Cleaning Labels off Bottles

[arh13p]

Does anyone have a good method for cleaning labels off of bottles? Friends have started saving the bottles for me. I have tried OxyClean in hot water. It works on some labels but some have a stubborn adhesive I can't get off. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Redtrk]

Does anyone have a good method for cleaning labels off of bottles? Friends have started saving the bottles for me. I have tried OxyClean in hot water. It works on some labels but some have a stubborn adhesive I can't get off. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.

I soak mine overnight in oxyclean then get the scraper out. The ones that still have sticky stuff where the labels were I set aside then use a little WD-40 on a rag to take it off. Then they get a good cleaning.

 

[olusteebus]

I also soak mine in oxyclean for at least a day. It should be noted that some folks claims that etches the bottles. Since I completely cover my bottles, no etch lines show up but that does not mean they are not etched.

I then just use a wooden scraper (2x2 stick) adn follow up with a 3m scouring pad. You have to really look close with the pad or you may miss some adhesive.

 

[Sammyk]

This may work. Fill the bottle with hot water and let it set about an hour. I found some labels peel right off in one piece this way. If they don't then do the soak and scrape.

 

[ffemt128]

Depending on the bottles, Sammy's method will work. Alot of the bottles I've collected I initially just filled with hot water and let sit half hour labels peeled right off. For those that dont, a good overnight soaking in hot water then scrape off. Any labels that don't come off get hit with denatured alcohol to disolve the adhesive. Rinse and sanitize until ready for use.

 

[pete1325]

I score the labels in a criss-cross manor before giving them a good hot soapy overnight soaking, then I use a sharp knife to scrape off the remains. Use a little Acetone on a clean paper towel to remove adhesive.

 

[GreginND]

If they don't come off easily I just send them back to the recycling bins. Not worth my time. There are unlimited bottles available from restaurants and recycling centers. I usually look for the european wine bottles as the labels tend to come off easier. Also, the non-glossy paper labels are easier to soak off than glossy labels.

 

[Thig]

I soak the bottles in hot water a few minutes, then I scrape off what I can with a knife. Finally I scrub the bottle with a brillo pad to get the remaining glue/paper off. Works great every time. Glass is rather hard to scratch so I have not had a problem with the knife or the brillo pad scratching it.

 

[smcalli1]

I've focused on reusing Charles Shaw bottles. You can't beat a $3 everyday wine and I have standardized bottles for my own wine. I make a soak solution using Straight-A Cleanser. I soak the bottles about 15 minutes or more. Most times the labels come right off. Sometimes they're a little subborn and I use a putty knife to get them off.

 

[pete1325]

$3 buck Chuck? I remember when it was only $2, man everthing is going up, what's the world coming too?

I agree, not (that) bad and you get a free bottle with every purchase.

 

[Rocky]

I soak bottles in hot water and either OxyClean or Dawn dishwashing liquid for about 5 hours. I am getting to know the "easy" labels, usually on Italian wines and the "hard" labels, usually the Australian wines. As some have stated, some labels literally float off the bottle and others require trinitrotoluene. After the soaking period, I use an old chef's knife to scrape off the label. If there is a significant amount of glue or label residue left on the bottle, I slip it back into the soaking liquid for an additional period. I find that with the majority of the label removed, the water/soap mixture is better able to attack the glue. Finally, I use a Brillo pad to remove any remaining glue. I then hold the bottle up to a bright light to inspect the inside and take whatever measures are indicated to clean that part of the bottle. As Sammyk points out, above, it is important to get hot water into the bottle both to start to dissolve any wine residue and to begin to attack the glue with heat from the inside.

 

[smcalli1]

Not (that) bad at all. I don't serve it to company, but . . .

I'd say it's inflation, but I think it has more to do with taxes.

 

[derunner]

I've found just plain hot water for about 30 minutes works best for most labels. I use a razor blade scraper and most just slide off, but some take a bit more work. For the adhesive that is left over, i was using paint thinner on a rag, but then someone suggested brillo/sos pads. I have not found any bottle/adhesive that the sos pads don't work on so that is what i use now. I am careful not to get soap inside the bottle. After taking off labels, i use hot oxyclean (easyclean) solution to wash inside and out. I use a drill mounted bottle brush and drill to clean the inside. After 3-4 rinses, i use starsan to sanitize before drying.

