# Washing labels off with methylated spirits



## glyph (9/1/14)

Hi, I just soaked a bunch of glass beer bottles in a bin with hot water and a bit of metho to remove all of the labels. It worked a treat to remove the labels and glue but after doing a bit of reading, I've discovered this could leave a foul taste in the bottles...

I still need to sanitize the bottles before filling with beer, but I would like to know if just rinsing them with water before sanitising will be enough to get rid of any metho foulness? Any ideas?


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## manticle (9/1/14)

Water should be enough. Rinse and taste but ethanol (mostly what makes up metho) is 100% miscible in water. Rinse twice, taste the second rinse water and rinse again if need be.


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## manticle (9/1/14)

Various kitchens I worked in used to add a dash of metho to hot water to rinse residue from and polish cutlery. Only ever got a wipe - no drama.


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## _HOME_BREW_WALLACE_ (9/1/14)

What manticle said, however next time you soak your bottles use nappisan instead and rinse well. The labels fall off as you lift them out of the water and the mix also helps remove any crud from the bottom of the bottles. They come up a treat.


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## Mr. No-Tip (9/1/14)

When I am peeling labels I just stick them in PBW or caustic that I am using to clean my kettle or fermenter or whatever else - free multitask.

If the glue residue stays on (seems brand dependent), I just use some of that orange goo remover stuff.


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## Parks (9/1/14)

Not that I'm saying metho would be better than PBW but metho requires far less rinsing than PBW.


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## menoetes (9/1/14)

Funny this should come up now, I've spent the last two days washing the labels off of the 4 cartons or so of commercial bottles I stocked up on over Xmas/New Years.

I used napisan myself and they started falling off after an hour or two (or at least most did, Sail and Anchor's didn't so I took the steel wool to them and Stone & Wood have _plastic_ labels damn them.) but I never heard of the Metho method. Might give it a try, warm water rinsing should take care of any smell and you'll be sanitizing before using it again.

I use a lot of ethanol in the Lab I work in and it rinses out of our equipment readily enough. I wouldn't be too worried, just give it a few good rinses.


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## glyph (9/1/14)

Awesome. I feel much better now. The metho was pretty amazing, the bottles only had to soak for 10 minutes in hot water and metho and the labels just slid off. Glue needed a bit of a wipe, but barely any elbow grease.

If they rinse easy enough, I'll be sure to use this method again.


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