best label removal techniques

[mojorooks]

what is the best way to remove labels. Some come off easy with hot water and bleach, but some labels just don't want to come off! Majic Hat is one of my nemisi. I hate having my homebrew in prelabel bottles. any suggestions?

 

[Saxmk6]

Personally I have had excellent luck with Oxyclean. I use the Oxyclean without bleach. It has the green lid. I use that for nearly all cleaning as well. Wallmart for under 7.00 gets labels off and bottles clean. Just soak the bottles in a tub of water and oxyclean come back an hour later, and labels literally fload off the bottle....

 

[Jared311]

I soak the bottles in hot water & sanitizer for a few minutes then I use a spackling knife to easily scrape the labels off. Starsan seems to do a good job eating away at the glue because there isn't much residue left.

 

[Whiskey]

I've used both techniques with equal success.

 

[Dadrick]

+1 for oxyclean

get a large tote or tub fill it with warm water/oxyclean and sink a case of bottle. The labels just float off. Be careful when you pick the bottles up they'll be slippery, give them a good rinse and your good.

 

[mnadamn]

oxi clean and steel wool, cant go wrong

 

[climateboy]

Dunk 'em in hot soapy water. Peel off labels with fingers when soft. Then, take steel wool and scrub up and down the bottles, not around. Works like a charm.

 

[wrangler]

maybe stop drinking that magic hat stuff? ha.
seriously though, a soak in a water and ammonia mixture works wonders.

what is the best way to remove labels. Some come off easy with hot water and bleach, but some labels just don't want to come off! Majic Hat is one of my nemisi. I hate having my homebrew in prelabel bottles. any suggestions?

 

[frolickingmonkey]

Hmm... I've never tried the Oxyclean method. Like wrangler, I use an ammonia mixture and let em soak, usually overnight. Labels float off, then you just need to lightly scrub off the remaining glue. Might try the Oxyclean since it's not a nasty chemical (or so they say)!

 

[ChshreCat]

The plasticy labels are harder than the paper ones, even with oxyclean. I usually have to soak those for a couple hours, peel the plastic layer of the label off and then soak some more to get the paper and glue backing off.

 

[Coastarine]

The plasticy labels are harder than the paper ones, even with oxyclean. I usually have to soak those for a couple hours, peel the plastic layer of the label off and then soak some more to get the paper and glue backing off.

Same here. I like to use clear bottles for my apfelwein and some lighter low IBU styles, and for that I have bottles from "cerveza del mar". It must be because the labels are clear plastic and they need an adhesive that is clear, but that stuff is gummy and a PITA.

 

[Schlenkerla]

I did a side by side soaking, ammonia & water vs Oxy-clean & water.

I cleaned 5 cases....

I used the following;

- 2 cups ammonia : 10 gal water
- 2 cups oxyclean : 10 gal water

Without a doubt the oxyclean was better.

I was soaking New Belgium Bombers. Every bottle from the oxyclean was w/o a label. 50% of the bottles from the ammonia came out w/o labels but they required only light scrubbing.

The soak was pretty long, about 3-4 weeks outside under the deck!!!

 

[talleymonster]

Also, you can use Star San or Muriatic Acid to remove the painted on labels : Corona, Stone, Sol, Rogue, Etc.

 

[Saxmk6]

Also, you can use Star San or Muriatic Acid to remove the painted on labels : Corona, Stone, Sol, Rogue, Etc.

You can remove the painted labels??????????

 

[talleymonster]

yessir, you can.

 

[mojorooks]

thanks for the input everyone! I will put it to good use. Anyone know if the LD carlson Easyclean is the same as Oxyclean?

 

[Parker36]

Can we sticky one of these label removal threads? I swear there are 2 a day

 

[mojorooks]

It figured it would be stickied. I didn't see any one the list. yeah, this should be a sticky thread.

 

[Limited Visibility]

I feel that oxyclean does a perfect job for getting labels off. Just make sure you get the un-scented kind.

 

[Coastarine]

thanks for the input everyone! I will put it to good use. Anyone know if the LD carlson Easyclean is the same as Oxyclean?

No it isn't. EZclean is a no rinse basic solution.

 

[starrfish]

RJ rockers (sc microbrewery) has the worst labels! too bad the beer is so good i.e. drink alot of it. Plasticy labels with major glue residue that stays sticky. the residue is so bad I've decided to chuck them! Will try ammonia but I'm not holding my breath on getting these evil things off.

 

[ptra1004]

OxyClean!?!? I love that stuff and now I have a new use for it. Personally, Saranac labels have been my worst enemy the last few weeks. The Oktoberfest labels floated off in about ten minutes in ammonia but the rest have been a bit more persistent. I'll have to give the OC a try...

 

[bearkluttz]

oxyClean is your friend...

 

[killerhertz]

oxyClean is your friend...

+ Oxyclean is great. Just put a 1/3 scoop or so in your sink and run some hot water with some dish detergent. Easy peasy.

 

[Bobbleheadgeorge]

Agreed. Oxyclean is a miracle.

 

[Kungpaodog]

I just used Oxyclean for the first time tonight to de-label 170 bottles. Man that stuff works great! Except for the Rogue bottles theat needed a little bit of persuasion (just grabbed a label floating in the tub and scrubbed off the last of the Rogue glue) it was as easy as it gets. I now have a bunch of bottles waiting to be filled with delicious yeast-blessed goodness. Thanks for the tip, all.

 

[lx302]

Hmm Oxyclean. I'll have to try it.
I usually use 2-3 tbls of Ammonia per gallon of water and the labels just fall off after a couple hours in the bucket.

 

[Brutus Brewer]

I put the bottles into a cooler and add some water that I heated on the stove with oxy clean. Close the lid and let it steep for an hour or so. Open the lid and the labels are floating in the water.

 

[Penguin]

a trip through the dishwasher usually takes most of mine off if the sink of hot water doesnt get em.

 

[starrfish]

tried oxyclean, worked well labels floated with a short soak in a cooler, except for the RJ Rockers. It did however get the glue residue off of the RJ Rockers labels I was able to peel off before soaking... pretty amazing. I'm an oxyclean convert!