Oxiclean soaking: submerge whole bottle or just to the rim?

[hobohrau]

I am getting ready to prep bottles and I have decided to give the oxiclean+warm water method a go, but reading the threads there is one detail that is unclear to me.

Do I:
1. Just throw all the bottles into the solution and fill them up with the oxiclean solution to weigh them down (i.e. just have the whole bottle submerged)

or

2. fill them with tap water, stand them up in a tub/cooler/whatever, and then only fill so that they oxiclean solution goes above the top labels but does not actually enter the bottle?

#1 Will probably be a a lot faster since the plastic tub I have won't have enough flat bottom surface area to stand up all ~50 bottles. Should I be worried about the glue redepositing on the inside of the bottle? If I just pull them out and quickly give them a thorough rinse in hot water will that be enough to leave them clean?

 

[klyph]

I lay mine sideways (flat) in a shallow pan, filling the inside. I do rinse thoroughly afterward.

 

[MetallHed]

I toss two scoops of oxiclean in the party tub, fill it halfway with water, put as many bottles as I can fit (any which way you can) and make sure they fill with solution and stay at the bottom, then fill the tub with more water until they're all covered with solution.

if you're de-labeling, let 'em sit for a day. bring the tub over by your sink and pull them out a few at a time and rub the labels off. sometimes there is a little glue left that i take off with a scouring sponge. rinse the hell out of them with clean water, focus on the inside. you have to make sure you rinse them well.

you can tell if it has oxiclean on it still because it feels a little slimy/slippery.

 

[Diver165]

I just put a 1/2 scoop for a normal sink full of water. I let the bottles fill up and sit for atleast an hour or to. By that time most any lable is ready to fall off. I hit them with a quick scrubbing with my brush and then rinse. I rinse thoroughly with lots of water. It works for me.

 

[aMillionDreams]

I put two scoops of oxyclean in an empty trash can and fill it with bottles and warm water. I can do about 100 at a time.

 

[joelmole]

A Jet Bottle Washer and a kitchen sink hose adapter really speed up the rinsing process. Well worth the cost if you don't have these yet. You can use the bottle washer to rinse out carboys too, though I imagine you should be very cautious when raising a glass carboy up to place on the bottle washer so as to not let it slip. I have Better Bottles and for those it's very handy.

 

[Frank-Likes-Beer]

No concerns about contamination using plain tap water to rinse?

 

[joelmole]

No concerns about contamination using plain tap water to rinse?

You have to sanitize the bottles after this, so no.

 

[Daybis]

I always do an oxyclean soak for a few days (I've let them go for a week or two on a few ocassions. I forgot about them.), I do this to insure that all of the labels come off, goo and whatnot at the bottom of a bottles comes loose. Then the bottles get a quick rinse, then tossed into a second clean batch of oxyclean for about 10 minutes. I also do this outside and I attach my bottle washer to a hose, so I have something to conveniently rinse the inside of the bottles. I'm paranoid about having clean bottles.

 

[manoaction]

Don't confuse cleaning and sanitizing.

You need to use Oxyclean to get rid of the labels, glue, and dirt, but that doesn't sanitize them.

I soak mine entirely in Oxyclean to get the labels off and get them clean, but after a rinsing they get put in a tub of Star San right before I bottle. They sit in there completely submerged for a few minutes and then I go straight to bottling, no rinsing. Just pour out the sanitizer and fill.

 

[RogerMcAllen]

I always fill the bottles with water and stand them upright in the tub. I don't want any label bits/residues getting into the bottles, and more fit in the tub that way.

 

[klyph]

I found the glue residue and bits of old label add a certain je ne sais quoi to the brew.

 

[manoaction]

I found the glue residue and bits of old label add a certain je ne sais quoi to the brew.

Ha ha ha! I went and found the SWMBO to make her read that.

 

[Hannable1975]

I use TSP, as suggested in my old books. I have not tried Oxy Clean. The TSP works WONDERFUL - has anyone done both? Is the Oxy better? ( Hard for me to imagine)

So far as method, I use 5 gal pails, with about 12 - 14 bottles - I simply add hot tap water to them to fill them, then to top off - when water reached the lip of the bottles I add in 1 more gallon of boiling water with 1/4 cups TSP - pick up by bucket handle and "rotate to agitate" for a minute or so - and then let sit for a few hours. Most labels simply fall off in the water, other will slide off with a fingertip's worth of pressure - and what little glue remains comes off with the simplest "scrub" with a cheap dollar store "scrubbie pad".

