Cleaning old bottles

[Wai`anae CRider]

I have a number of whisky, beer and other bottles that I've found here in Hawai`i. Most have only embossed lettering. How do I clean them so they look almost "new"?

Is there some chemical, acid? I've used soap and water but they are still ugly and not sparkling clear.

Wai`anae CRider

 

[jkwidener]

Put some boiling water in your sink. Add a couple drops of dish washing liquid and a cup of white vinegar and stir, and submerge the bottles. Let the water cool to room temperature and use a bottle brush on the inside and a regular dish rag on the outside. I have found this works great because vinegar is an acid.

 

[Road Dog]

Most folks have them tumbled if the deposited are fairly heavy. They come out sparkling new looking.

 

[gordiesgirl]

I soak them in a big bucket with Bleach water, for a few days, then use water vinagar and dish detergent and a bottle brush, they look new:wave:

 

[Skygazer8989]

Dawn Power Dissolver

This Is How I Clean My Bottles!
I Use Dawn Power Dissolver!!!

Here's A Link To A Video I Made On How To Clean Old
Bottles The Easy Way And I Think The Best Way


YouTube - Cleaning Old Bottles


Safe On Glass & Hands NOT ON LABELS Or Paint

You can Get Dawn Power Dissolver At Walmart For 2-3 Dollars

 

[schooldad]

My mom also tried using the Dawn brand and she said she's loving it.

 

[xaalaax]

I've been a bottle collector and digger for a while now, something like 15 years and ive refined a good way that works for me, i used prass lock pins that I got from my friend who is a locksmith and use them to clean the inside with water and swirl them about. I have found that using gravel and aggregates scratch the glass but brass being soft and the pins being rounded at the ends doesnt do this. I also use those green plastic type scour pads, im not sure what they are called, but these remove the rust stains. Strong acids can be quite dangerous and I have never ventured into this. there also is tumbling as previously mentioned, would be more accessable in the US than over here, I have afew of my better bottles tumbled and they looks sparkling, only danger is some bottles can be over-tumbled and this makes the embossing rather faint. Some people have spray laquered their sick bottles and this can get nasty and the laquer can go an ugly shade of yellow, I bought a bottle like this recently and spent ages cleaning the crap off it. Hope this helps you