# Re-using bottles and Removing the labels



## harryjpowell (May 14, 2010)

Lots of good info on putting labels on. I assume most here reuse their bottles and need to remove the labels at somepoint. 

I have all but stopped putting a label on if I know i'm going to drink it in the next 6 months. 

What do you all find the easiest way to remove the label. Quickest, safest, cleanest etc...?


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## midwestwine (May 14, 2010)

Just soaking them in hot water for about an hour and then scrape then with a knife is they dont come off easy


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## non-grapenut (May 14, 2010)

I soak 'em in the tub with 1/2-1 cup of cheap Oxyclean "sun"...I note which label float off easily and lean towards encouraging my friends to continue purchasing those types of wine! The difference is in the glue. Water-based will dissolve in water, rubber-based dissolves in oil. If you have a bunch of bottles with the rubber left on them still, oil up a paper towel and use elbow grease to rub the glue off. Letting the oil soak on those areas a little while helps, too.


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## robie (May 14, 2010)

For me the soaking is just too messy.

I use a window scraper and scrap the labels off while they are dry. I then rub the bottle with a glue dissolver to dissolve the glue. Next, I wash it well, inside and out; then proceed onto sanitizing and filling.

I have a wooden jig that holds the bottle and keeps my hands and fingers out of harms way. If you hold the bottle in your lap with one hand and scrap with the other, you will need to be very lucky to not slip, especially on a dry label, which requires a lot of scrapping pressure.


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## pwrose (May 14, 2010)

Well I haven't reused any bottles for wine, however the easiest way that I have found to get the glue off after your scrape the lable off is cooking oil and a dry rag. It is amazing what cooking oil does to glue on lables.


PW


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## Larryh86GT (May 15, 2010)

I just removed some labels today. I've found an easy way to do it. First I fill the bottles with clean water. Then I fill a container with warm water and place the bottles in the the water. The water in the bottle keeps them from floating and I do not get any glue or any other funky stuff in the bottle. I let them soak 24 hrs or so. Take a bottle out of the container and empty the water out of it and then with my razor scraper I scrap the labels off. They come off easy and most of the glue comes off with the label. I remove the little remaining glue on the bottle with a wet sponge. Comes off with little effort and then I dry the bottles making sure all the glue is gone. If not then a little more wet sponge does the trick. I end up with nice clean bottles. Now I can wash and sanitize the bottles and they are ready to go.

Larry


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## sjo (May 15, 2010)

Oh Bummer, screw tops!


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## Tom (May 15, 2010)

yea... I hope you dont cork them...


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## Wade E (May 15, 2010)

I used to do the soak and used to do about 45 bottles at once in my bath tub for an hour with as hot of water as would come out and also use 2 good scoops of Oxy clean or Sun Brand (Walmart) Oxyclean. I have stopped doing that about 1 1/2 years ago and have been doing the dry method like Robie stated and find it way faster, much less of a mess, and is WAYYYYYYY easier on my back. If you use a new razor for bout every 30 bottles it takes no time at all cause when you get those nasty sticky labels the glue just gets really sticky when warm and actually makes it harder IMO. I use the razor in quick motions down the bottle and it just takes everything off easily, just make sure to keep all your extremities out of the way. I do this in my sink wuth the bottom end of the bottle in the drain part as that holds the bottle very still for me. This process is just used for commercial labels as mine come off with a quick hot water rinse but stay on very well otherwise. Heres a pick of the old way.


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## robie (May 16, 2010)

While dry scraping, to help me hold the bottle, I have a wooden jig that the bottle sets in. The top end of the jig, where the top of the bottle rests has a large screw screwed into a wooden stop plate. I slip the top of the bottle over that screw (no rough edges to damage inside of bottle). That holds one end of the bottle. 

The other end is held secure with my thumb ON THE BOTTOM OF THE BOTTLE, pushing against the stop and screw at the top. The bottle rests between two wedges, like you see on many wine racks. This keeps the bottle from slipping to either side.

I use a clamp to hold the jig secure to a bench or the kitchen counter.

The jig costs 5 dollars to build; keeps my fingers safe, and makes scrapping a lot faster. Because it is all clamped down, you can really put some muscle into it.


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## Runningwolf (May 16, 2010)

post a picture please


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## Slyder73 (May 17, 2010)

harryjpowell said:


> Lots of good info on putting labels on. I assume most here reuse their bottles and need to remove the labels at somepoint.
> 
> I have all but stopped putting a label on if I know i'm going to drink it in the next 6 months.
> 
> What do you all find the easiest way to remove the label. Quickest, safest, cleanest etc...?



I put labels on all my bottles. I print nice labels on plain paper, cut them out and apply using simple kids school glue stick.

To get them off, just running the label under warm water for 10 to 15 seconds and they pretty much fall off. Quick wipe and done.

As for new bottles I"m taking the label off from a commercial place, I do something similiar to the pic with the bucket above. Let them soak for a bit in hot water, but filled with clean water so the necks are not below the water and dissolved clue and gunk won't get inside the bottles. Then scrape, scrub, steel wire etc.


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## Larryh86GT (May 17, 2010)

Tom said:


> yea... I hope you dont cork them...



Corks? No, I'm using screwcaps.


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## non-grapenut (May 17, 2010)

corks, screwcaps...c'mon guys. Don't tell me you would refuse a glass of any of our wines from either method. I use screw caps for my bulk storage and the 'to be consumed while I wait for others to age' stock. Then, Corks for bottles to age.


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## Larryh86GT (May 17, 2010)

sjo said:


> Oh Bummer, screw tops!



