxy. I use one kettle to fill 3 bottles in the sink with boiling water. Wait one minute the peel. No mess, and it is like a game to get it all off in one piece. IT IS FUN!! Also, I've found that you can "recycle" the boiling water by pouring from one bottle into another. This only works once, the water is not hot enough for a 3rd bottle. My success rate for a clean peel is about 80%. 

With the inherent danger, this is probably one winemaking activity that shouldn't be done while drinking wine... Haven't burned myself yet tho. This has turned delabeling from a chore to a REALLY FUN PART of winemaking!

John


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## jamesngalveston (Jun 6, 2013)

250 degree oven for 15 minutes..done. just peel glue and all off
and your bottles are sterile.


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## Chateau Joe (Jun 6, 2013)

LoveTheWine said:


> This is an older thread but I thought this might help some newbies out there
> 
> I discovered a fast and cheap way to remove the tough glue off bottles today.
> Washing Soda  (AKA Sodium carbonate)
> ...


 
What is your formula? How much Washing Soda per gallon of water?


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## jswordy (Jun 6, 2013)

jamesngalveston said:


> 250 degree oven for 15 minutes..done. just peel glue and all off
> and your bottles are sterile.



I use 9 mm bullets - labels are destroyed and bottle too so you don't have to clean and sanitize.


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## jamesngalveston (Jun 7, 2013)

jswordy, I think I will try that on my ugly bottles...lol


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## cohenhouse77 (Jun 8, 2013)

jswordy said:


> I use 9 mm bullets - labels are destroyed and bottle too so you don't have to clean and sanitize.



The dishes are done man!


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## LoveTheWine (Jun 8, 2013)

Chateau Joe said:


> What is your formula? How much Washing Soda per gallon of water?



I soak them for 30 min in sani-brew as per directions (or longer) in hot hot water completely submerging.

(You could probably do a soak the bottles in a soda solution instead of the sani-brew but I'm not sure of the formula but I'm sure 1/2 cup per sink full would be fine).

Then I peal the labels off by hand and lightly scrub with a scrubby.
Some of the bottles only need this much attention (if a light scrubbing doesn't work then use the next step to make your life super easy).

If there is still glue left on the bottles, dip the scrubby in washing soda and then scrub the problem spots. Because of the coarse nature of the washing soda the glue will scrub off easily.
Dip the scrubby into the washing soda separately for every bottle.

This method works easily for all bottles.
I'm too lazy and don't have the room to soak 100 bottles overnight in oxyclean.

This way I can do 12 bottles at a time in the kitchen sink


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## jamesngalveston (Jun 8, 2013)

bake them in the oven.it easiest


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## LoveTheWine (Jun 8, 2013)

jamesngalveston said:


> bake them in the oven.it easiest



I've heard that this weakens the bottles and they could fail.
Haven't seen it happen though.


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## jamesngalveston (Jun 8, 2013)

you would have to use extreme heat, 800 to 1200 degrees, that would release some of the sodium, then if you rapidly cooled it, yea it would weaken.
Im sure you have cooked something on are in a glass container in the oven.
250 degrees will not hurt a bottle, unless you pulled it out hot, and ran cold water over it...


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## LoveTheWine (Jun 8, 2013)

jamesngalveston said:


> you would have to use extreme heat, 800 to 1200 degrees, that would release some of the sodium, then if you rapidly cooled it, yea it would weaken.
> Im sure you have cooked something on are in a glass container in the oven.
> 250 degrees will not hurt a bottle, unless you pulled it out hot, and ran cold water over it...



Never tried cooking food inside a wine bottle before
Tempered Pyrex maybe!


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## JohnT (Jun 12, 2013)

Yet another method is to build a "bottle cradle" of chicken wire that will hold the bottle steady while hitting it with a pressure washer. I use a 1600psi washer and the labels, glue, and any other crud just disappears! 

I especially like this method because I only use water. No other solvents used. 

Also, I have used this method for hundreds of bottles. There has never been a time where a bottle broke. Still, I use gloves and a facemask when doing this.


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## jamesngalveston (Jun 12, 2013)

Thats smart.


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## JohnT (Jun 12, 2013)

jamesngalveston said:


> Thats smart.


 
Works like a charm. I can clean the labels off a bottle in about 20 seconds, compared to 5 minutes of scraping.


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## TahunaJR (Jun 12, 2013)

JohnT said:


> Yet another method is to build a "bottle cradle" of chicken wire that will hold the bottle steady while hitting it with a pressure washer. I use a 1600psi washer and the labels, glue, and any other crud just disappears!
> 
> I especially like this method because I only use water. No other solvents used.
> 
> Also, I have used this method for hundreds of bottles. There has never been a time where a bottle broke. Still, I use gloves and a facemask when doing this.



