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21 Comments

  1. Nelson
    September 17, 2018 @ 5:18 pm

    The label didn’t come off using baking soda and vinegar in my case (though I no longer waited beyond an hour as I was excited to check, haha!) but nonetheless did the trick and made the peeling process smooth! Thanks a bunch, mate, and cheers!

    Reply

  2. Pierre Messerli
    December 20, 2018 @ 11:43 pm

    Testing removal on an auxiliary label you do not want to keep doesn’t always work. I soaked my wine bottle in water and detergent. The back label come off overnight. The front label did not come off at all. Obviously different adhesives are used.

    Reply

  3. Dr. Jay
    June 27, 2019 @ 11:59 am

    Hey, thanks a lot for this post! I just (successfully) used your soaking method (hot water, 1tsp vinegar, .25 tsp baking powder) to safely and completely remove an uncoated paper label from a fountain pen ink bottle.

    Reply

    • Craig
      June 27, 2019 @ 12:16 pm

      Glad to hear it! Were you trying to preserve the label?

      Reply

  4. Toni
    December 30, 2019 @ 10:12 am

    Thanks so much for the information! I have been searching for this exact thing and no one that I found had the information and detail you did. I also appreciate you including Nick Paul’s information. My husband is going to be so super surprised for his special gifts! Thank You!

    Reply

    • Craig
      December 30, 2019 @ 2:39 pm

      Yay! Always happy to hear we’ve helped someone out.

      Reply

  5. Mohammad
    January 1, 2021 @ 8:41 pm

    Okay! First off, no, I don’t drink!

    I stumbled on to your most excellent site by chance, as I was looking for an easy method to remove labels from some olive oil bottles.

    I’m collecting these labels for research purposes as I’ve discovered that this stuff – pure extra virgin (is ‘extra virgin’ even possible?) olive oil drops high blood pressure with regular use… often in a matter of days and with no adverse side effects!

    Thanks so much!

    Reply

    • Craig
      January 1, 2021 @ 10:19 pm

      Fantastic! So glad we could help!

      Reply

      • Carole
        July 26, 2021 @ 9:29 pm

        I would like to transfer a label from one bottle to another bottle. If I can get the label off could I use mod podge to apply it to the other bottle?

        Reply

        • Craig
          July 28, 2021 @ 3:40 pm

          That depends on whether it’s a sticker or paper. If it’s a sticker, you might be able to just slap it onto the other bottle.

          I don’t know Mod Podge very well, but you can’t go wrong with good old contact (rubber) cement.

          Reply

  6. Kaleigh
    January 20, 2021 @ 5:19 am

    Holy f*cki** sh*t! I collect Gin bottles frown around the world, and sometimes just a random bottle of wine if the label is bad ass. Anyway, I clean them thoroughly a few hours later once they’re empty…ahem..and store them in my walk in closet I built shelves for. I have this distinct image of strategically using them to create a very large piece of mixed media(but the kind that makes sense and is interesting to look at).

    If this actually works I will gratefully fly to meet you bastards, and personally use both of my hands to simultaneously give you both the most incredible high fives ever! Just won the super bowl style high fives. 😉
    We shall see..

    Reply

    • Craig
      January 20, 2021 @ 11:17 am

      Keep us posted!

      Reply

  7. E. Whiteing
    May 15, 2021 @ 6:24 am

    In the beginning of the video, the video lists baking powder. Later it has baking soda. I believe it should be baking soda.

    Reply

    • Craig
      May 16, 2021 @ 9:29 pm

      Good catch! Will correct… Can we send you a koozie?

      Reply

  8. Rita
    May 15, 2021 @ 8:57 am

    I am thinking of trying your Oxiclean method, but I’m nervous it will bleach/fade the label. Will it?

    Reply

  9. Rita
    May 16, 2021 @ 3:09 pm

    Just letting you know that I tried the Oxi clean method and it worked perfectly! The first one came off at about 35 minutes, and the second one took the full hour – didn’t need to use the razor, but was prepared to…in the end they just floated to the top. The labels didn’t fade and they look great.

    Reply

  10. Laura Hodge
    January 5, 2022 @ 3:08 pm

    I just discovered the absolute best and fastest method for removing a sticky label. You need 3 things.
    1. The bottle.
    2. Boiling water.
    3. Utility knife.
    Pour the boiling water into the bottle. (A funnel comes in handy.) Immediately use the blade to lift up your corner. Gentle pull takes that baby right off. Intact. 😁

    Reply

    • Craig
      January 6, 2022 @ 10:39 am

      Thanks for the tip, Laura! In a pinch, this works… sometimes. Not all labels are the same and can vary by thickness and adhesive strength. We wrote our “bake” instructions to work in every situation so you won’t be tossing the dice.

      That said, we’ve had some good luck removing labels with hot water inside as well as OUTSIDE to really soften up that glue. Running it under hot tap water for a minute can get you good results. SOMETIMES.

      Reply

  11. Stephanie Gil
    April 12, 2022 @ 2:24 pm

    I’ve researched this subject myself many times, I want to thank you for your detailed instructions! I also appreciate the SOB method, first time I’ve heard of it! I can’t wait to get started! Thank you again!

    Reply

  12. John Kloman
    November 1, 2023 @ 4:52 am

    Thank you so much for the detail you included in your bottle label removing instructions. I’m contacting you just to check if any new “tweaks” have been discovered since your article. I had a favorite bourbon in college (1967) but the distillery discontinued it in the 1980’s. I searched for a bottle of it, but an unopened bottle now brings $400 to $600! So, I started searching for an empty bottle around 2000 so I could salvage the label. I posted on various web sites and in 2022 (22 years later) a fellow connoisseur contacted me with an empty bottle. (Nothing ever goes away on the internet!) The highly colored paper label appears to be affixed with dry glue, but I am petrified that I will damage it trying to remove it. I even tried to find someone in the antique art field to do it, but to no avail, so while biting a leather strap for possible pain relief, I have resolved to try myself. Do you have any last-minute or new instructions? Thank you for any help you can provide me.

    Reply

    • Craig
      November 21, 2023 @ 10:21 am

      With dry glue, the only way I found to remove it is to soak. Obviously, this is very risky with an antique. Is there any way you can test with a smaller label on the neck of the bottle to see how the printing holds up? What are you planning to do with the removed label? You might do just as well to scan it if you are planning to display it or frame it.

      Reply

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