Upcycled Wine Bottles - Getting Those Labels Off 2.0!

I realized in my post the other day I left out something important; not all wine bottles have glued on labels! So what do you do when the next wine bottle you want to use has a label or barcode like this:

Since these labels are painted on it's easy to think you can't use them, either because you want just clear glass or because the label is so thick it'll show up even painted over. Well here is my little secret to getting painted labels and barcodes off bottles:

Vinegar!

Any white vinegar will do, this is just what I happened to have on hand. Here's how you do it:

Fill your sink or a pan with vinegar.

Place the bottle in a leave it to set for awhile. I 

like to work on other crafty things while waiting.

Since the vinegar wont be reusable (unless you can pour it back into the bottle)
 it's a good idea to save up bottles and do a whole bunch at a time.

You can test the bottle labels by wiping with a sponge.

If the label doesn't wipe away easily let it soak longer.

Here is the difference after about 3 minutes soaking.

Vinegar will also take any use by dates off if they are painted on.

Here the use by date has been wiped off.

Here is a bottle with the label, and one with the label 

wiped off.

Here you can see half the plane and wine name wiped away.

Once you wipe the label away, rinse the bottle with warm

water and dry it off. If the bottle is not rinsed, the vinegar will

dry on it with paint flecks and it will look dirty. If this happens

the bottle will need to be re-soaked in vinegar and wiped off again.

Now your bottle is ready to be turned into a beautiful piece of art!