# Re-Using Bottles



## klemsontigers7 (Jul 29, 2013)

I have tons of bottles that I want to reuse. Has anyone had success reusing them without stripping the labels? I HATE stripping the labels.


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## dralarms (Jul 29, 2013)

Nope,

Don't want someone thinking it something its not.


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## FABulousWines (Jul 29, 2013)

I hate removing labels too! I only worry about labels on give-aways. All the wine we drink at home (non-commercial) is label-less. I use the capsule color to help me remember what's in it. No real need to remove the label per se; I suppose you could put a label over the existing one. I prefer a cleaner look.

Just make sure the bottles are clean inside (bottle brush and good cleaner like Star San or One Step) and are sanitized and you are good to go. Labeling is just an appearance thing.


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## klemsontigers7 (Jul 29, 2013)

I will probably try and sanitize from the neck up as well on the outside to make sure it's clean when bottling. I have a 50 gallon batch going now, I probably have enough bottles to bottle it, but most have labels.


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## bkisel (Jul 29, 2013)

I have a friend who doesn't bother stripping labels. Ed just uses gummed mailing labels, writes what he wants on them and sticks them on the old bottle. These are of course bottles that have been sanitized.


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## RCGoodin (Jul 29, 2013)

lazy, lazy, lazy...............I'm cleaning labels today. You have to get your bottles clean, then label, cork and foil your new batch. You'll feel a great pride when you do. Go ahead, let the wine age in the carboy and bottle when you are ready.


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## ShelleyDickison (Jul 29, 2013)

I give my oldest granddaughter .50 per bottle for helping me clean labels, plus usually a new outfit, toy and movie and supper. Thinking it might be cheaper just to buy new bottles. I do love the look when properly finished though.


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## wineforfun (Jul 29, 2013)

I too, join the tedious task of bottle de-labeling but have recently thought like bkisel's friend............just clean the bottles and leave the labels alone. I am making wine to drink, not designing bottles for the art fair.
But the OCD in me probably won't let me do that, so I wll keep on de-labeling for now.


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## bkisel (Jul 29, 2013)

I also de-label but have only labeled and foiled the few bottles that leave the house.


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## Ernest T Bass (Jul 29, 2013)

I got 4 or 500 bottles from a winery a couple of years ago, the only condition was that I remove the labels. He had tasted my wine, that should tell me something.
Semper Fi


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## FTC Wines (Jul 29, 2013)

I like, bkesil, only label bottles that leave the house/winery. Home use bottles are stored on wine racks that are labeled/inventoried per 25 bottles. Saves a lot of time de-labeling. Roy


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## pjd (Jul 29, 2013)

Come on, It's not that tough! I can do 3 cases in less than an hour and if I do this every week soon all are de-labeled and sanitized. If you have time to make wine but have no time to properly clean and remove labels form used bottles, maybe you should just go buy new ones! I would NEVER put my wine into a bottle with someone else's label!


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## Enologo (Jul 30, 2013)

I've been doing it as they come in. One or two from my neighbor, two or three from my daughter. Rinse em let em soak in a pot or a bucket overnight scrub em up the next day either before or after work, store em on the shelf awaiting the magic elixir.  This way it doesn't build up to a time consuming chore.


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## Tess (Jul 30, 2013)

I hate hate hate label removing. I also only label what I serve guest of give away. Most stay unlabeled


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## Runningwolf (Jul 30, 2013)

pjd said:


> Come on, It's not that tough! I can do 3 cases in less than an hour and if I do this every week soon all are de-labeled and sanitized. If you have time to make wine but have no time to properly clean and remove labels form used bottles, maybe you should just go buy new ones! I would NEVER put my wine into a bottle with someone else's label!



Well said Phil.


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## Boatboy24 (Jul 30, 2013)

ShelleyDickison said:


> I give my oldest granddaughter .50 per bottle for helping me clean labels, plus usually a new outfit, toy and movie and supper. Thinking it might be cheaper just to buy new bottles. I do love the look when properly finished though.



Not bad for a day's work. I may be heading to Carolina soon. 

I certainly don't enjoy the task, but keep my batches small and I don't get too annoyed that way. When I finish a bottle, it gets rinsed well and put on the bottle tree to dry. Then it'll go into a case for storage. When I fill a case, I bring them to the sink for label removal. They soak in hot water and Oxy Clean for 15-30 minutes, then the labels come off pretty easily. The ones that don't get hit with a paint scraper tool and that's the end. I can do a case in 15 or 20 minutes. 15-20 minutes once or twice a month is pretty easy to tolerate, and by not doing too many at once, I don't dread the task.


