# Used wine bottles



## Ivywoods (Jan 16, 2021)

I recently obtained 40 wine bottles. What are your best suggestions for removing labels, adhesive and thoroughly cleaning? Also does anyone use their oven on a low setting to dry them before storage? I plan to store these in a plastic 
tote until needed.


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## Sunshine Wine (Jan 16, 2021)

I peeled off the ones that would come off easily and tried to get the rest off as much as I could. Then I scored the ones that didn't come off easily with a razor, then I sprayed them with goo gone and let them sit for quite a while. Then I scrape them with the razor blade and it came off really easily. Then washed them in hot, soapy water. Then I washed them in the dishwasher, let them dry, sprayed the inside of the dishwasher with star san, Sprayed the bottles inside and out with star san and put them back in the dishwasher to dry. Was much easier than I thought it would be. I learned that little trick from a friend because we both do canning and sometimes there are jars that have stickers on them, so we need to get the stickers off and that was an easy way to do it. Hope this helps!


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## cmason1957 (Jan 16, 2021)

Hottest water you can produce, oxiclean. Let soak until water cools off. Many labels will float right off others get the Labelnator, sometimes need goo gone to remove incredibly sticky glue, but not often.


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## Ivywoods (Jan 16, 2021)

cmason1957 said:


> Hottest water you can produce, oxiclean. Let soak until water cools off. Many labels will float right off others get the Labelnator, sometimes need goo gone to remove incredibly sticky glue, but not often.


Labelnater?


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## MrTea (Jan 16, 2021)

I put bottles in the oven at 350° for ten minutes and the labels peel right off with absolute ease while they are still hot. The heat apparently breaks the bond of the adhesive or something like that. Just make sure to use oven mitts on both hands and be aware that the bottles take a while to cool off. 

Most bottles will have residual adhesive that can be easily removed with goo gone, 90% rubbing alcohol or acetone. 

Granted there are some bottles that have such stubborn adhesive residue that's not even worth the effort so I toss those in the trash.


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## Ivywoods (Jan 16, 2021)

MrTea said:


> I put bottles in the oven at 350° for ten minutes and the labels peel right off with absolute ease while they are still hot. The heat apparently breaks the bond of the adhesive or something like that. Just make sure to use oven mitts on both hands and be aware that the bottles take a while to cool off.
> 
> Most bottles will have residual adhesive that can be easily removed with goo gone, 90% rubbing alcohol or acetone.
> 
> Granted there are some bottles that have such stubborn adhesive residue that's not even worth the effort so I toss those in the trash.


I do a lot of canning but usually have enough jars that have been passed back and forth in my family they don't have labels on them. We always label on the disposable flat lid. I used the goo gone on some, was careful to not get it inside the bottle but I worried I might get a little in there.


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## Scooter68 (Jan 16, 2021)

In addition to the above you can also try a hair dryer on the label DRY - then see if it will peel off in one piece. Sometimes I've had success putting hot water inside the bottle while keeping the label dry -then try to peel it. _That's always my goal - to remove it in one piece. If that fails then into the hot water soak. _ More often than not it takes two clearing soaks. The first for the paper and the second for the adhesive. As cmason1957 says - sometimes you end up using goo-gone BUT if I run into those labels I try to remember NOT to pick those bottles out of the recycling bins anymore.

Also look into using the Grill cleaning scrubbing pads or coarse scotch brite pads one in while the glue will ruin one but most times the gunk they catch will wash out. 

Also the Clear and foil labels are usually much harder to remove as the water won't work on them. After a while you learn what brands have the nasty adhesives and avoid those bottles. 

Make a list of the good and the bad as you go then you can be more selective when you visit the recycling center. Remember oxyclean and dawn dish soap are a lot cheaper than goo-gone and you don't have to wash again to get the goo-gone/adhesive remover residue off.


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## Old Corker (Jan 16, 2021)

My process is the pretty much the same as @cmason1957. I use a tool I found in the kitchen drawer used for cutting dough to scrape the labels off. Not sure what it's called but looks like the thumbnail below. Stainless steel scouring pad to clean the glue while still in the cleaning water. This works on 90% of the bottles. Some producers use a glue that requires a solvent to break it down. I set those aside and then take them outside and clean the residue off with denatured alcohol (preferred) or whatever else I have. Let them air dry then store until ready to sanitize and fill. For me cleaning labels is the least favorite things about this hobby and I put it off as long as possible in the hopes that someone else will do it. So far only my wife has volunteered.


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## Rice_Guy (Jan 16, 2021)

I once did appliance repair, the heat gun was the magic to remove brand stickers which always hide assembly screws


Scooter68 said:


> In addition to the above you can also try a hair dryer on the label DRY - then see if it will peel off in one piece. . . the Grill cleaning scrubbing pads or coarse scotch brite pads one in while the glue will ruin one but most times the gunk they catch will wash out.
> . . . again to get the goo-gone/adhesive remover residue off.


_good summary for glass bottles_


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## Old Corker (Jan 16, 2021)

Scooter68 said:


> After a while you learn what brands have the nasty adhesives and avoid those bottles.


I also do this. But if I particularly like a bottle for it's style or quality I will do a little extra to re-use it.


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## balatonwine (Jan 16, 2021)

All the above are good suggestions.

But let me add an idea by "thinking outside the box (bottle?)".

Wine labels are lovely. If you are only going to insert your home made wine, for yourself and friends and family, why remove them? Why not make them part of the "package" and preserve the art they are? And clearly promote you are doing good by recycling .

To indicate what is currently in the bottle, and so not to try to pass of your wine as something else, I suggest either getting a good grease pencil and write on the glass what is in the bottle, or simply use a small sticker indicating current content.

Yes, I know my idea is "unusual". But I do a lot unusual things.


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## Scooter68 (Jan 16, 2021)

Old Corker - I agree - I've found some really beautiful bottles including 10 with their original glass stoppers and shaped like a rose on the bottom. I believe it was designed by someone familar with the habit I saw in germany - You carry flowers with the bloom down to preserve their shape and then turn them upright to present to the lady. In this case turning the bottle upside down shows off the rose shaped base of the bottle.



That find had me looking into buying glass stoppers** *until I realized how size sensitive they are and that won't work with using recycled bottles. Still have those bottles and I ask for those back if I give the wine away. The Red Raspberry wine in the bottle with the glass stopper has the best looking bottle but the hardest to put a label on that won't wrinkle. That's the other thing to consider when collecting bottles - will your labels fit that bottle or do you have to buy a different shape and re-design your label. 



This 'group photo shows my progression through label designs from my first year, Peach on the right end to Apple Cider 3rd from the left.

** * You have to buy about 400 at a time in a single size and they run about $.50-$.75 each if I remember correctly. I made a post on here little over year ago I think.


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## cmason1957 (Jan 16, 2021)

Ivywoods said:


> Labelnater?



Yep, sold online, costs about $10 + s&h Bottle Label Scraper | Label Remover Tool – Bottle Blade


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## Old Corker (Jan 16, 2021)

Scooter68 said:


> I've found some really beautiful bottles including 10 with their original glass stoppers and shaped like a rose on the bottom


We have half a dozen or so of those. My wife bought the wine because of the bottles (yeah, that's a thing too). I did not think about re-using the glass stoppers though. Just corked them. How did you seal them?


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## Rembee (Jan 16, 2021)

@cmason1957 as luck would have it...the Labelnater is out of stock lol
I was going to order me one


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## Scooter68 (Jan 16, 2021)

Old Corker said:


> We have half a dozen or so of those. My wife bought the wine because of the bottles (yeah, that's a thing too). I did not think about re-using the glass stoppers though. Just corked them. How did you seal them?


