Most of our daily use items, such as perfume, sauces, jams and wine, com in glass jars or bottles. Some of these glass bottles are so beautiful that we can't bear to throw them away even when they become empty, and we want to reuse them as containers or even decoration. Sometimes these glass bottles come with painted labels instead of the traditional stick-on labels.
If you want to use recycled glass bottles as decorative items, the painted label can make them look tacky and cheap. If you want to know how to remove painted bottle labels keep reading this oneHOWTO article.
How to remove simple painted labels
Labels which are simply and directly painted on bottles or jars are easy to remove. This kind of painted label needs to be soaked in a mild solution like acetone or apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar has plenty of different benefits, including household uses.
You will need:
- Acetone or apple cider vinegar
- A shallow pan
- Scrubbing pad
- The glass bottle or jar with a painted label
How to remove a painted label:
- Pour acetone, nail polish remover or apple cider vinegar in the shallow pan. Do not fill the pan completely, as the acetone level will rise when you put the bottle in it.
- After filling the pan, place the bottle in it with the painted label face down. Make sure that the bottle is capped.
- Leave the bottle in the liquid for an hour or till the paint begins to loosen up.
- Then, remove the bottle from the pan. Hold the bottle and with a clean cloth wipe off the letters.
- If wiping doesn’t clean off the letters then use a scrubbing pad to scrub off the print.
- If that doesn't work either, you can use a razor to scrape the rest of the label off. If you are scrapping it like that, though, be careful not to leave any scratch marks on the bottle and not to hurt yourself.
After some hours, the paint will come off easily. The glass bottles or jars can then be used as a decorative item for your home; for instance, you can make a vase out of a recycled bottle.
How to remove screen-painted labels
Screen-painted labels on glass bottles or jars are harder to remove than the simple painted ones. You will need stronger acid-based solution or a sanitizer such as Star San to remove it.
You will need:
- An acid-based sanitizer such as Star San
- A bucket
- Scrubbing pad
- The glass bottle or jar with a screen-painted label
How to remove a screen-painted label:
- Fill a bucket with the acid-based sanitizer. Do not fill the bucket completely.
- Take the bottle with its cap on and submerge it into the bucket for 24 to 48 hours.
- After that time has passed, the label will start to fall off.
- Use a scrubbing pad to lightly scrub it off the surface of the glass bottle. We recommend using gloves, as these sanitizers dry the skin quite fast.
- Then rinse the bottle under tap water and dry it off using a towel.
This is how to remove painted bottle labels. If you have any tips or questions, tell us in the comments section!
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