 

[Hopheader]

Oxiclean = cheaper. (I believe)

Depending where you get your TSP from and in what size...

 

[hobohrau]

Don't confuse cleaning and sanitizing.

You need to use Oxyclean to get rid of the labels, glue, and dirt, but that doesn't sanitize them.

I use iodophor as the sanitizer and I don't think that will get rid of any label gunk if it happens to re-adhere to the bottle... but yes, I do know to sanitize after the oxy soak!

 

[RogueVassar]

I do two soaks. I soak to get the labels off, dump that oxi-water and then do it again. When I pull those, now clean (but not sanitized), bottles out, I'll just dump the next batch of labeled bottles if I have them. I use an old cooler and just leave them in there until I'm ready to deal with them which can be weeks or more.

 

[Whippy]

I've found that Oxi-clean does not take days or hours to get the lables off. I soak mine for like 15 minutes in warm Oxi-clean water and the lables just slide off...quick "scrub" with a sponge for the glue, and we are A-for-Away.

 

[NorCalAngler]

Wow, some of you are talking about using two scoops of oxiclean?! I have a utility sink in my laundry room. If I had to guess I would say I fill the sink with about 15 gallons of water. I start the water filling, add about 3/4 scoop of oxiclean and mix the solution. When the sink is full enough to submerge the first layer of bottles I just throw all the bottles in, letting them fill with oxiclean water so it can scrub away any nasties inside the bottle, too. As the sink fills the bottles will partially fill and start bobbing in the water. I hold each bottle under the water so it fills and sinks completely. I usually leave them in there for days out of lack of time or laziness. Then I scrub any label glue off and give them a good rinse inside and out. I pack them away in boxes in my closet until bottling day and then they get a simple Starsan rinse with my bottle tree/vinator and I bottle.

 

[Fishin-Jay]

My method is probably overkill, but it leaves me feeling confident in cleanliness and sanitation.

1) I soak all the bottles in the tub with hot water and Oxyclean, covering and filling every bottle.

2) I remove the labels and scrub the outside with a scouring pad to get all the glue off.

3) Place all the bottles in the dishwasher with PBW in the machine and run a full wash cycle with the high heat dry.

4) Remove all the bottles and spray the dishwasher rack with Star San.

5) Run all the bottles through the Vinator with Star San and place them back on the dishwasher rack to drain.

6) Bottle from the bottling bucket.

 

[Diver165]

Wow, some of you are talking about using two scoops of oxiclean?! QUOTE]

2 scoops is a waste for most sinks. (IMHO) I guess if you have a bathtub size sink and you're doing 100s of bottles that's one thing. But I've honestly never needed more than a half a scoop for my usage. The water suds up fine and the damn things are so slippery, once in the oxywater (my new invented term) its a wonder I haven't shattered a bottle dropping them. I let them sit an hour, but that's more out of lazyiness. Most labels come right off in a few minutes.

 

[nicadrick]

Here's what I been doing with much success. I mash in a Coleman xtreme cooler. When I need to clean bottles, I flush them with a spigot mounted bottle nozzle as a first step. Next, I fill my Coleman Xtreme cooler (minus the manifold) about 3/4 of full with HOT water. Next, stir in a tablespoon or so of OxiClean FREE. Next, sink each bottle, laying them in so you can fit the most in. Once the cooler full of soaking bottles, close the lid overnight or longer. Then next day the labels have fallen off and the bottles are ready to rinse.

When you are ready open the lid rinse the bottles with the same spigot mounted bottle washer, then set the bottles upside down in a case box or other suitable box to drain. NOTE: do not store bottles upside down, they will mold. Simply store the bottles upright, put a clean paper towel over the top and close the flaps on the case box.

If the water doesn't look to nasty and there is still warmth, I have been known to run re-use the water to wash any remaining bottles, etc.

Cheers!