Label removel - easy

[edv]

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

 

[JoshDivino]

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

 

[LoveTheWine]

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

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

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

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

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

 

[jamesngalveston]

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

 

[cimbaliw]

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

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

 

[LoveTheWine]

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

How many bottles do you lose that way?

 

[petey]

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

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

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

 

[terroirdejeroir]

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

 

[johngg123]

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

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

John

 

[jamesngalveston]

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

 

[Chateau Joe]

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

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

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

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

 

[jswordy]

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

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

 

[jamesngalveston]

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

 

[cohenhouse77]

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

The dishes are done man!

 

[LoveTheWine]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

[jamesngalveston]

bake them in the oven.it easiest

 

[LoveTheWine]

bake them in the oven.it easiest

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

 

[jamesngalveston]

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

 

[LoveTheWine]

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

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

 

[JohnT]

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

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

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