Those glass stoppers can be reused. Just sanitize it (I used StarSan) and use them again. If you watch a video about how they are installed - It's disgustingly simple. And once they are in there A shrink seal with keep it there. They self seal with no problem - In the right size bottle.


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## MHSKIBUM (Jan 17, 2021)

cmason1957 said:


> Yep, sold online, costs about $10 + s&h Bottle Label Scraper | Label Remover Tool – Bottle Blade


Much cheaper options: #1 Fill bottle with hottest tap water but keep label dry. After a couple minutes, most labels peel off without sticky residue if you pull label off slowly. I use needle nose pliers to put from edges. Save water by pouring hot water into another bottle with a label.
#2 Spray label with WD-40. Leave overnight. Label should peel off easily.
#3 Totally Awesome from Dollar Tree. Spray on as with WD-40 and leave overnight.
With persistent labels, use a combination of the three.


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## glennwing (Jan 17, 2021)

Paper labels I soak overnight in oxy clean. Peel label off and then soak the adhesive for a few hours. A little scrubbing takes off the residue. 
vinyl or plastic labels I heat with a heat gun and then peel. After that I use a rag with mineral spirits to wipe off adhesive. 
then wash them.


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## Vin S (Jan 17, 2021)

Ivywoods said:


> I recently obtained 40 wine bottles. What are your best suggestions for removing labels, adhesive and thoroughly cleaning? Also does anyone use their oven on a low setting to dry them before storage? I plan to store these in a plastic View attachment 70500
> tote until needed.


I put the bottles in an old cooler I pour in bleach and oxy clean( or use step1) fill the bottles with enough hot water to keep from floating then fill the cooler with hot water close the lid and that it stay for 2-3 days
You will see some labels will peel off by themselves 
The rest I use a Labelnator
If there is still glue I use glue be gone and steel wool
Sounds like a lot of work but I can do 4 cases in less then an hour


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## Al Hatfield (Jan 17, 2021)

I use the oxyclean soak method. Some labels don’t come off right away but I use the back of a butter knife to scrub them off. Secret for the glue afterward is a Mr Clean Magic Eraser. I’ve only had a few glues it couldn’t handle.


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## newbiegj (Jan 17, 2021)

I put enough water in the bottle to come up to the top of the label, then lay in the microwave on a plastic plate cover turned upside down. Be careful bottle not too full of water. Heat for 2-3 minutes. Use oven gloves to remove from MW. I use a sharp edge of a knife or small utensil to start the label and it peels right off. Using a funnel, I pour the hot water into another bottle, let it sit a bit. If needed can microwave again for shorter period of time. I can usually do 2-3 bottles per heating. If there is any residue, I use WD40 to spritz and let sit a few minutes, then a Mr. Clean Eraser sponge to clean off anything. May need a little dish detergent for residue also, be careful not to get detergent in the bottle. If the labels are too hard to come off, the bottle goes into the recycle bin.


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## Scooter68 (Jan 17, 2021)

*There is only one bit of caution I would mention. Keep in mind that a very through removal of the mineral spirits, bleach, WD40 or any other cleaners, has to be done. The inside of the bottle has to be WELL RINSED and absolutely clear of any residue. That's one reason I would rather toss some bottles back to the recycling bin. I don't see the urgency to save every bottle I pull out - I try to match bottle colors and shapes to for each batch but I would be conscerned if I had to use a chemical on every bottle label then use a soap or something to remove that chemical, then wash, then rinse, then sanitize.*

I really understand saving money - That's really high on my priority list but... Ruining a batch of wine with tainted bottles would wipe out all that saving.

t doesn't take that long, if you value your time, to reach the point where buying new bottles might be less expensive. Sometimes we look so much at the initial idea of free bottles and forget about all the labor time, materials and risk I LOVE FREE but if I have to start buying special cleaners and removers for those cleaners PLUS all that time... I'll go buy bottles. So far I have been able to avoid that but if I reach that point - I'll skip the "Free bottles" and buy bottles.

By the way I have bought 3 cases of bottles (36 bottles total) in 5 1/2 years so I'm all about saving money. I've done 48 batches so far.


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## CDrew (Jan 17, 2021)

Scooter68 said:


> t doesn't take that long, if you value your time, to reach the point where buying new bottles might be less expensive. Sometimes we look so much at the initial idea of free bottles and forget about all the labor time, materials and risk I LOVE FREE but if I have to start buying special cleaners and removers for those cleaners PLUS all that time... I'll go buy bottles. So far I have been able to avoid that but if I reach that point - I'll skip the "Free bottles" and buy bottles.



I could not agree more. I've given up delabeling bottles, though the 1 exception is clear bottles which are harder to find cheap. But I bought 30 cases of bottles last year and plan another 30 cases or more this year. After just a few years, it will reach equilibrium and I'll only need to buy enough to replace give-away bottles.


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## faxdoctor (Jan 17, 2021)

MrTea said:


> I put bottles in the oven at 350° for ten minutes and the labels peel right off with absolute ease while they are still hot. The heat apparently breaks the bond of the adhesive or something like that. Just make sure to use oven mitts on both hands and be aware that the bottles take a while to cool off.
> 
> Most bottles will have residual adhesive that can be easily removed with goo gone, 90% rubbing alcohol or acetone.
> 
> Granted there are some bottles that have such stubborn adhesive residue that's not even worth the effort so I toss those in the trash.


I have tried the oven method and it works on most of the bottles I've used. Some, I will have to score the label and soak in hot water or use the goo-gone method. But the oven method seems the best. If you have metal cap covers still on be sure to remove those before placing in the over. AND WEAR THOSE OVEN MITTS.


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## Ivywoods (Jan 17, 2021)

Scooter68 said:


> Old Corker - I agree - I've found some really beautiful bottles including 10 with their original glass stoppers and shaped like a rose on the bottom. I believe it was designed by someone familar with the habit I saw in germany - You carry flowers with the bloom down to preserve their shape and then turn them upright to present to the lady. In this case turning the bottle upside down shows off the rose shaped base of the bottle.
> View attachment 70512
> 
> 
> ...


WOW Scooter68! that's is an awsome assortment of wine and your labels look very nice to me! I haven't even begun to think about a label design! I have 40+bottles cleaned, label removed and stored in sealed plastic totes until I'm ready for them. My first batch should yield about 30 bottles of gewurztraminer from a kit. I want to do several kits before I have any to harvest from my own vineyard. Being new at this I am reading and studying all I can!


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## Ivywoods (Jan 18, 2021)

MHSKIBUM said:


> Much cheaper options: #1 Fill bottle with hottest tap water but keep label dry. After a couple minutes, most labels peel off without sticky residue if you pull label off slowly. I use needle nose pliers to put from edges. Save water by pouring hot water into another bottle with a label.
> #2 Spray label with WD-40. Leave overnight. Label should peel off easily.
> #3 Totally Awesome from Dollar Tree. Spray on as with WD-40 and leave overnight.
> With persistent labels, use a combination of the three.


I haven't tried any of these options but I intend to try at least two of them when I get some more bottles. Thank you!


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## Wayne Freeman (Jan 18, 2021)

I put a couple of tablespoons of water in the bottles and put 2 or 3 at a time in the microwave for 2-3 minutes on high. Pull them out using a hot pad holding them by the neck and usually the label pulls right off. A little cooking oil on a paper towel rubs the glue off easily.


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## Scooter68 (Jan 18, 2021)

If the cooking oil works *consistently* that would be FAR better than all the other 'solvents' other than dish washing liquid and Oxiclean.

What brand or type of oil are you using?