 

[froeschli]

I've found just plain hot water for about 30 minutes works best for most labels. I use a razor blade scraper and most just slide off, but some take a bit more work. For the adhesive that is left over, i was using paint thinner on a rag, but then someone suggested brillo/sos pads...

I use hot water and razor scraper too. then a scouring pad. on the last batch i only had issues with 2 out of 30 bottles. i can live with a bit of glue on 2 bottles. or just not use them....

 

[JohnT]

Guys,

I do not know of anyone else that does this, but it sure works great..

I have scraped, soaked, and scrubbed bottles until my hands were raw. On day it hit me... THE BEST WAY TO CLEAN A BOTTLE....EVER!

I first built a cradle that can hold a bottle out of some wood (for support and legs) and thick wire mesh (to serve as a cradle). once complete, I simply slip a bottle into the cradle and then blast it with an electric pressure washer. In a matter of seconds, the labels come off and I am left with a clean bottle. It even works great on those pesky plastic labels that are held on with rubber cement!

I have cleaned THOUSANDs of bottles this way and never had one break on me. The only thing you need to remember is to, first, wear safty goggles and, second, set your pressure washer nossel to a wide "fan" when you start.

 

[geek]

Guys,

I do not know of anyone else that does this, but it sure works great..

I have scraped, soaked, and scrubbed bottles until my hands were raw. On day it hit me... THE BEST WAY TO CLEAN A BOTTLE....EVER!

I first built a cradle that can hold a bottle out of some wood (for support and legs) and thick wire mesh (to serve as a cradle). once complete, I simply slip a bottle into the cradle and then blast it with an electric pressure washer. In a matter of seconds, the labels come off and I am left with a clean bottle. It even works great on those pesky plastic labels that are held on with rubber cement!

I have cleaned THOUSANDs of bottles this way and never had one break on me. The only thing you need to remember is to, first, wear safty goggles and, second, set your pressure washer nossel to a wide "fan" when you start.

do you have any pictures of that?

..

 

[tonyt]

I start by being very picky about where my bottles come from. I only take bottles from my close relatives and they know that the bottles MUST be rinsed very well immediately after emptying. And they are to store the bottles inside rather than in a garage or shed. They all know the shape and color bottles I like and only save those for me. That all sounds harsh but I always respond with a few full bottles in appreciation. Everyone that I give wine to is told that if they return my bottles I will refill and share with them. It's really a symbiotic relationship.



Next I keep a log of commercial wines whose labels remove easy, moderate or difficult. Generally I only use the "easy" category.




I try to clean at least every two weeks. I rinse the bottles with scalding hot water twice then submerge in hot water for a full day. This monopolizes my wife's kitchen sink so I take her out to eat that day. Then I scrape the label off the bottle with the back side of a butter knife and remove the glue with a scouring pad like pictured except mine have wooden handles on the back.

I do not "wash" my bottles at all, just rinse. I know where all my bottles come from and trust my family to keep them clean for me. Any bottles that do come to me with sediment, mold or critters get pitched and the sender (son) reprimanded. I store clean bottles in huge rubbermaid pack alls. I have a big loud family and get more bottles than I can use so I can be very picky. At bottling time I rum the bottles through the dishwasher without any detergent and use the "sani cycle" and heated dry. A quick rinse with sanitizer solution and off I go.

 

[olusteebus]

JohnT, do you spray the insides also.

You know what they say about finding the easy way don't ya? The lazy man will always find it.

 

[Duster]

dollar store box of sos pads work great

 

[Boatboy24]

The OxyClean soak has worked pretty well for me in most cases. Usually the labels come off pretty well, if not completely after that. A quick scrub with a ScotchBrite type pad and I'm usually done. For more stubborn labels/adhesive, I use a hand held razor blade paint scraper type thingy, followed by the ScotchBrite pad for good measure. I usually soak in the Oxy for half an hour or less. I've found that longer soaks where the water cools off result in the label somehow re-affixing itself.

EDIT: I should note that the absolute WORST labels I've dealt with are the Avery labels that I myself applied.