Easiest, Least Messy Way to Remove Labels From Glass Bottles!

Product labels on bottles aren't decals so they are particularly hard to remove but scraping away with a razor or using Goo-Gone can be pain-staking and/or messy.

I recently had several wine bottles soaking in the kitchen sink and thought to myself, "what a waste of water and space". Since the sink is so wide and the bottles have a couple inches+ of girth, I end up having to fill the sink half way!

Then it dawned on me...a fitted container would require far less water! So I dug in my cabinets, found a plastic-ware container and tested it out.

Step 1: What You Need

-Water source
-Glass bottle with label
-Tall (or shaped to fit) container
-Regular dish soap

Check that your glass bottle will fit inside you container. There shouldn't be a lot of wiggle room for the bottle but there should be space enough for water to sit between the bottle and the sides of the container.

Step 2: Soap It.

Pour a small amount of soap in the bottom of the container. This will help dissolve the label's glue.

Step 3: Water Time.

Set the container down in the middle of the sink (or any area that will capture excess water and/or spillage) and make sure it is stable.

Then fill the container with water but don't fill it to the brim! Fill it with just enough water to cover the label when the bottle is sitting flush against the bottom of the container. This will save water and clean-up time.

Step 4: Check Your Water Level.

Once you have a satisfactory amount of water in your container, remove the bottle and take a gander at how much water you're not using! This is the point of this instructable, saving water when using it to craft!

Step 5: Weight the Bottle.

Now we need to get the bottle, which is full of air and thus floating, to sit flush to the bottom of the container while it soaks. Depending on the height, etc. of your bottle, you may choose a number of items to help weight it down. I have chosen to use another bottle of which I have cut the top off.

Be careful not to put an object over the bottle that might break or tilt and fall!

Step 6: Pull Off the Label.

This label literally only took enough time for me to place the weight-object over the bottle, take it's picture and then set the camera down, for it to peel off!

Bottle labels will differ in soaking-time length. The great thing about using water and soap is you can check it every so often without having to reset the whole process or clean-up everything again.

If given enough time, the label should peel off the bottle in 1 piece.

Good Luck!