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## montanarick (Jan 21, 2021)

so i've tried about most everything to remove commercial labels. have pretty much relied on putting bottle in oven on bake at 250 for ten minutes. this works pretty well. then recently I saw on one thread that someone put couple tablespoons of water and nuked bottles for 2-3 minutes. I thought well that's similar to how things work in the oven so thought I'd give it a whirl. Well yesterday I had to clean several cases of bottles in preparation for bottling last year's wines and it worked out quite well. I found that a little splash of water inside the bottle and nuking for only a minute loosened all but a few very stubborn labels. I sort of had a production line going - while one bottle was being nuked the one that just came out of the microwave was being pealed. timing worked out perfectly. think this will become my new go-to for future label removing.


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## Snafflebit (Mar 22, 2021)

Labelnator = Lacerator

I just got back from urgent care with 4 new stitches and a tetanus shot! Be safe kiddos. I will wear gloves next time.

But, on a good note, Oxyclean soak and Magic Eraser work amazingly

(edit I was holding a bottle upside down and scraping fast and brought the blade down on the back of my thumb. Wet slippery surfaces and sharp metal do not mix well. The nice lady at the Reno brew shop warned me be careful)


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## glennwing (Mar 22, 2021)

I soak paper labels for a day in oxyclean. Peel off the label. Some adhesives come off with a little more soaking. For labels that are vinyl based I heat for a few seconds with a heat gun and then peel. The adhesive I remove with mineral spirits and a brass brush. Then rinse and soak in oxyclean


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## Ivywoods (Mar 22, 2021)

glennwing said:


> I soak paper labels for a day in oxyclean. Peel off the label. Some adhesives come off with a little more soaking. For labels that are vinyl based I heat for a few seconds with a heat gun and then peel. The adhesive I remove with mineral spirits and a brass brush. Then rinse and soak in oxyclean



How much oxiclean in how much water? I just obtained quite a few bottles and label removal takes so much time!


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## Snafflebit (Mar 22, 2021)

Some of the labels float off, but they almost all can be scraped off with an oxyclean soak. No stronger solution than used to clean bottles. I can’t fault Labelnator it is a good tool. Just don’t Slap Chop your thumb.


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## glennwing (Mar 22, 2021)

Ivywoods said:


> How much oxiclean in how much water? I just obtained quite a few bottles and label removal takes so much time!


I put a scoop full using the included scoop. How long depends on whether the paper is coated or not. I have a large sink in my brew room and put around a dozen bottles in and cover with water. The easy labels are off and at the bottom of the sinksfter a few hours. The tougher ones I soak overnight and then I scrape with a plastic scraper so the water can get to the adhesive and soak longer.


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## Ivywoods (Mar 22, 2021)

glennwing-I'm going to give that a try!


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## Tim3 (Mar 22, 2021)

About a cup or two of distilled vinegar added to a large pot in a water bath. Make sure it’s distilled because you really don’t want a mother of vinegar culture introduced to your bottles. I’ll leave the bottles upright filled with water (no vinegar just in case) for a few hours. Some labels will come right off. Other will require some scraping with a tool of your choice and then steel wool to finish them off. It can be a bit abrasive on your fingers but it gets the job done quick and thoroughly.


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## Scooter68 (Mar 23, 2021)

I made a decision NOT to take any bottles that have a plastic label (Typically any part that is clear) and once I get them home if I find a group of one brand is particularly difficult - requires the use of anything more than Oxiclean/Dawn, hot water, and a heavy duty scotch brite pad - THOSE go back to the recycling center. On the rare occasion that I find a bottle shape that is really pretty cool, then I might put in some extra effort.

The key is don't wait until a few days before you plan to bottle. Best way for me is to gather the bottles I need when I start the fermentation. That way in 9-12 months the bottles are ready to go. Also I try to look at least 5 bottles of a given shape and color (5 being the quantity for 1 gallon of wine) Since most of my batches are 3 gallons (15 bottles) I really try to be patient and look for a "big score" and get 15 at one time. Again, start early and you can usually find enough of one color shape etc after a few visits. 

On funny situation I have run into is that now and then I come across a bottle where one of the 2 labels (front & Back) will come of with no problem, barely any rubbing all or none to remove glue residue BUT for some reason the other label will border on being nasty to get off the bottle. Why that happens... I don't know.


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## wood1954 (Mar 23, 2021)

I buy new bottles and use peelable labels so I can reuse my own bottles after a close call with a razor.


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## Old Corker (Mar 23, 2021)

Amazon.com: Hearthy Home - Bench Scraper for Baking - Dough Scraper - Multipurpose Kitchen Tool can be used as Bread Scraper, Bench Knife for Baking, Dough Knife, Food Scraper, Table Scraper or Pastry Scraper: Kitchen & Dining
I use something like this although mine has no fancy engraving. Easy to handle with slippery hands and the edge is note knife sharpened


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## winemaker81 (Mar 23, 2021)

I've tried various techniques, including ammonia. For a scraper I have a really cheap pocket knife that literally cannot be sharped. As @Snafflebit's experience indicates -- always scrape away from yourself! I have a double stainless steel sink and stand bottles on the median, holding the neck.

For tough glue, I use Goo Gone. I've only had a few bottles that didn't clean. This product requires washing the bottle with soap-n-water to remove the Goo Gone residue.

I clean-n-soak bottles on an ongoing basis, e.g., when I have 6 or 8 bottles (which is what one side of my sink will hold) I clean 'em. @Scooter68 is right -- if you wait until bottling time, you will regret it!

Last year I started using Avery labels that peel off with no residue, so I only have to soak bottles that are new to me.


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## Old Corker (Mar 23, 2021)

We are planning a small get together of vaccinated friends and one told my wife she has been saving bottles for me for a year. I'm scared what that is going to look like.


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## Old Corker (Mar 23, 2021)

Scooter68 said:


> Best way for me is to gather the bottles I need when I start the fermentation.


Now that is discipline!


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## winemaker81 (Mar 23, 2021)

Old Corker said:


> We are planning a small get together of vaccinated friends and one told my wife she has been saving bottles for me for a year. I'm scared what that is going to look like.


I have 4 cases of wine I made for my niece, who lives in another state. In return she has 5 cases of empties for me ... when we eventually see each other again, I'll be doing a lot of soaking!

EDIT: Last year my future daughter-in-law got 5 cases of used bottles from the free section of Facebook Marketplace, including 2 cases of beautiful blue bottles from a local meadery. It took a week elapsed time, but I got them done months before bottling.

Not all bottles were clean, so I flushed them all with hot water, then soaked in Oxyclean in hot water. Most glues release from heat as well as chemical, so usage of hot water makes a difference. All bottles got a a bottle-brush treatment and passed a visual inspection. [I visually inspect again before bottling.]

I normally use Bordeaux bottles, but purchased 2 cases of Chardonnay bottles yesterday, as I'm making wine for the upcoming reception. With tax those bottles were $30/case ... soaking used bottles is financially effective!


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## Rice_Guy (Mar 23, 2021)

Best, cooking sprays, they are formulated with lecithin (solubility agent with hydrophobic and hydrophilic ends) which means they are easy to get off the clean bottle, as a runner up, olive oil contains a lot of interesting molecules that are soluble.


Scooter68 said:


> If the cooking oil works *consistently* that would be FAR better than all the other 'solvents' other than dish washing liquid and Oxiclean. What brand or type of oil are you using?


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## Scooter68 (Mar 23, 2021)

Wine making is not something I am doing year round 'actively.' I typically start several batches in the summer time or early fall. I will sometimes start a few batches mid-winter (From wine bases) The rest of the time I'm just overseeing the aging process and planning for the bottling time. 

