How to remove labels/glue from bottles?

[tuffstuff152]

I just drank 2 cases worth of Point Special Lager for the returnable bottles. Im going to use the bottles to bottle my next batch. Im just wondering if anyone has any tricks to removing the labels and unerlying glue from the bottles?

 

[Chello]

Soak in hot water and scrub... or a long soak in some concentrated starsan works well also.

 

[kmudrick]

soak in hot water + oxyclean. use a green scrubby pad for any stubborn glue left.

 

[Revvy]

Soak in hot water and oxyclean overnight...

 

[Loweface]

A short soak in hot soapy water or a long soak in cold water...

I was in no rush with my last two batches so I soaked them in cold soapy water for a day or two outside. Then a quick rub with a brush in hot water at the sink to get the last of the glue residue off...

 

[kornbread]

oxyclean rocks...:rockin:

With Sam Adams bottles the labels just float off and the glue melts away overnight. I did have to peel the labels off some dos equis bottles.

 

[findthefish]

OxiClean and hot water takes most labels off in a matter of minutes. I left some for about 20 minutes and they were all off and floating around in the water. And all that stubborn glue wipes right off with a towel.

 

[cwhill]

oxyclean rocks...:rockin:

With Sam Adams bottles the labels just float off and the glue melts away overnight. I did have to peel the labels off some dos equis bottles.

+1 on the Sammy bottles and Oxy!

 

[fratermus]

I just drank 2 cases worth of Point Special Lager for the returnable bottles. Im going to use the bottles to bottle my next batch. Im just wondering if anyone has any tricks to removing the labels and unerlying glue from the bottles?

Perhaps due to some bizarre circumstance in my water chemistry, I am unable to use oxyclean without getting a terribly gritty/sandy/powdery deposit stuck on my bottles.

So I use either water+bleach or water+ammonia and both work fine with an overnight soak. Gentle scrubbing with a green pad removes any glue residue.

I find that the metallic labels are the hardest to get off; I guess the metalized paper does not allow sufficient water through.


For singles I soak overnight in a countertop 2L bottle with the top cut off. For bunches I fill a bucket.

 

[BigKahuna]

Perhaps due to some bizarre circumstance in my water chemistry, I am unable to use oxyclean without getting a terribly gritty/sandy/powdery deposit stuck on my bottles.

I get this too...Terribly irritating. I fill bottles with hot water then put them in a big cooler. Add Oxyclean to the cooler and fill with Hot Water. I be very careful NOT to get any soak water INSIDE of the bottles.
I use the dishwasher to sterilize, and always dump a cup of white vinegar into the wash cycle instead of soap. It rinses off the white junk pretty good.

 

[fratermus]

and always dump a cup of white vinegar into the wash cycle instead of soap. It rinses off the white junk pretty good.

Exactly, I'd been doing a post-oxyclean soak in vinegar water but it bugged me to have to do it twice. So now I use oxy for laundry only.

 

[monty73741]

me Oxyclean, hot water & a final through a dish washer.
Corna bottles i could get the label off even with paint remover

Now Heinken bottles I had to peel the labels then use paint remover

 

[jay075j]

+1 on the oxyclean and a hot water soak.

 

[Special Hops]

Use Bass Ale bottles. I don't bottle anymore but when I did I always saved the Bass Ale bottles. The glue they use comes off with a simple soak of water. No detergents or oxyclean.

at least this worked several years ago. They may have changed the glue. I dunno.

 

[GunnerMan]

Why not use Goof Of or Goo-Gone. Brings the sticky off very easily, give her a good rinse and your set to go as long as none gets inside bottles but thats unlikely if you goofoff a rag and then scrub the bottle.

 

[kappclark]

oxiclean - the miracle worker for labels