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## kryptonitewine (Jul 30, 2013)

I hate cleaning labels. I get bottles from a local restaurant. Hot water and oxyclean don't work on this brand I'm going to put them in the oven next to see if that works.


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## jamesngalveston (Jul 30, 2013)

removing labels is not fun for sure...but to be honest....
my wine is better then most that had the label..i will not associate my wine, with something that tasted like crap...jmo


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## derunner (Jul 30, 2013)

Some of you must be much better at de-labeling than me. I do 48 bottles and it takes 2 nights, 4 or 5 hours total. I was so glad to be done with 700 bottles.


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## ffemt128 (Jul 30, 2013)

I soak them for a couple hours in either dish detergent or oxyclean in hot water. Most labels come right off. The stubborn ones, I toss if I think they will be too much work. I then scrub the outside with a sponge and rinse in and out with hot water before being sanitized. My stationary tub will hold about 30 bottles and they only take about 45 minutes after soaking.


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## Pumpkinman (Jul 30, 2013)

I stopped reusing bottles when a local winery started selling me cases of bottles for $7.00 each, at $0.58 per bottle (new) it is well worth it. This same winery is now changing over to screw tops and wants to get rid of all cases of bottles....I'm going to try to get a pallet.


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## ffemt128 (Jul 30, 2013)

Pumpkinman said:


> I stopped reusing bottles when a local winery started selling me cases of bottles for $7.00 each, at $0.58 per bottle (new) it is well worth it. This same winery is now changing over to screw tops and wants to get rid of all cases of bottles....I'm going to try to get a pallet.


 

I only clean the bottles I put labels on or the bottles other wine makers have given me. We have a supplier here that used to manufacture and is hoping to start production again where we can get new for $6.00 per case. Right now they have limited supply but still worth the trip.


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## dlriggins (Jul 30, 2013)

I cant see paying for something I can get for free so I like many others go through de-labeling I have found that a scraper or knife will remove the paper and a little WD-40 will usually remove the glue as for sanitation I soak in a bleach bath (I know bleach is a bad thing with wine) I then give a thorough rinse and prior to use a hot water bath just like mason jars for canning for sterilization. As for labels I use a piece of masking tape and a sharpie to mark the cork ie. S for strawberry D for dandelion C cherry and so on.


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## dessertmaker (Jul 30, 2013)

Wd-40? Hmmm now there's an idea. Ever have any problems with it making its way into your wine?


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## ShelleyDickison (Jul 30, 2013)

dessertmaker said:


> Wd-40? Hmmm now there's an idea. Ever have any problems with it making its way into your wine?



I used to use WD 40 but then switched to a citrus based goo be gone. It just seemed easier to wash off the bottles.


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## dlriggins (Jul 31, 2013)

ShelleyDickison said:


> I used to use WD 40 but then switched to a citrus based goo be gone. It just seemed easier to wash off the bottles.



I tried goo gone and found that it doesn't soak through the labels of my local winery and WD works very fast on the glue after scraping off all the paper and no I haven't had any issues with wd-40 in my wine as I only put a little on a rag and scrub at the glue.


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## RCGoodin (Jul 31, 2013)

dlriggins said:


> I tried goo gone and found that it doesn't soak through the labels of my local winery and WD works very fast on the glue after scraping off all the paper and no I haven't had any issues with wd-40 in my wine as I only put a little on a rag and scrub at the glue.


 
I use Goo Be Gone on a rough scrub pad and it works great after I scrape the label off with a razor blade.

I'd never introduce WD40 or any oil based product to cleaning wine bottles, or bleach for that matter.

Just saying.................my thoughts only...


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## DaveL (Jul 31, 2013)

I was cleaning used bottles until I found 63 cases online. New still in the box for $3 a case. I still save bottles and have divided them into like sections. when I get enough of a certain type I will use the green for a change. 
AS for my new labels I use milk for a glue. The labels stay put for the most part but come of in 2 seconds once wet.


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## garymc (Aug 1, 2013)

Some labels will peel off clean with dry heat. If you don't want to heat up the house by putting those in the oven, try leaving them in the car in 90+ degree heat.


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## Tess (Aug 1, 2013)

garymc said:


> Some labels will peel off clean with dry heat. If you don't want to heat up the house by putting those in the oven, try leaving them in the car in 90+ degree heat.




I'll try my heat gun. Hope the bottle dont brake lol


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## MilesDavis (Aug 14, 2013)

The 99% isopropanol I get at the pharmacy seems to strip labels off wine bottles right quick. Every once in awhile the Safeway pharmacy has it on sale for $10/for 10 pint bottles. It's what I use when a soak in dish detergent/water doesn't quite do it.