JohnT, love the prospect of this option. Can you provide a picture of the "bottle cradle"? I am interested in its design. 

Joe R.


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## JohnT (Jun 12, 2013)

TahunaJR said:


> JohnT, love the prospect of this option. Can you provide a picture of the "bottle cradle"? I am interested in its design.
> 
> Joe R.


 
will do, 

Here is a drawing. it is rather simple....

This shape holds the bottle at a bit of an angle with the bottom of the bottle "uphill" and the neck "downhill". A "U" shaped piece of chicken wire has flanges that can be secured to the sides using electrician's staples.

The force of the water should be directed from the neck of the bottle to the bottom.


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## FABulousWines (Jun 12, 2013)

Hmmm. Are you removing the chicken wire with each bottle or is it loose enough to pull out the bottle and replace with the next?

I like this idea. I have a PW that'll remove chrome off a bumper so I don't see why this would work!


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## JohnT (Jun 12, 2013)

FABulousWines said:


> Hmmm. Are you removing the chicken wire with each bottle or is it loose enough to pull out the bottle and replace with the next?
> 
> I like this idea. I have a PW that'll remove chrome off a bumper so I don't see why this would work!


 
it's loose enough to pull out the bottle. The wire stays affixed to the unit.


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## Boatboy24 (Jun 12, 2013)

Using the pressure washer, don't you end up with shredded paper and glue sprayed all over the place? I love the thought of this method, but it sounds like it could be messy.


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## JohnT (Jun 12, 2013)

Boatboy24 said:


> Using the pressure washer, don't you end up with shredded paper and glue sprayed all over the place? I love the thought of this method, but it sounds like it could be messy.


 
Yes, but I do this outside on a gravel drive. Let it dry, then use either a leaf blower or rake to clean up. 

You would probably have the same mess doing it by hand.


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## Downwards (Jun 12, 2013)

My process with bottles is this. 
1. fill them with boiling water to soften any crud that might be inside and so they won't float when I add boiling water to the outside (in a bucket) to soften labels. 
2. With hotpads, agressively shake out the water inside into the sink (actually I use the water to fill the next bottle if it's still hot, but only 2-3 bottles this way).
3. Scrape the label with an old kitchen knife. Most labels come off very easily after being soaked. 
4. Now the glue is easy to work with, bottle is still really hot. I use steel wool soaked in dish soap. Steel wool is only good for one use this way, so I do a lot of bottles like this. Wife and I knocked out 4 cases Sunday like an assembly line. 

These bottles get looked into at the end for any obvious stuck on crud. They get the bottle brush if something is seen, other wise they go on the bottle tree and then into cases waiting to be used. 

More boiling water inside AND k meta rinse just before using BTW. That's usually on a different day of course. 

For my own use, I have labels, but I don't put them on unless they are a gift for someone. For home use we just put a colored band (what are those called?) on the neck that tells us what kind it is after we cork them. That way prepping the bottles is WAY easier the next time. All my friends know too- if the bottle comes back, I'm more inclined to give you another one.


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## JohnT (Jun 13, 2013)

Downwards said:


> For my own use, I have labels, but I don't put them on unless they are a gift for someone. For home use we just put a colored band (what are those called?) on the neck that tells us what kind it is after we cork them. That way prepping the bottles is WAY easier the next time. All my friends know too- if the bottle comes back, I'm more inclined to give you another one.


 
Downwards- I do exactly the same thing. I prefer to keep the labels off so that do not have to scrape them off later. I built a series of wine racks with diamond shaped bins. Each bin can fit 5 cases each. To ID the wine, I just use 1 or 2 "neck tags" (those paper ID tags that slip onto the neck of a bottle) to ID the bin.

I also have an "empty bottle" bin. This is a large box (5' by 5' by 5') mounted on casters. My procedure is to pull a bottle, consume it, then immediatly rinse 3 times with hot water (inside and out). I then place on a bottle drying tree. When dry, the empty goes straight into the "empty bottle" bin for reuse.


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## Longtrain (Jun 16, 2013)

I collected many bottles from friends when I got started making wine.

I place them in the laundry sink, oxyclean and the hottest water from the tap. After a soak for an hour or so, most labels will just slide off, a razor scrapper for the more stubborn ones. Used to use Goof Off for the glue what wasn't soluble, but now if they don't give up their labels easily, it's off to the recycle bin.


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