Twist off the foil along with the cap. Thinner skirts can often be removed with the cap by gripping the skirt along the base and giving a quick twist, opening the cap and loosening the skirt all at once. Remove in one piece. Pry the skirt away with a screwdriver or other flat tool. Should the skirt remain on the bottle after opening, you may need to pry it away. Use a wedged tool such a screwdriver to create a flap on the skirt. Continue to pry with the screwdriver, or use pliers to pull away the skirt. Cut the skirt away with a sharp knife. Depending on the thickness of the skirt, a sharp knife can create an incisive flap, which can be used to peel the skirt away. Be careful when using knives or screwdrivers to avoid a slip of the hand and injury.
Fill a bucket with water. Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda for every 2 cups of water; alternatively, add 1/4 cup of ammonia. Soak the bottles in the bucket for 30 minutes. Labels will detach while soaking. Manually peel off any labels that do not fully detach. Gloves recommended if soaking in ammonia.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Hold the wine bottle over the boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes. The glue will soften. Carefully remove label from the bottle with your hands (may be hot). Can be steamed for an additional 10 to 15 minutes if the label will not remove. Bottles may also be baked in the oven for 10 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit to loosen the glue holding the labels. [1] X Research source
Purchase a water-mixable oxygenating cleaner. Mix the solution as per the instructions provided on the cleaner. Submerge the bottles in the solution according to instructions. Once finished soaking, allow to dry. Sanitation occurs while the bottle is drying. [2] X Research source
Fill the wine bottle one-quarter full with uncooked rice. Add enough liquid soap to fill the bottle half way. Fill the remainder of the bottle with hot water. Replace screw-top or stop the opening of the bottle and shake vigorously for several minutes. Allow the water to cool. Pour out the contents of the bottle. [3] X Research source Alternatively, you can use a bottle brush along with soap and water to scrub the inside of the bottle. [4] X Research source
Purchase a corker. Corkers are divided into smaller hand models, and larger bench or floor models. Bench and floor models allow for quicker corking and are ideal for corking a large quantity of bottles. Hand models are more suited for smaller batches of bottles. Prepare your cork. Corks are hard and rigid upon purchase and need to be softened before being inserted into the bottle. Soak the corks in water for several minutes before corking in order to provide pliability to the corks. They may also be steamed in a pan of water for 1 to 3 minutes until pliable to the touch. Once pliable, use the corker to insert the cork into the bottle. Leave bottles standing up-right between 1 and 2 days to give the corks time to re-expand and create a seal in the neck of the bottle. [7] X Research source
