April 2000

I'm seeking a foolproof way to safely remove labels from bottles so that the labels can be displayed and the bottles recycled. Traditional hot water soaking works only 50% of the time. Where it failed, even the use of some detergent in the water proved useless. Sadly had to dispose of many still-attached labels as water simply softened edges, made them messy.

From Beer Dave: There is no fool proof way to soak labels from beer bottles. This is due to the fact that so many different types of papers and glues are used. Some times cold water works better. Hot water can actually cause the inks to run and the label to fade. Ammonia works great for getting them off, but also can cause the inks to run. Just add pure ammonia to a tub of water and they should slip off after not too long.

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