So typically when I am "Fired Up" in wine making mode, is the best time for me to gather bottles. Also during our once a month trips to our recycling center I take some time to browse through the bins of glass bottles. For me the best days seem to be Saturday, Sunday, Monday, And Tuesday. Days after greatest consumption of wines when people are cleaning up afterwards. Funny thing is I have tor resist the temptation to pickup the strange or oddly shaped bottles that appear now and then. Best find was 10 bottles of the Cote Des Roses bottles shaped like a rose with a GLASS STOPPER. That's a whole story in itself I posted hear about a year ago or more.


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## Raptor99 (Mar 23, 2021)

I have found that some, but not many, labels will come off after soaking in water, but many will not. For those, I rub some olive oil on the outside and let it set overnight. I might need to re-apply the olive oil a few times. With that method, some labels peel right off, others can be removed without too much trouble. Then I use a plastic putty knife to scrape off the rest of the glue and clean with soap and water.

If I can't remove the labels that way, I recycle the bottles. In a few cases with bottles I really wanted I scraped the labels off and removed the glue with naphtha (lighter fluid). That part I will only do outside because it has a strong odor and is highly flammable.

I may have to try oxyclean. It seems that a lot of people are using that.


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## winemaker81 (Mar 23, 2021)

OTOH, if the gummy area on the bottle is the same size as my labels, or smaller, I put my label over the gummy area.


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## Khristyjeff (Mar 23, 2021)

I use 2T of B-Brite in a fermentor-sized bucket filled with bottles and hot water. I leave it for 1-5 days. Tried keeping a heater on it to keep the water warm, also tried switching with new hot water. I've also used running hot water as I scraped with a 6" wide putty knife but the hot water made the glue gummy. Using a scouring pad would cause the gummy glue to stick stick to it. 

So, weighing time and effort, I now soak them in the hot/turning to cold water solution for at least 1 day, then leaving bottle cold, I scrape lengthwise with a rocking (or sometimes sawing) back and forth motion and 90% of the labels come off in one piece with the glue. Any residual glue I scrape the length of the bottle and almost never use a scouring pad. The bottles are glue-free when I'm done. 

I agree with others that some bottle labels will be floating in the bucket when I'm ready to deal with them, and of the ones you have to scrape some come off easily while on the same bottle (like @Scooter68 said) the second label I'll have to work at. Finally, wondering if B-Brite might be very similar to Oxyclean? No ingredients listed on the container.


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## Scooter68 (Mar 24, 2021)

If you have the patience you can also try putting hot water in the bottle and keeping the label (s) dry. Some will peel off cleanly from a warm/hot bottle. If not, then you can put them into the sink, bucket or cleaning container to soak. 

My goal is to not ever (To reasonable extent at least) use anything on the outside of the bottle, that I wouldn't use to clean the inside. Just not worth the headache of trying to make sure that the paint thinner, goo-gone or whatever isn't lingering inside that bottle. Some folks don't mind using it, but between the cost of the stronger adhesive removers, the trouble to apply and clean them off and the risk, I'd just rather return those bottles to recycling bins and find others with easier label removing requirements.


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## Old Corker (Mar 24, 2021)

When I first started making wine from kits a read an article on line about the process. It was before I found this forum. In the article he talked about bottles. The comment that stuck with me was "If you cannot collect 30 empty wine bottles you may want to find a different hobby." I rarely buy bottles. It's just my nature to repurpose.


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## balatonwine (Mar 24, 2021)

Snafflebit said:


> I just got back from urgent care with 4 new stitches and a tetanus shot! Be safe kiddos. I will wear gloves next time.



Caught my finger once in one of my bike disk breaks when it was up on the bike stand for repairs. It neatly sheered off the top of my finger.

Yes. Everyone: Be careful. And aware. Around issues as already stated, but also around any rotating machines, tools, or other things. And there are a lot of those rotating things in wine making, especially during the crush, but not limited to that time. 

But even non-rotating things -- my left glove is full of cuts now from trimming vines, as I hold the canes in my left hand, and the cutter in my right hand.


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## Snafflebit (Mar 24, 2021)

balatonwine said:


> But even non-rotating things -- my left glove is full of cuts now from trimming vines, as I hold the canes in my left hand, and the cutter in my right hand.



I keep my pruning shears sharp and always end up with a bloody cut during harvest. The most annoying part of cut hands is you cannot do any work in dirt or water.


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## Tipsy (Mar 24, 2021)

[QUOTE="CDrew, post: 782621, After just a few years, it will reach equilibrium and I'll only need to buy enough to replace give-away bottles.
[/QUOTE]

Ha hav I have a rule if I give a bottle away. I always tell my friends they can keep the wine but I want the bottle back.


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## berrycrush (Mar 24, 2021)

Oven 250 F 15 minutes, peel off label, wipe off glue with WD-40, wash in dishwasher.


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## KCCam (Mar 24, 2021)

Tipsy said:


> Ha hav I have a rule if I give a bottle away. I always tell my friends they can keep the wine but I want the bottle back.


And that works for you? I gave up asking for expecting the bottle back. But I have wine-drinkers that save me their bottles. They get more gifts. Lol.


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## winemaker81 (Mar 24, 2021)

KCCam said:


> And that works for you?


It does for me. Bottle not returned, no more wine! It's been about 98% effective.


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## June Cerrito (Mar 25, 2021)

I use hot water and Washing Soda. I fill the bottles with hot water and submerge them in a bucket of hot water with a handful of Washing Soda. Seems to work for most bottles and it is non toxic. Washing Soda can be found in the supermarket next to detergents. In a pinch, baking soda can be used, just use more of it.


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## ErikM (Mar 25, 2021)

New wine bottles by the case are about $1 per bottle. 
Old bottles with paper labels- I simply soak the bottles, on their side so not much water is needed, and the labels pretty easily are scrapped off with a butter knife. I finish up with a scotch brite pad. No chemicals. Maybe a little dish soap.

Bottles with plastic-like labels - way too much effort, cost, chemicals needed to get those labels off. They go directly to the recycle bin.
Used, empty, but dirty bottles- Too hard to thoroughly clean. I don't take a chance with mold, bacteria, etc. They go directly to the recycle bin.

Again, new bottles are pretty darn inexpensive.


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## Scooter68 (Mar 25, 2021)

ErikM Said *"New wine bottles by the case are about $1 per bottle. "*

Let me know where you find them at that price including tax and shipping. Lucky to find $1.50 (Green/Amber/Clear flat bottom) Unless you are buying a number of cases - Typically discounts don't start until you hit 5 cases at a time.

Agree with plastic labels and bottles with trash in them but just dried wine - not a big deal.


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## Tipsy (Mar 25, 2021)

KCCam said:


> And that works for you? I gave up asking for expecting the bottle back. But I have wine-drinkers that save me their bottles. They get more gifts. Lol.



yes it works. I am very stingy with my bottles. I used to clean used ones but got tired of washing them so now I buy new $13.99 a dozen here on sale, and clean my bottles as soon as I empty them. I place them upside down in cases, ready for sanitizing them before bottling. I figure the cost isnt bad for a one time purchase.


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## montrealweb (Mar 26, 2021)

I put my recycled bottles with labels in a pail. 6-8 bottles at a time. Fill with Hot water and a scoop of OxyClean, let it soak over night. Don't forget to fill each bottle 3/4 of the way. Most labels come off, some need a little elbow grease. Domenic from MTL.


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## winemaker81 (Mar 26, 2021)

ErikM said:


> Again, new bottles are pretty darn inexpensive.


In my area, 2 cases of bottles, with tax, is $35 USD, half the price of a low end kit.

