How to Remove Paint From Glass Bottles?

Nowadays most bottles come with sticky labels that are pretty easy to remove in case you are planning to make use of a bottle, for instance, for your crafts. However, some brands still sell their products in glass bottles that have painted logos on!

And how do we get rid of those?! Indeed, to remove paint from glass bottles, you will have to spend way more time and effort than doing the same with a sticky label. Nevertheless, don’t even think that it is impossible! We know a few handy tricks that will help you with removing logos from glass quite easily and safely for both you and a bottle.

How to Remove Painted Labels From Glass Bottles

The method you will be using for removing paint from glass bottles hangs upon in what way this painted logo was applied onto the surface of that glassware. One option is to simply make use of some acetone, but another approach will require harsher cleansing products. But let us explain everything to you in detail step by step.

Some of you might face a similar situation: you buy a batch of beer bottles with painted labels on just because you liked them. They looked unusual and cool, so why not buy some? And after the beer is finished, you decide to save the bottles for later use (especially if you do some kind of crafts).

But then you suddenly realize that those printed logos are not needed and you’d rather have them deleted! However, doing this will require quite an aggressive glass treatment. Will you manage to do it harmlessly and keep the surface of the bottles still smooth?

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Since logos that are painted on glass can be applied in two distinct ways, you first need to figure out which one was used on the glassware you have. What can it be?

• the logo can be simply painted on glass with usual paint
• it can be applied using the method of screen-printing

In the first case, removing paint from glass bottles will be much simpler than if you will have to deal with the screen-printed version.

Respectively, for each of these approaches you will need to prep different tools and chemicals. Let’s see what steps will have to be taken in each situation.

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Removing Painted Labels From Bottles

If your bottle’s logo is simply painted on its surface with the use of ordinary paint, you are lucky! To remove paint from a glass bottle in this case will not be a big deal at all.

First of all, grab a shallow dish or a pan, fill it with acetone or your nail polish remover, and place the bottle into this “bath” with the logo turned downward so that it is under the surface of the liquid. Remember that the label must be soaking in it!

Now you can leave the bottle to soak until you see that the paint starts getting loose. When it happens, it means that it is time to proceed to the next step!

Take a scrubbing pad or, if you are a brave one, a razor, and accurately scrub (or scrape off) the painted logo. Act very delicately and carefully when using a razor since it can scratch the surface of your bottle leaving ugly marks that will not be possible to remove later!

Finally, when you are done with removing the label, rinse your bottle under the running water to wash off the remaining traces of paint and the debris left after the cleaning procedure.

Credits: Polina Tankilevitch, via Canva.com

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Removing Screen Print From Glass

But not all bottles have labels simply painted on them! Some brands prefer using screen prints instead. If you happen to have one like this, don’t get upset! You will simply need to spend more time and make use of other, stronger chemicals, but that’s it!

Take an acidic remover, for instance, Star San, pour it in a container that you can fully place the bottle in, and let it soak for twenty-four or even forty-eight hours. Yes, it will take you one or two days, but on the other hand, once you take the bottle out of the liquid, you can easily shake the label off it!

To finish it, all you will have to do is to gently scrub the bottle with either a scrub brush or a scrubbing pad. It will allow to delete any remaining paint leftovers completely leaving the surface of the glassware clean and shiny.

Rinse your bottle and dry it with a soft cloth, and you can start using it for whatever you feel like.

With these two methods, you will be able to cope with any kind of painted label on a bottle, no matter how it was applied.

How to Remove Sticky Labels From Jars And Other Vessels

Since we are now aware of how to remove print off glass bottles, let’s at the same time remember what to do if we need to get rid of a common sticky label. Since sticky labels are made of paper that is glued to the glass surface (or any other surface), taking them off bottles is way simpler in comparison to what we need to go through to deal with the printed or painted counterparts.

Fortunately, there are plenty of methods that you can opt for when in need of deleting the sticky logo off the vessel.

Credits: NatashaBreen, via Canva.com

Baking Soda, Hot Water, Soap, And Cooking Oil

This crazy mixture is needed for simply getting that sticky piece of paper off your bottle or a glass jar. You need to soak the vessel in hot soapy water and then peel the label off once it softens.

Of course, after you remove the label, there will be some sticky residue on the surface of a bottle or a jar! To clean it off, use either a scourer or prep a 50/50 mixture of baking soda and any cooking oil, and apply it over the sticky area. After thirty minutes, you can easily remove the residue with your fingers.

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Stick to Essential Oils

This is a very easy way to remove labels from wine bottles and other glassware! In addition, you get them scented! What you need to do is to take the label off (feel free to use the hot soapy water method), and then to apply one of the following oils onto the sticky residue:

• eucalyptus
• lemon
• orange
• tea tree

They will dissolve the glue once you rub the oil with a rag. And no soaking or scrubbing is needed!

Use Alcohol

As an option, feel free to use any liquids that contain a high amount of alcohol. A nail polish remover or isopropanol will do quite well, for example. You just need to soak a rag in the liquid and rub the label or the sticky residue it left.

This is the most effortless method if you want to know how to get logos off glassware fast and easily.

Citrus-Based Cleaning Products

If you have no alcohol-containing liquids at home, and you don’t have time for soaking the glassware to clean the label off, try to simply treat it with any citrus-based cleaning liquid. Just pulverize it over the label you want to get rid of and let it sit for a while.

Afterward, simply scrub the label off but remember to act delicately to not leave scratches on glass!

White Vinegar

This is something almost everyone has on the kitchen shelf! Need to make your glass bottle free of sticky labels? Then treat it with acetum. And if you mix it with citrus peel, you will double its magical power!

Freeze It!

Yes, that simple! And by the way, extreme cold works the same well as heat when we need to unstick a paper label. Just take the lid or a cap off your glassware and put it into the freezer for a few hours. The label will come off easily.

How to Remove Printed Labels From Plastic

And since today we are talking about removing labels off bottles and other glassware, why not mention how it can be done on plastic surfaces? We are sure you often use plastic containers left after some store-bought goodies at home. But you do feel irritated about those labels that are not always good-looking!

Credits: juanorihuela, via Canva.com

Luckily, it is possible to cope with those printed logos. What you will need is a 100% nail polish remover or any other liquid that contains a high percentage of alcohol in it. Also, you will need some cotton balls or pads, and, perhaps, gloves to protect your fingers from being dried by the liquid.

So the scheme is super simple. You put on gloves, soak the cotton pad or ball with the alcohol-based liquid you have, and you start working on your vessel with it! It will take you a few seconds before the print starts getting off, so be ready for that. Just keep on working, and soon you will have a perfectly clean container.

We hope these tips will be useful for you next time you will decide to save some glassware or clean the label off a plastic tank.

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