Bummer? I thought the post topic was about how to remove labels. I was attempting to contribute something positive on the forum that worked for me that others might want to try and I get bummer? I don't know why I bother posting..  

But to get back on topic, how do you remove your labels??


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## Maestro (May 17, 2010)

Forgive my ignorance, but why is corking a screwtop bottle bad??


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## Larryh86GT (May 17, 2010)

I believe the glass is thinner in a screwtop bottle and the pressure of the cork may break the bottle. 

Larry


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## Tom (May 17, 2010)

Yep its thinner and may break under pressure


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## Maestro (May 17, 2010)

Oh.......crap. 

We gave a bottle away as a gift that was corked in screwtop.


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## sjo (May 17, 2010)

Larryh86GT said:


> Bummer? I thought the post topic was about how to remove labels. I was attempting to contribute something positive on the forum that worked for me that others might want to try and I get bummer? I don't know why I bother posting..
> 
> But to get back on topic, how do you remove your labels??



Sorry 
Off to the corner for my first time- any one in there now.


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## Runningwolf (May 17, 2010)

sjo said:


> Sorry
> Off to the corner for my first time- any one in there now.



LMAO...no I saw Nikki running around the round pond looking for it, so she'll be tied up for awile.


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## Butler (May 19, 2010)

Hmmm.
Lots of good ideas for removing labels.
I've been collecting between 20 and 30 bottles per week from a local restaurant since September. And after spending way too much time bent over the kitchen sink cleaning and scraping EVERY bottle, I had the brilliant thought that there might actually be bottles that will never see a drop of fresh wine, so why spend time removing all the labels?
From that point on, I only wash/rinse out the bottle and remove the foil (or plastic) cork covers and I store /organize them with the labels on.

When I get to the point that I am ready to use bottles of a particular size, color and shape, I will strip those labels at that time.

My method until now has been soaking them in very warm water in the sink.
And it never ceases to amaze me that two identical bottles with two identical labels, may not clean the same. One label may slide right off and another not!

I like the bucket idea as it would definitely keep bits of scraped label parts from entering an otherwise clean bottle.

And I am eager to try the dry-scraping method.

One thing that works for stubborn glue is WD-40!
If you spray a small amount on the glue residue, you can usually rub it off with a paper towel with little effort.
I am quite particular so the WD-40 never sees the inside of the bottle.
Then, a quick warm soapy bath cleans off the WD-40 from the bottle exterior.


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## pwrose (May 20, 2010)

WD-40 is basically an oil,, try using some cooking oil, it works miracles.


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## non-grapenut (May 20, 2010)

WD-40 is just fish oil, so it's not toxic or anything, so no worries. Makes for great fish bait enhancer.


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## Larryh86GT (May 20, 2010)

I've used it quite a bit but never thought it was fish oil. But then too I really never gave it a thought. 

Here's what it says on Wikipedia:

Formulation
WD-40's formula is a trade secret. The product is not patented in order to avoid completely disclosing its ingredients.[2] WD-40's main ingredients, according to U.S. Material Safety Data Sheet information, are:

50%: Stoddard solvent (i.e., mineral spirits -- primarily hexane, somewhat similar to kerosene) 
25%: Liquefied petroleum gas (presumably as a propellant; carbon dioxide is now used instead to reduce WD-40's considerable flammability) 
15+%: Mineral oil (light lubricating oil) 
10-%: Inert ingredients

The German version of the mandatory EU safety sheet lists the following safety-relevant ingredients:

60-80%: Heavy Naphtha (petroleum product), hydrogen treated 
1-5%: Carbon dioxide 


It further lists flammability and effects to the human skin when repeatedly exposed to WD-40 as risks when using WD-40. Nitrile rubber gloves and safety glasses should be used. Water is unsuitable for extinguishing burning WD-40.

There is a popular, but incorrect, urban legend that the key ingredient in WD-40 is fish oil.[3] The WD-40 web site states that it is a petroleum based product [4]



Larry


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## deboardfam (May 20, 2010)

I do the same soaking in hot water, and the glue gets sticky. Would it be better warm or even cold water? glad to hear the oil trick though. I will have to try that to remove the difficult ones or the last glue residue.


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## texteditor (Aug 8, 2010)

I stick my labels on top of the previous label, when the bottles get too big to go in my wine racks I may think of removing the labels.
texteditor.


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## Woodbee (Aug 8, 2010)

Robie, you have peaked my intrest here. Could you swing a pic or two our way?
Thanks Brad


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## Wade E (Aug 8, 2010)

Some of those must be pretty big abels unless you are not covering all of their label.


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## kiljoy (Oct 1, 2010)

I know I'm a few months late to this post, but anyone ever hear of "Goo-Gone"? Nice orangy smell too!


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## BIGJEFF (Oct 1, 2010)

Maestro said:


> Oh.......crap.
> 
> We gave a bottle away as a gift that was corked in screwtop.



don't worry...I've been corking them for years ans never had an incident....I think they only break if you are wearing 2 different socks and there's a cloud in the shape on a cat in the sky when you open the bottle 

I'm not saying it can't happen...i'm saying it won't happen every time.



kiljoy said:


> I know I'm a few months late to this post, but anyone ever hear of "Goo-Gone"? Nice orangy smell too!


I tried it but it didn't work as good as I expected...I was using the automotive version...might not be as strong??


I find that Mr clean's magic eraser works great once you've scrapped off the bigger stuff...when all else fails...stick the new label over what remains of the old one


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## Tom (Oct 1, 2010)

kiljoy said:


> I know I'm a few months late to this post, but anyone ever hear of "Goo-Gone"? Nice orangy smell too!




Use it all the time


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