It may be my upbringing -- my parents grew up during the Great Depression and I was raised avoiding unnecessary expenditures, especially when elbow grease can be used in lieu of money. The idea of putting in a bit of effort instead of buying new bottles in engrained in me. Instead of watching TV, I'm listening to music and cleaning bottles. 


Fall of 2019 I was in on a palette purchase of bottles, I bought 10 cases for $10.50 each including tax. I MUCH preferred those bottles to the mismatch I normally have ... but changing your upbringing is difficult.


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## Scooter68 (Mar 26, 2021)

Totally agree with you about not being wasteful. Around here I can be picky about the bottles I pickup as recycling center is pretty active and wide open for sorting through the 4 x4 metal bins. The only issue I have now and then are the Bee coming in search of some 'good smell.' And as I said before, if I start early enough, by the time the wine is ready to bottle my only issue is Which set of bottles do I use. I sort through them and if need be mismatch in groups of 5 (Gallons worth) but most times I am able to have enough saved up that it's more a matter of which set of 15 (3 gallon batches) do I want to use for this wine.


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## Snafflebit (Mar 26, 2021)

I am sold on baking the bottles at 250° and peeling. A little Goof Off on a paper towel will wipe off the glue. And the bottles that don’t clean easily chuck ‘em!


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## CDrew (Mar 26, 2021)

Scooter68 said:


> ErikM Said *"New wine bottles by the case are about $1 per bottle. "*
> 
> Let me know where you find them at that price including tax and shipping. Lucky to find $1.50 (Green/Amber/Clear flat bottom) Unless you are buying a number of cases - Typically discounts don't start until you hit 5 cases at a time.
> 
> Agree with plastic labels and bottles with trash in them but just dried wine - not a big deal.



I get new bottles for $5 per case. Only problem is, you have to pick up at Napa Fermentation, so not practical if you don't live in Northern ca. I bought 50 cases there last summer, have used 30 for bottling the 2019 and a friend bought 10 from me. I no longer de-label bottles.


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## glennwing (Mar 27, 2021)

While we are on the subject of used bottles. I use screw top wine bottles for my fruit wines. I am having no luck finding replacement caps. I think they are 30mm,
Anyone know where to get caps?


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## winemaker81 (Mar 27, 2021)

glennwing said:


> Anyone know where to get caps?


There are several types of thread arrangements, so if you can find caps, make sure they fit the bottles you have. All I've ever found is *ones like these*, which I don't recommend using for aging.

I have used screwcaps for limited purposes, and discovered that caps that appear identical, may not be. Swap caps between bottles, tighten well, turn 'em upside down and both leak. Put them back on the original bottles, and they don't. I suspect that there is a large variation between manufacturers.

OTOH, I use Carlo Rossi 4 liter jugs (wine is for cooking, jugs used in the winery) and have no problem getting replacement plastic caps that fit securely. I have no idea why the 4 liter jugs appear to be a common design, while the 750 ml do not.

If you find a source, post it.



CDrew said:


> I get new bottles for $5 per case. Only problem is, you have to pick up at Napa Fermentation


Yeah, the round trip would sort of reduce the benefit for me ...


I was told of a winery in CA or WA (can't remember which) that was overstocked on bottles and selling them cheaply. I need to check NC wineries for that.


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## mikewatkins727 (Mar 28, 2021)

For screw caps check wirh: Label Peelers Wine Making and Homebrewing Equipment and Supplies and do a search for "screw caps".


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## Snafflebit (Apr 1, 2021)

While my thumb heals (the nurse says the stitches need to stay in 5 more days) I decided to detail my findings on wine label removal and a system that works for me.

I have 3, 5 gallon buckets filled with water to which I have added PBW. I think baking soda would work to help remove labels, but PBW also cleans out old wine and is potentially no-rinse, even though I do rinse at this stage. 

Put the bottles in the oven at 250 F for 15 minutes. Take out a bottle and use a box cutter to catch the corner of a label and pull SLOWLY at a shallow angle from the bottle. This leaves more adhesive on the label, less on the bottle. Sometimes the label with tear or start to become divided with half left on the bottle. I move to another corner and try again to remove the label. 

I have about a 40% sucess rate getting the label off completely in this manner. Some labels are made with weak paper and strong adhesive, or strong paper and weak adhesive, and every other combination. Weak paper labels will shred, so set these aside. We are not done with them. 

For the labels that peeled off "cleanly" there is always a bit of residue. I have a roll of cheap, non-linty paper towels and a bottle of Goof Off to wet the towel and some rubber work gloves. Start wiping down the bottles until the gunk starts to dissolve. Some adhesive is thin and easy to remove. Some is thick and smears around. It is possible to remove this adhesive but sometimes I just get tired of the work and toss the bottle at this point. It does not smell great, but Goof Off evaporates completly, unlike some of the other cleaners like Goo Gone. I clean outdoors. I take these cleaned bottles and give them a soak in the PBW water to get any dried wine out. 



Now, on to the badly peeled labels. You will notice that some of the bottles have glue that is applied in horizontal stripes. I show a rather poor example of one of these bottles. Sometimes it is very pronounced. You can see it by looking through the bottle at the back side of a label. This type of glue is water-based. Put these bottles in a soak for a day or two. Some labels will literally fall off. Louis Jadot labels come to mind. Others will need the help of a Labelnator. 



I scrape these water-based labeled bottles into my wash tub in the garage and use a drain strainer that I picked up at Home Depot. You do not want label gunk clogging your drains! A Mr Clean magic eraser easily wipes off any remaining residue and I keep it handy. These labels should come off very easily



As for the bottles which have shredded labels and pressure-sensitive adhesive, you could soak and scrape them, and that works, but I have found it is better to recycle these bottles. Save your effort for really nice bottles. Plastic labels don't bake off and don't peel off easily either, toss 'em.

After all the bottles have spent a time soaking inside and out in the PBW water, I empty, rinse and dry on a FastRack. These are great you can get them on Amazon. Each FastRack holds 2 cases of wine bottles. When the bottles dry, I sometimes find 1 or 2 with a bit of gunk. I put these back through the cleaning system. 




I estimate that I have been able to reuse about 75% of bottles. If your friends are saving bottles for you, that will be a lot of bottles. Also, you don't need to badger people to rinse their bottles, which I have found really never happens anyway. 

I am always on the lookout for wine boxes to store my bottles. If you can find a source of champagne boxes these are great for holding the wider Burgundy bottles.

Cheers!


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## hounddawg (Apr 1, 2021)

on screw tops that are bought empty it takes a 28mm poly-cone cap, store bought wines with threads they use (stevins = spelt wrong) type threads, them need a machine to get to seal right, i have several cases of 28mm screw tops, but the tops tend to be expensive, so mainly i keep cork finish bottles, as for labels, i bought 2 single edge razor blade holders from eBay, the blue ones, the unretractable ones , they are blue in color,, i stand my bottles upright and fill them with hot tap water the fill the sink with hot water too, Notice i bought two, one for me,, one for my nephew,, lol
28mm caps eBay Amazon, label peelers, most wine supply suppliers, as for residue SOS pads
Dawg


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## Scooter68 (Apr 6, 2021)

I have to politely disagree with the choice of "Goof Off" as a label remover. In the picture that shows the bottom of the can is exactly why. The vapors are nasty stuff (Not far from sniffing the old Testor's Glue) plus the chemicals require yet another chemical to remove the Goof Off chemical properly - Especially around food stuffs (Wine)
This is from the SDS sheet for the product in your picture:

Overall hazard to health is a 2 (1 to 4 with 1 being the worst)
TARGET ORGANS: eyes, respiratory system, liver, kidneys, central nervous system
PRIMARY ROUTES OF ENTRY: inhalation, ingestion, absorption
INGREDIENTS Concentration: 
Acetone {2-Propanone}60.0 -100.0 % 
Xylene (mixed isomers) {Benzene, dimethyl-}<10.0 % 
Ethylbenzene {Ethylbenzol; Phenylethane}< 5.0 % 
Methanol {Methyl alcohol; Carbinol; Wood Alcohol < 5.0%

Again, I'm not trying to be just argumentative but unless you do your cleaning outdoors and with gloves on, that stuff is just plain nasty. That's the reason I toss back bottles that require that sort of stuff to get the label off. Too many more options in those bins for me to risk my health on that.