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## Winofarmer (Aug 14, 2013)

I just let them soak a couple days in a bucket of water and scrape them off with a butter knife then scrub them with a scotch pad,it takes a little work there is no magic lable removers that I am aware of!!!


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## Elmer (Aug 14, 2013)

klemsontigers7 said:


> I have tons of bottles that I want to reuse. Has anyone had success reusing them without stripping the labels? I HATE stripping the labels.



I get a homer bucket and every other day dropp 6 bottles into warm soapy water and let sit for a day or 2.
Then the labels generally just peel off.
If they do not peel off, I use a plastic putty knife and just scrap off.
Spritz some goo be gone if needed.

It is a process, but once you get into the habit, it is not nearly as bad as you think!
Just slightly time consuming!


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## GaDawg (Aug 14, 2013)

For me it is easier if I do em as I get em. Doing a few at a time is a lot less daunting than saving them up and then facing a monstrous task.


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## olusteebus (Aug 14, 2013)

Winofarmer said:


> I just let them soak a couple days in a bucket of water and scrape them off with a butter knife then scrub them with a scotch pad,it takes a little work there is no magic lable removers that I am aware of!!!



I soak overnight in warm water (at first) with oxyclean in a large plastic storage bin. Next day, I use drill with bottle brush real good, drain, cut off top pvc shrink wrap, scrape label with plastic putty knive, course scotchbrite pad to take the glue off. Then I soak in clean hot water, rinse with bottle rinser and spray inside with Starsan. did about 60 bottles Sunday in about an hour or so.


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## klemsontigers7 (Aug 15, 2013)

You guys must have a good source for bottles with labels that are easy to remove. One winery that I have bought from before has labels that come off easily with OxiClean. A lot of store bought labels are easy... but a lot also are not.


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## CBell (Aug 15, 2013)

I find myself now buying commercial wine not based on taste or price, but based on how easy the label looks to remove


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## 1tonmama (Aug 15, 2013)

Yes, I found most labels come off fairly easy with couple of day's soak. There are some stubborn ones but very few. I clean the label off with pretty much the same method as what everyone's summarized above. Quick dip in the starsan and let dry before I pack them in a box for the next time.


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## Enologo (Aug 15, 2013)

My neighbor who gives me all his empties ( I return a full one from each batch as a thank you ) drinks Bola. I soak them in pot that's deep enough to cover the labels. I run them under hot tap water let em soak a couple of hours and by the time the water has cooled down I give the bottle a spin and the label floats off. If they haven't soaked enough I occasionally have to give em a little rub with the abrasive back of the sponges that my wife uses but i love those bottles.


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## Boatboy24 (Aug 15, 2013)

CBell said:


> I find myself now buying commercial wine not based on taste or price, but based on how easy the label looks to remove



I did that for a while myself. Found a handful that I liked and whose labels came off with relative ease. I bought a lot of those for a number of months.


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## sour_grapes (Dec 11, 2013)

I realize we have a bajillion threads on how best to remove the labels from bottles. However, I wanted to share my experience this evening.

I tried the oven method that several people have suggested. It worked quite well. I heated my oven to about 225 F, and put a dozen or so bottles in. After about 10 minutes, I took one out and replaced it with a cold one. With the hot one (held by an oven mitt), I scraped the edge of the label with a knife, then peeled the label off, generally in one piece. By the time I worked through the 12 original bottles, the "new" one was hot and ready to be peeled.

Some bottles were VERY easy, and took maybe 4 seconds to delabel. Others took a little more care and/or scraping. About 6 out of 50 did not respond well to this regimen (generally, the labels would just rip over and over.) Also, many left a residue that I will have to remove with either a solvent or Powdered Brewery Wash (PBW), but I am confident that step will be MUCH easier without a label in the way!

Try it next time you have the oven on low. You'll like it!


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## Pavel2012 (Dec 11, 2013)

I hate removing labels to the point that I started buying new bottles. 
But just before that I read somewhere, that if you put them in the oven at say 300F for a while, it makes the process much easier. makes sense given that labels have synthetic glue. Ment to try that for a while.

P.S. Haven't seen the previous post.


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## Elmer (Dec 12, 2013)

After last night I can now tell you that I no longer fear my wife's bottles of Mark West!

They were the hardest bottles to strip. I would soak and scrap and use goo bee gone and it took for ever!

Last night I had one bottle to clean. Just one. I just did not want to soak and scrape,
So I threw it in the over with the kids chicken nuggets!

10 minutes at 300F and the label peeled off.
I jumped, I did a snoopy dance!
I yelled at the bottled "I fear you no more"!!!!

