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SAVE
THAT LABEL!
We all know how
frustrating it can be trying to remove some labels from wine
bottles. Removing labels used to be quite simple, but new glues
have been developed to prevent labels from coming off in
restaurant wine buckets. These glues make it difficult to remove
the labels at all, but one of the following methods will almost always
work.
Several different glues are used today and you can’t tell
which one was used by looking at the label. No single technique
works every time on every label, but there are some relatively
safe bets. First try to peel the label off starting in a corner.
If you are lucky and the winery used the new “peel and
stick” type of label, the label will come right off
(However, it will immediately stick to anything it comes in
contact with!). Most times you will not be so lucky.
The Blow-drier Method - Some of the new glues are
unaffected by water, but will melt enough to slide the label off
the bottle after “toasting” the label with a blow-drier
for about 5 minutes. A heat gun will work faster.
The Tape Method - This
method separates the layer of the label with the image on it from
the layer with the glue.
We sell
a product called Labeloff Label Saver ($8.95) which works 98% of the
time. It's a package of clear plastic sheets with an aggresive glue on one side.
You must follow the instructions carefully.
Or you can contact the manufacturer directly:
Pentad Group, Inc.
106 Pentad Plaza
1446 N.W. 2nd Ave.
Boca Raton, FL 33432
(561) 362-8678
e-mail: labelsaver@aol.com
You can also do it
yourself. Go to any office supply store and buy a
roll of clear 3” wide strapping (packing) tape.
1. Cut off two strips of tape that are about 4” wider than
the label.
2. Fill the bottle with VERY hot water (trying not to get the
label wet). Wipe the bottle dry.
3. Put a strip of paper about 1/2” wide across the sticky
side of both ends of the tape so the ends won’t stick to the
bottle.
4. Working from one side of the bottle to the other, attach the
tape to the bottle so that it just extends (about 1/4”)
above the label. Bring the tape across the label, using some type
of straight edge to smooth it out as you go.
5. Once you have the first strip in place, if it doesn’t
fully cover the label, attach the second strip right under the
first.
6. Use the back of a spoon to rub hard all over the label.
7. Starting at one edge, slowly start to peel off the tape.
8. Once the label is removed, trim the edges with a scissors.
The Soaking Method - this is becoming less effective as fewer
water-soluble glues are being used.
Equipment: 1 tall Igloo water jug (the picnic kind), tall enough
to hold a bottle, Ivory Detergent, paper towels, wax paper, a
single edged razor blade, a heavy book, a cork, and a glass of
wine.
1. Fill the jug with warm water and 2-3 drops of Ivory Detergent.
2. Fill the wine bottle itself with VERY hot water and immerse it
in the jug.
3. After about 30 minutes, the label should either be floating in
the jug or loosely clinging to the bottle. If not, continue the
soak for 2 hours or overnight.
4. If the label still isn’t off, take the bottle out of the
jug and fill it again with very warm water. Cram an old cork into
the top and dry the bottle well. Get the label as dry as
possible.
5. Lay the bottle on a towel to steady it. Use the single edged
razor blade to scrape the label off. Start working from the left
side of the label, following the curve of the bottle, to about
the middle of the label. Then start from the right side of the
label and cut back to the center. Work back and forth until the
label is off.
6. Put the label between towels to blot of as much moisture as
possible. Be careful! Some of the new glues are of the
“peel and stick” variety and will stick to anything. If
you find one of these, press the label down on some plain white
paper and trim around the label.
7. Place the label on a piece of waxed paper with paper towels on
top of it and weight it down with a heavy book until the label
dries.
8. The glass of wine? You know what that’s for!
Joel’s Method - Forget the darned label and buy
another bottle!
E-Mail:
beekman@conversent.net
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