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## Snafflebit (Apr 6, 2021)

Goof Off is mainly acetone it seems. Nail polish remover. Xylene is used in magic markers as the ink vehicle. Methanol we all know what that is. Ethylbenzene is not pleasant, like all benzenes, but it evaporates. I don't have a vent hood or anything like that but I do the cleaning outdoors with gloves. But there is no reason to risk one's health over dirty bottles either!


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## Raptor99 (Apr 6, 2021)

I have used naphtha (lighter fluid) a few times to remove stubborn label glue. But I only use it outdoors with gloves, which means I am limited to times with suitable weather. But mainly I try to avoid chemical glue removers.


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## JohnBurns (Apr 7, 2021)

I've had success with "Goo Gone". I switched because of the vapors from "Goof Off". I hope that one is not as health toxic! I'll have to go look now.


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## hounddawg (Apr 7, 2021)

JohnBurns said:


> I've had success with "Goo Gone". I switched because of the vapors from "Goof Off". I hope that one is not as health toxic! I'll have to go look now.


when i done remodel i used goo gone, can't remember, but i think it was safer, of course years of doing custom laminates sure did not help anything, I used only lock-bond and lock-wield contact cement, had to have a hazmat card to just buy them across the country, in malls,,, had to work nights, scared to death someone smoking or flipping a light switch, lol
Dawg


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## Scooter68 (Apr 7, 2021)

I was going to suggest Goo Gone but after looking at the MSDS.... hmmm better, but not much because of the vagueness of the info. 
It was my impression that Goo Gone is citrus based but then again I guess it depends on what they add and what part of the 'citrus' they extract. 
I used to work for Lowe's and it was an open secret that there was a citrus (orange/lemon) based air freshener that worked wonders on removing our label residue from the shelfs. (Came in a little aerosolm can about 1 1/4 " Dia yellow with an orange picture on the front. Home office 'forbid' it's use but... it worked and didn't drive away customers like Goof Off would. I think I heard some customers complain about our using toxic chemicals around them... (Actually not wrong on that count.) 

There are a number of citrus based cleaners for various purposes out there and I think most would be less toxic than the petroleum based ones and easier to clean up after you use it. Still hard on skin and not good for prolonged closed area use, but better.

Bottom line is that we each make our choices, I just like to make sure folks know the potential consequences of those choices.


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## Old Corker (Apr 7, 2021)

I go through my usual soak 'em, scrape 'em, wash 'em with Oxy. Those with glue that resists that get set aside. If I like the bottle or need it to get the the bottle count I need I will finish them with denatured alcohol and paper towels outside. If its a cheap or ugly bottle I just recycle it and move on. DA is my go-to but I'll use something else I have if I'm out of that. I don't buy Goof Off to Goo Gone because I've always considered them to have extra stuff for marketing proposes. If I can't dissolve it with DA, acetone or mineral spirits it either stays on or goes in the trash.


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## Scooter68 (Apr 7, 2021)

I've used minieral spirits on a couple of really nice bottles but I agree - there are too many others to chose from so I choose not to get into the ones with difficult labels.


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## opus345 (Apr 7, 2021)

Love an Oxy soak, but I'm starting to notice that some of the bottles that are on the 2nd or 3rd pass through my delabeling pipeline are starting to get "oxidized" on the outside. It makes me worry about the insides and those get recycled. I'm now using a dish soap soak for unlabeled bottles and an Oxy soak for new labeled bottles.


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## hounddawg (Apr 7, 2021)

i put my bottles in hot water then scrape the labels off using a single edge razor blade in a blade holder, (non-retractable)
Dawg


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## Old Corker (Apr 7, 2021)

opus345 said:


> Love an Oxy soak, but I'm starting to notice that some of the bottles that are on the 2nd or 3rd pass through my delabeling pipeline are starting to get "oxidized" on the outside. It makes me worry about the insides and those get recycled. I'm now using a dish soap soak for unlabeled bottles and an Oxy soak for new labeled bottles.


You think the Oxy is causing some damage to the bottles? Have not seen that. I only do the full treatment on "new" used bottles. Since its my least favorite part of the hobby we are pretty anal about rinsing out bottles as soon as they are empty and if I put a label on it is only the easy peel variety.


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## Scooter68 (Apr 7, 2021)

opus345 said:


> Love an Oxy soak, but I'm starting to notice that some of the bottles that are on the 2nd or 3rd pass through my delabeling pipeline are starting to get "oxidized" on the outside. It makes me worry about the insides and those get recycled. I'm now using a dish soap soak for unlabeled bottles and an Oxy soak for new labeled bottles.



You might try an overnight soak in Distilled white vinegar. I know that sounds like a bad thing to have vinegar ANYWHERE around your wine making but this is distilled white vinegar. Excellent at removing all sorts of deposits and rust on metal too. (It's my favorite rusty metal cleaner.)


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## hounddawg (Apr 7, 2021)

Scooter68 said:


> You might try an overnight soak in Distilled white vinegar. I know that sounds like a bad thing to have vinegar ANYWHERE around your wine making but this is distilled white vinegar. Excellent at removing all sorts of deposits and rust on metal too. (It's my favorite rusty metal cleaner.)


you recon my skeeter pee port might work,
Dawg


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## SLM (Apr 8, 2021)

Why are you all so afraid of chemicals? I worked in the auto painting industry for 20 years, immersed in all manner of volatile organic compounds. I don't think they did me any harm.


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## opus345 (Apr 8, 2021)

Old Corker said:


> You think the Oxy is causing some damage to the bottles? Have not seen that. I only do the full treatment on "new" used bottles. Since its my least favorite part of the hobby we are pretty anal about rinsing out bottles as soon as they are empty and if I put a label on it is only the easy peel variety.



Yes. Now that I switched to two separate soaks, I'm not seeing the deposits on my used bottles with my peelable labels.

@Scooter68 Thanks for the idea. Next cleaning run, I may see if I have any "oxydized" and try the distilled vinegar treatment.


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## Snafflebit (Jun 11, 2021)

Time for me to eat some crow! Regarding Used wine bottles

Soaking wine bottles in PBW and water for a couple of days is just as effective as baking and peeling off the labels. In fact, this method is cleaner since there is no need for solvent to remove the last bits of adhesive from the baked bottles. The Labelnator is still necessary, but I have learned to be more careful.

I find that doing a followup soak, after the label is mostly scraped off, will clean up about 90% of the bottles. I will need to scrub down the bottle with a Scotchbrite or Magic Eraser after the second soak, but the bottle is very clean after the second round of soaking.


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## Scooter68 (Jun 17, 2021)

Snafflebit said:


> Time for me to eat some crow! Regarding Used wine bottles
> 
> Soaking wine bottles in PBW and water for a couple of days is just as effective as baking and peeling off the labels. In fact, this method is cleaner since there is no need for solvent to remove the last bits of adhesive from the baked bottles. The Labelnator is still necessary, but I have learned to be more careful.
> 
> I find that doing a followup soak, after the label is mostly scraped off, will clean up about 90% of the bottles. I will need to scrub down the bottle with a Scotchbrite or Magic Eraser after the second soak, but the bottle is very clean after the second round of soaking.



