Arm & hammer washing soda?

[cjbalough]

Does anyone use washing soda to clean/de-label bottles? Pro/con?

 

[cjbalough]

No one? I tried it on a whim and of worked great at removing labels with just an overnight soak....curious if others have experience using it? Any problems.....

 

[MaxStout]

Never tried it, but sounds like a low-cost way to remove labels. How much washing soda do you use per gallon?

 

[grizzly2378]

Not sure on the pros/cons of Arm and Hammer, but I use the Oxyclean Free (Unscented) powder. Works great. Also works great for getting the gunk out of a carboy post-fermentation. And way cheaper than PBW.

 

[cjbalough]

I just sprinkled some in a 5 gal bucket - not sure how much (1/4 cup, maybe 1/2?). I've been using oxy-free but ran out and have PBW but I hate wasting that when I'm only soaking a few bottles. I've done two batches of bottles and they seem to be as clean as using the other products. I presume its cheaper than oxy-free but as I "borrowed" it from the laundry shelf it was free. I have some wine bottles soaking now.

 

[IslandLizard]

Raises hand...

I've been advocating washing soda (Sodium Carbonate) for years. It's a very good degreaser and cleaning booster, since it raises the pH. Our grandparents used it on large scale.

It makes up a large portion of Oxiclean, which also contains a larger or smaller percentage of Sodium Percarbonate, depending on the brand and freshness, releasing the extra loosely bound Oxygen atom, to give you Oxygen Power! Not meant to sound tacky or gimmicky.

Warm or hot water works best.

Yes, washing soda works very well for most day to day brewing cleaning where the heavier duty PBW is sheer overkill. PBW contains 70% "Oxiclean" and 30% or Sodium Metasilicate. The last one being a very strong detergent as well as a degreaser.

 

[mattmmille]

I use A&H Washing Soda for removing labels from bottles...works great with hot water and a sprinkle. Like someone else said...1/4 to 1/3 cup in a bucket of hot water. I would use Oxyclean if it's cheaper. I find that the labels start dropping off in a matter of minutes. If the inside of the bottle gets clean, too...even better!

 

[mboardman]

Ive used it for removing labels too, but notice quite a film on the bottles, inside and out afterwards, even after a good forceful rinse and shake. Will that film affect the beer when I go to bottle?

 

[IslandLizard]

Ive used it for removing labels too, but notice quite a film on the bottles, inside and out afterwards, even after a good forceful rinse and shake. Will that film affect the beer when I go to bottle?

Of course, those bottles need to be sparkling clean!*

Use a bottle brush to scrub the inside well and a stiff hand brush for the outside. There can be glue remnants left from the label. Then give them a good rinse. To rinse the inside well with hot water, use one of those jet bottle sprayers that attaches to your faucet. :rockin:

After that, use Starsan (fill, leave for 60 seconds, then drain) before filling them with beer.

*The outside is not as important, but dirty grimy labels or glue remnants don't look appetizing and can harbor nasties that may end up inside the bottles at some point. Once the bottles are spotless, it is easier to clean and sanitize them for your next use.

 

[dmwahl]

Old post, but some acetone on a paper towel takes off any remaining label glue quickly and cleanly.