Great way to remove labels for slumping bottles

[cgrafe]

I accidentally found a great way to remove labels from bottles in preparation for slumping. I was going through some videos on YouTube and noticed that one person mentioned soaking the bottles in amonia to remove labels cleanly. I decided to give it a try and was amazed at the success! I took a large bucket with lid, filled my bottles with water (to weight them) and set them in the bucket. I then poured a standard bottle of amonia around the bottles, then I filled the bucket to the top with water (this of course diluted the amonia a bit, but it still worked like a charm). NOTE: I did this experiment OUTSIDE on my patio, hence the lid to keep the pets out…straight amonia is hard on the lungs, so make sure you perform this in a well ventilated area. I don’t know how long it took to soften the labels, but when I checked the bucket several hours later some of the labels had literally fallen off the bottles and settled in the bottom of the bucket! The others came off easily with my fingers and any glue residue just wiped right off. I plan on reusing this solution with a few more batches, so I simply secured the lid to the bucket in preparation for the next batch. I love slumping bottles, but hate removing the labels, so I was very excited about the success of this technique!

Happy Slumping!

[EclecticTreasures]

Can you reuse the labels if you use this technique? I like to reapply the labels on many of my bottles, so I need them to remain intact.

Thanks,
Barb

[cgrafe]

I would say yes, as most of the labels I removed remained intact. It may depend on the label, however since there are many types of labels.

[EclecticTreasures]

Worth a try! Thanks for the info!

Barb

[lorraine]

[GlassMelts]

I use this method too although on a much more diluted scale.  I fill my kitchen sink with hot water and regular dish soap and add about 1/2 to 1 cup of amonia.  Some will float right off and others I need to use a razor blade to help unstick them.  I do reapply the labels occasionally and will increase the amonia a bit to help them come off easier, but if you just want to remove them without saving them, a little amonia works just fine. Scoring or scratching up the labels before putting them in speeds the process, again if you don’t need to save them.

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