You've ended up on the same plan as I did. 

Scotchbrite pads and PBW or even Straight Dawn Dishwashing liquid is effective with hot water and patience. I've also used oxiclean that was left over from way back and that worked well too. I just don't like using any petroleum based products or even mineral spirits. The chance of contaminating residue slipping by just isn't worth it.

Yes, there are some really tough labels out there but then until those are the only bottles available, I'll just skip those. I suspect that as the eco movements continue to march on, label adhesives and label materials will become easier to remove. Exceptions will exist of course but the desire to reduce environmental impact of waste will make things easier.


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## DizzyIzzy (Jun 24, 2021)

Snafflebit said:


> Time for me to eat some crow! Regarding Used wine bottles
> 
> Soaking wine bottles in PBW and water for a couple of days is just as effective as baking and peeling off the labels. In fact, this method is cleaner since there is no need for solvent to remove the last bits of adhesive from the baked bottles. The Labelnator is still necessary, but I have learned to be more careful.
> 
> I find that doing a followup soak, after the label is mostly scraped off, will clean up about 90% of the bottles. I will need to scrub down the bottle with a Scotchbrite or Magic Eraser after the second soak, but the bottle is very clean after the second round of soaking.


What's PBW??.........................................DizzyIzzy


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## Jim Welch (Jun 24, 2021)

DizzyIzzy said:


> What's PBW??.........................................DizzyIzzy


A powdered cleaning compound developed for cleaning brewing equipment that is very very effective in removing organic deposits. Also rinses easily. Similar to powdered dishwasher machine detergents sans surfactants and fragrances. IIRC, it stands for Professional Brewery Wash, or something similar. A great cleaner, expensive but to me it is worth it.


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## varano14 (Jun 28, 2021)

Another option that I have found to work really well on some labels is hitting them with a clothing steamer. We have a little travel sized one that I can sit on the table and hold the bottle in front of four about 10-20 seconds. Some labels fall of at that point leaving being almost no adhesive. Others leave behind the adhesive. I have had some that don't come off well with this method and those I usually don't bother with.

I like doing this because is makes almost no mess and has a chance of requiring no additional steps.

This method saved the day during a family members wedding when they had to peel the barcode stickers of the bottom of 200 jars. Officially bride approved.


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## fermenter (Jun 28, 2021)

Interesting: Labelnator, device to REMOVE label from something; baconator something bacon is ADDED to.


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## LosGatosLinda (Jul 21, 2021)

Old Corker said:


> My process is the pretty much the same as @cmason1957. I use a tool I found in the kitchen drawer used for cutting dough to scrape the labels off. Not sure what it's called but looks like the thumbnail below. Stainless steel scouring pad to clean the glue while still in the cleaning water. This works on 90% of the bottles. Some producers use a glue that requires a solvent to break it down. I set those aside and then take them outside and clean the residue off with denatured alcohol (preferred) or whatever else I have. Let them air dry then store until ready to sanitize and fill. For me cleaning labels is the least favorite things about this hobby and I put it off as long as possible in the hopes that someone else will do it. So far only my wife has volunteered.



Looks like a dough scraper.


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## DizzyIzzy (Jul 21, 2021)

I


Jim Welch said:


> A powdered cleaning compound developed for cleaning brewing equipment that is very very effective in removing organic deposits. Also rinses easily. Similar to powdered dishwasher machine detergents sans surfactants and fragrances. IIRC, it stands for Professional Brewery Wash, or something similar. A great cleaner, expensive but to me it is worth it.


 I soak my bottles in hot water on the stove adding a sheet of fabric softener and a dash of Dawn. Leave it for a couple of days, heating the pot of water up daily, and the labels usually come off without too much effort...................................................DizzyIzzy


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## Jim Welch (Jul 21, 2021)

DizzyIzzy said:


> I
> 
> I soak my bottles in hot water on the stove adding a sheet of fabric softener and a dash of Dawn. Leave it for a couple of days, heating the pot of water up daily, and the labels usually come off without too much effort...................................................DizzyIzzy



sounds like a good delabeling process. I wasn’t advocating using PBW to delabel just answering your question. PBW is an excellent solvent of organic residue but it is expensive. Too expensive to use removing labels IMO.


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## distancerunner (Jul 26, 2021)

Once again, WMT is a wealth of information. 

We had about a hundred bottles sitting in storage for the last twenty years. They needed to be cleaned. Some needed to be delabled. Taking the advice in this thread, we soaked them in very hot water and unscented Oxiclean for forty eight hours. Most of the labels were floating in the water today. Two of us were able to slam through this task in about two and a half hours. That included delabeling, scrubbing the bottles inside and out, triple rinsing, and placing on a bottle tree.

Thank you to all who made these suggestions.


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## Khristyjeff (Jul 27, 2021)

distancerunner said:


> Once again, WMT is a wealth of information.
> 
> We had about a hundred bottles sitting in storage for the last twenty years. They needed to be cleaned. Some needed to be delabled. Taking the advice in this thread, we soaked them in very hot water and unscented Oxiclean for forty eight hours. Most of the labels were floating in the water today. Two of us were able to slam through this task in about two and a half hours. That included delabeling, scrubbing the bottles inside and out, triple rinsing, and placing on a bottle tree.
> 
> Thank you to all who made these suggestions.


Great work, and quick work for 100 bottles. Congrats!


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## deesloop (Jul 27, 2021)

I find uPVC cleaner invaluable for dissolving the glue on labels. It's £4 or $5 for a litre and it lasts forever.
Not found a glue it doesn't dissolve and it works super quick - less than 30 seconds for even the thickest residue.

Those who dislike chemicals may find it's aroma a little strong (almost pear like) but I like it.


Hey a post where I actually offered some advice


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## Snafflebit (Jul 27, 2021)

I have a feeling that OxyClean and PBW are nearly the same chemicals, but I would be afraid to use OxyClean as a no-rinse sanitizer.


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## cmason1957 (Jul 27, 2021)

Snafflebit said:


> I have a feeling that OxyClean and PBW are nearly the same chemicals, but I would be afraid to use OxyClean as a no-rinse sanitizer.



I would be afraid to use PBW as a no-rinse sanitizer as well, it's a cleaner, not a sanitizer. But that's just my $0.02, take it for what it's worth.


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## mainshipfred (Jul 27, 2021)

Snafflebit said:


> I have a feeling that OxyClean and PBW are nearly the same chemicals, but I would be afraid to use OxyClean as a no-rinse sanitizer.



I only use OxyClean primarily because it's so inexpensive and available everywhere. I do however rinse everything.


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## Cynewulf (Jul 27, 2021)

Sorry if this is answered elsewhere but how much OxiClean/water do y’all use for removing labels?


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## mainshipfred (Jul 27, 2021)

Cynewulf said:


> Sorry if this is answered elsewhere but how much OxiClean/water do y’all use for removing labels?



I don't measure, just dump in what I thing is the right amount at the time.


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## distancerunner (Jul 27, 2021)

The instructions say one (included) scoop for four gallons. Doesn't seem soapy enough. For two containers at eight gallons we added three scoops to one and four to the other. No discernable difference. Probably cut back the next time.

If labels weren't an issue we would follow the instruction. If the bottles were rinsed after consuming the wine the solution would be just fine. 

I think. Maybe. Last Chem course was in '76. Thank goodness my girlfriend majored in Chemical Engineering.


