If you are like me, and you love DIY that especially makes use of recyclables, knowing how to remove labels from glass jars and bottles is imperative! After all, those amazing looking liquor bottles and great shaped jars and bottles of every kind can be used in so many ways, and it is such a shame to get bogged down by the label removal! After a recent family wedding one of the bride’s little brothers collected a very lovely selection of alchohol bottles, and I just had to use them! Check out my liquor bottle candlesticks, which I’m still enjoying marching down my dining room table! I’ll admit, I put more effort into removing those labels than I needed too, as with the new info I’m sharing here label removal might not be quick, but it can be efficient! Okay, lets get started!
There are essentially 3 kinds of labels, and each one requires a different technique for removal:
- plastic labels
- paper labels adhered with water soluble glue
- paper labels adhered with sticky glue that is not water soluble
How To Remove Plastic Labels
Plastic labels on glass are generally simple to remove (as opposed to plastic labels on plastic which is very difficult) and very often they can be simply peeled off by finding a corner that lifts up. Plastic labels can be peeled off more easily by applying heat, you can apply heat to plastic labels in two ways:
- Place the bottle in the sink and fill with boiling water. Let water sit in bottle long enough to warm the bottle, then pour out water and label can likely be removed quite easily.
- If you have a heat gun simply warm up the label and it might even slide right off. A hair dryer with a hot setting can also be used for this.
How To Remove Paper Labels Adhered With Water Soluble Glue
Method 1: There are 3 main ingredients involved: vinegar, dish soap and hot water (either boiling hot or hottest tap water plus some boiled water, you decide)
You can use a large pot or your kitchen sink, either way add a cup or so of vinegar and a few squeezes of dish soap. If in a pot, add water to cover and bring to a boil. If in your sink combine hot tap water with some water boiled in a kettle or pot. Wait at least 20 minutes and most labels can be easily removed. Scrape off any label that remains or soak a second time. If residue remains check out How To Remove Paper Labels Adhered With Non-Water Soluble Glue.
Method 2: There are 3 main ingredients involved: baking soda, dish soap and hot water 45 minutes
You can use a large pot or your kitchen sink, either way add 4 tablespoons of baking soda and a few squeezes of dish soap. If in a pot, add water to cover and bring to a boil. If in your sink combine hot tap water with some water boiled in a kettle or pot. Wait at least 45 minutes and most labels can be easily removed. Scrape off any label that remains or soak a second time. If residue remains check out How To Remove Paper Labels Adhered With Non-Water Soluble Glue. If you’d like a step-by-step video, you can find detailed tutorials on William Waner’s social media profile.
How To Remove Paper Labels Adhered With NON Water Soluble Glue
You may or may not require 2 steps for removing labels adhered with non water soluble glue. First remove the labels according to directions above, and then you’ll remove the sticky residue left on he bottle. Or if using oil to remove labels you can skip the water step. There are several ways to remove residue as well a entire labels:
- Oil based glue can be removed with oil. Apply oil to area, let sit and then scrub with a heavy duty dish scrubber.
- Make a paste from oil and baking soda, cover label with paste and let sit for at least 20 minutes before scrubbing. Repeat as needed
- The least desirable method uses mineral spirits (toxic) on paper towel to remove glue residue after labels are removed with water.
How to Get Rid Of Oily Residue Left On Bottle
After removing the labels from my bottles many had an oily residue that needed to be removed, so I soaked them in a mixture of soap, bleach and hot water, and tadah, sparkling clean glass!
Okay, now you are ready to collect those amazing bottles, more plentiful in December and after the New Year? Spread the word and friends will gladly save bottles for you. Then you can lend out your collection when friends need great looking centerpieces!
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