My Enthusiasm was probably a little scary! but the oven works well on those hard to strip labels!


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## sour_grapes (Dec 12, 2013)

Elmer said:


> After last night I can now tell you that I no longer fear my wife's bottles of Mark West!



Yay! Glad it worked for you. (I told you you would like it!)


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## JohnT (Dec 12, 2013)

My label removal method is truly the ONLY WAY TO GO... 

I went to walmart and got a 1600psi electric pressure washer. 
I built a chicken wire cradle to caress the bottle. 
I hit it with a medium fan setting and the label just peals off like a banana. 

I can completely clean a case of bottles (including those pesky plastic labels with rubber based cement) in about 5 minutes.

Although I never had a bottle break on me, I do wear eye-protection (just in case).


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## dessertmaker (Dec 12, 2013)

I think I'm going to try boiling my wine bottles and scraping them while they're still hot this time. I've tried just about everything else and I'm not impressed. I've got plenty of big pots and if I boil the bottles I can skip the sanitizer.


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## ldmack3 (Dec 12, 2013)

I soak mine in water, use a single edge razor blade in a scraper, wipe with mineral spirits, then wash the outside.


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## cmason1957 (Dec 12, 2013)

Someone on here mentioned the Labelnator (or some name like that). I bought one and for labels that give me any problems soaking off, it is great. It is shaped like a bottle and has a blade. Works like a champ.


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## sdelli (Dec 12, 2013)

I find the labels are a lot like the wine I make inside them.... Patience! Soak them well and it takes minimal scraping and a Brillo to do the final cleaning....


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## Elmer (Dec 15, 2013)

Since trying the oven method last week, which worked so well.
I just ran across my first bottle which would not cooperate in the oven.
Heated for 10 min, 1/4 of the label just peeled of in a layer, leaving a majority I he label and glue there.
I had to toss it in the sink, soak and scrape!
Kind of disappointed, I thought I had made some real strides with the oven method!


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## dralarms (Dec 15, 2013)

Well, I'm not buying any more used bottles. My local place went up to 5 bucks a case, I found a place to get new ones for 8 bucks a case. Its not worth 3 bucks a case for me to be bothered scraping labels anymore.


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## PatrickShiflet (Dec 15, 2013)

Do they have a web site?


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## barryjo (Dec 15, 2013)

dralarms said:


> Well, I'm not buying any more used bottles. My local place went up to 5 bucks a case, I found a place to get new ones for 8 bucks a case. Its not worth 3 bucks a case for me to be bothered scraping labels anymore.


 
OK. New ones for $8 a case. Who did you bribe????
And where is the source?? 
Probably nowhere near the center of the US.


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## LoneStarLori (Dec 15, 2013)

Elmer said:


> Since trying the oven method last week, which worked so well.
> I just ran across my first bottle which would not cooperate in the oven.
> Heated for 10 min, 1/4 of the label just peeled of in a layer, leaving a majority I he label and glue there.
> I had to toss it in the sink, soak and scrape!
> Kind of disappointed, I thought I had made some real strides with the oven method!




I've been using the oven method too the last couple of times. I'd say I get about 90% good results. I have noticed the cheaper the wine, the harder the label is to get off. Yellow Tail is one of the worst.


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## dralarms (Dec 15, 2013)

barryjo said:


> OK. New ones for $8 a case. Who did you bribe????
> And where is the source??
> Probably nowhere near the center of the US.




I'm not tellin. But it's here in east Tennessee.


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## Elmer (Dec 15, 2013)

dralarms said:


> Well, I'm not buying any more used bottles. My local place went up to 5 bucks a case, I found a place to get new ones for 8 bucks a case. Its not worth 3 bucks a case for me to be bothered scraping labels anymore.



At $8 I would buy new ones!
It is double that here!


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## sour_grapes (Dec 15, 2013)

You know, at the rate I have been collecting 'em, it would probably make good sense to just recycle the 10% of them that are tough to delabel. Somehow, I cannot make myself see that in the heat of the battle!


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## barryjo (Dec 16, 2013)

sour_grapes said:


> You know, at the rate I have been collecting 'em, it would probably make good sense to just recycle the 10% of them that are tough to delabel. Somehow, I cannot make myself see that in the heat of the battle!


 
You are a fast learner. It took me 3 years to figure that out!!!! I also pitch the heavy dark glass bottles.


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## wineforfun (Dec 16, 2013)

dralarms said:


> Well, I'm not buying any more used bottles. My local place went up to 5 bucks a case, I found a place to get new ones for 8 bucks a case. Its not worth 3 bucks a case for me to be bothered scraping labels anymore.