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## DizzyIzzy (Jul 28, 2021)

Jim Welch said:


> sounds like a good delabeling process. I wasn’t advocating using PBW to delabel just answering your question. PBW is an excellent solvent of organic residue but it is expensive. Too expensive to use removing labels IMO.


Thankyou Jim for your response.................knowledge is power......................................................................DizzyIzzy


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## JoeM (Jul 28, 2021)

i use WD40 to removed label glue after boiling bottles to sterilize.


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## Caroline_Hundley (Feb 9, 2022)

Do you use the magic eraser while it’s still wet?


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## Snafflebit (Feb 9, 2022)

Caroline_Hundley said:


> Do you use the magic eraser while it’s still wet?


Yes, I do

...and also, I may go back to soaking in PBW to remove labels. I left some bottles soaking in Oxy Clean for a month and I found crystals of some kind growing on the surface. I could not see any on the inside of the bottle, but it makes me wonder. The crystals did rinse off with a bit of rubbing.


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## winemaker81 (Feb 9, 2022)

Snafflebit said:


> I left some bottles soaking in Oxy Clean for a month


A month? I'd be concerned if any water is left stagnant for a month. I don't know that the OxyClean is the real problem here.

I've had a few bottles that soaking them for a year might not make a difference. I've only had one that Goo Gone didn't clean.


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## Jovimaple (Feb 9, 2022)

Caroline_Hundley said:


> Do you use the magic eraser while it’s still wet?


Yes, it works well when wet. I soak the bottles for several hours in Dawn (the blue kind) and hot water, then peel as much of the label as I can, scrape as much as I can with a hard plastic scraper, then use a wet magic eraser to get the remainder of the glue off.

I have had a couple where the glue just destroys the magic eraser - I now recycle those bottles.


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## jgmann67 (Feb 10, 2022)

I do the oxygreen, scraper, goo gone method. But, eventually I came to the conclusion that getting labels off of commercial wine bottles was a back-breaking experience and not worth the effort. I used to do them 3-4 cases at a time (I had a restaurant owner friend who let me have the empties after busy weekends).

But, over time, I purchased enough new bottles that I haven’t had to seek out commercial bottles in about 2 years. My own labels come off much easier and I don’t need 2 Aleve and a nap afterwards.

So - my advice: save your back. Spend a little money. Buy new and reuse.


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## BigDaveK (Feb 10, 2022)

Ivywoods said:


> I do a lot of canning but usually have enough jars that have been passed back and forth in my family they don't have labels on them. We always label on the disposable flat lid. I used the goo gone on some, was careful to not get it inside the bottle but I worried I might get a little in there.


I can also. Last year after a batch I would fill the bottles with hot water (so they don't float, of course) and throw them in the canner. Why waste the hot water? Scoring seems to help. Many will float or peel easily. Others have that super alien adhesive that needs extra work.


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## Rocky (Feb 10, 2022)

I guess a lot of us will be using "experienced" bottles going forward with the scarcity and price of new bottles. I have used both, new and used and I have a lot of experience in removing labels. My method is:

1. Remove the foil if present, using chef's knife.
2. Inspect each bottle for cracks, stubborn sediment or other issues and rinse the bottles with hot water. Some bottles are discarded at this point, for example, if they are too dark or have really miserable sediment.
3. Soak the bottles in hot water with Dawn dishwashing liquid for about a half hour. Some labels will peel right off at this point and need only a quick scrub with an SOS pad to remove any residual glue. Some labels will release their top layer and leave a thinner layer of material which I scrape with a chef's knife. Some labels (for some reason Australians are a major culprit) are unaffected by the hot water, except for being softened and require major scraping, again with the chef's knife.
4. Inspect each bottle for residual glue and remove using first the SOS pad or, as a last resort, Goo Gone.
5. Final rinse, dry the outside with a dish towel and hang on rack to drain the inside. Bottles are then placed upside down in boxes and stored until needed.
6. On bottling day, quick rinse with hot water and a hit on the Vinator then onto the draining rack.

It works for me!

Tools:


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## joeswine (Feb 10, 2022)

cmason1957 said:


> Hottest water you can produce, oxiclean. Let soak until water cools off. Many labels will float right off others get the Labelnator, sometimes need goo gone to remove incredibly sticky glue, but not often.


Easiest way


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## Snafflebit (Feb 10, 2022)

Snafflebit said:


> Yes, I do
> 
> ...and also, I may go back to soaking in PBW to remove labels. I left some bottles soaking in Oxy Clean for a month and I found crystals of some kind growing on the surface. I could not see any on the inside of the bottle, but it makes me wonder. The crystals did rinse off with a bit of rubbing.





winemaker81 said:


> A month? I'd be concerned if any water is left stagnant for a month. I don't know that the OxyClean is the real problem here.
> 
> I've had a few bottles that soaking them for a year might not make a difference. I've only had one that Goo Gone didn't clean.



I was traveling and forgot about the bucket of bottles. I looked at the ingredients of OxyClean and it contains sodium carbonate a.k.a. washing soda. I guess that the water became very cold in the garage and crystals dropped out of solution on the bottles.


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## Arne (Feb 11, 2022)

Cold would probably do it, know for sure using too much of it will wind up with crystals inside that are absolutely the devil to get out. Arne.


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## wtt03 (Feb 12, 2022)

I do the very hot water soak and scrape with a metal scraper to get the label itself off. Then for the residual adhesive I use "Fast Orange" citrus based hand cleaner and slather it over where the adhesive is. Let is set for, oh I don't know, maybe 5 or 10 minutes max, then use an SOS pad and it comes clean as a whistle. Been doing it for quite awhile like this and haven't come across one yet that it hasn't worked on. Just my .02


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## joeswine (Feb 12, 2022)

Are there’s a will there’s a way


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## hounddawg (Feb 12, 2022)

wtt03 said:


> I do the very hot water soak and scrape with a metal scraper to get the label itself off. Then for the residual adhesive I use "Fast Orange" citrus based hand cleaner and slather it over where the adhesive is. Let is set for, oh I don't know, maybe 5 or 10 minutes max, then use an SOS pad and it comes clean as a whistle. Been doing it for quite awhile like this and haven't come across one yet that it hasn't worked on. Just my .02


that is almost step for step what i do, instead of orange i use goo gone, 
Richard


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## Scooter68 (Feb 14, 2022)

wtt03 said:


> I do the very hot water soak and scrape with a metal scraper to get the label itself off. Then for the residual adhesive I use "Fast Orange" citrus based hand cleaner and slather it over where the adhesive is. Let is set for, oh I don't know, maybe 5 or 10 minutes max, then use an SOS pad and it comes clean as a whistle. Been doing it for quite awhile like this and haven't come across one yet that it hasn't worked on. Just my .02



The citric based solvent products are pretty good stuff. I've seen a few calling themselves Citrus based but actually had petroleum products in there, those I avoid. When I worked at Lowe's we used a "Forbidden" product that was actually sold as an "Air Freshener" in as pump spray can about the sized of a Medium Sharpee pen. It was pure Orange/Lemon/Grapefruit oils, smelled great and took labels off of shelves without taking the paint off. (we were forbidden because corporate didn't want us to use anything THEY didn't provide.) Hey, we sold it in the store so.... The citrus smell gave it away if you were within 40 feet and it became the running game of not using it when certain managers were on duty or might "Catch Wind" of what you were doing. 

AH FOUND IT ON Lowes.com I Might need to order some from someplace if Lowes' doesn't stock it.




Also saw this one and I might try it. Much prefer those natural oils over anything petroleum based. Soap and water tend to clean these off easily vs petroleum based solvents. And it looks like this one is in stock.


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