When I first started bottling, getting the labels off was an extreme pain in the ass. Sometimes, labels would come off with just a soak in hot water, but most wouldn't come off even with dedicated scrubbing. Then I discovered the joys of oxygen-based cleaners like B-brite. (I hear Oxyclean is basically the same thing and is much cheaper than B-brite.) After an hour's soak in hot water and B-brite, the labels just melt off. I go over the bottles with a sponge to remove any remaining glue reside, give them a quick rinse, and they're good to go.
In order to sanitize the bottles quickly without spending too much time on each bottle, I pop a bunch of them in the oven. Just remember to cover the tops with aluminum foil before hand, so the inside of the bottle will stay sanitized. I leave them in the oven at 350F for an hour or so, which should kill all the little buggies that might want to eat my beer. Let the bottles cool completely before you try bottling with them. With the foil on them, I would trust them to remain sanitized for at least a day. They may be good for longer, but I don't like gambling with my precious beer!
Finally, here's a picture of me transfering the beer from the fermenting bucket to the bottling one. Nice and quiet does it!