You have to pay for used bottles? That would stink. 
Our local stores, wineries, etc. give them to me free of charge. It saves them from filling up their dumpster or recycle bin.


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## dralarms (Dec 16, 2013)

wineforfun said:


> You have to pay for used bottles? That would stink.
> Our local stores, wineries, etc. give them to me free of charge. It saves them from filling up their dumpster or recycle bin.




Yep, and to top it off the place I get new for 8 bucks wants 6 for used


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## Elmer (Dec 16, 2013)

dralarms said:


> Yep, and to top it off the place I get new for 8 bucks wants 6 for used



I am lucky that family and friends all drink wine and all save thier bottles for me.

However this means that where ever I go, I walk out with an empty bottle.
people give them to me at work (in stealth mode), functions. So I have them all the time.

The issue I have is that as much as I tell people I can not use screw tops, people still give them to me. So my recylce bin gets filled with them.

if de-labeling takes more than 15 minutes for a bottle, I toss it!


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## SouthernChemist (Dec 16, 2013)

One of the perks of being in a chemistry lab is that we have baths of isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) and hydroxide base (lye). It's very good at cleaning laboratory glassware and removing organics. I usually bring the bottles that have hard to remove labels and put them in the 'base bath'. Works every time. As far as I am concerned, I'm just cleaning glassware.

I do find, though, that most labels come off after soaking in some hot water and washing soda (sodium percarbonate). Many just float right off.

And it's always a little disappointing when people say they have bottles saved for you only to find out that they're all screw tops.


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## BobR (Dec 16, 2013)

I have corked screw top bottles and so far I have not had a problem with them, BUT I have never heard of anyone mention if you can by replacement screw caps that would make these bottles reusable? It seems that there are more and more of these bottles out there and it is a shame to waste them and I understand the risk involved in corking them.


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## roger80465 (Dec 16, 2013)

I also use screw cap bottles and have not had a problem. I started using a double handle cork puller so that the force of removing a cork is distributed over the entire opening. I figure if I am going to reuse these bottles, I had better treat them carefully. The only bottles I have broken have been 'cork' bottles.


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## kryptonitewine (Dec 16, 2013)

I used to use screw tops but then a local winery gave me a bunch of bottles. I used the screw tops for gifts to people I knew wouldn't return the emptys.


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## Enologo (Dec 17, 2013)

I'm curious has anyone reused the screw tops with the original top? Can you get a good reseal??


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## kryptonitewine (Dec 17, 2013)

Enologo said:


> I'm curious has anyone reused the screw tops with the original top? Can you get a good reseal??



I've reused gallon jug tops but only for short term storage. I've never reused smaller bottle tops. I would think they would be fine for short term but wouldn't trust them for long term.


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## GaDawg (Dec 17, 2013)

Enologo said:


> I'm curious has anyone reused the screw tops with the original top? Can you get a good reseal??


You can buy 28mm screw tops. Just google "screw top wine bottles"


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## BobR (Dec 17, 2013)

GaDawg said:


> You can buy 28mm screw tops. Just google "screw top wine bottles"



Anyone tried these screw tops?


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## botigol (Dec 17, 2013)

I recently tried a mixture of Oxiclean and TSP90 (2 parts to 1 part) in order to clean and remove labels on beer bottles and it worked great with just a soak; almost all of the labels just floated off. Wine bottles will be tested next.

I have ordered the 28mm caps and they did not fit my screwtop wine bottles. From my reading it seems that there are two sizes of screwtop openings, but I have only seen the larger (has to be 29 or 30mm) so far.


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## Enologo (Dec 17, 2013)

kryptonitewine said:


> I've reused gallon jug tops but only for short term storage. I've never reused smaller bottle tops. I would think they would be fine for short term but wouldn't trust them for long term.



Kind of what I was thinking. I also have a lot of gallon jugs and an assortment of other screw tops with the original tops though I haven't used them. What would you consider long and short term . I guess all of my wine would be considered short term at this point that's part of my problem getting it to age. I think I only have a handful of bottles from last year around this time.


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## Winenoob66 (Dec 17, 2013)

kryptonitewine said:


> I hate cleaning labels. I get bottles from a local restaurant. Hot water and oxyclean don't work on this brand I'm going to put them in the oven next to see if that works.



Try scoring (Scratching it up) the label first before soaking it. Works great for me.

There is a little recycle station here by my house that is unattended all ya do is separate your colored or clear bottle when you throw them in. I go up there an use a Hoe to pull out the wine bottles and I get tons of them that way.(usually a hundred a trip) So cleaning them and delabeling them is a must.


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