How to clean old, antique glass bottles...?

Question

Hi, I recently bought a bunch of antique glass bottles at a yard sale. Dark green, dark brown, whiskey, rum, and medicine bottles. They were filthy and I've tried to clean them. They had lots of dirt, debris, even cobwebs in one.
I've rinsed them out thoroughly with a garden hose, then hot water and even put soap in them to soak but it comes down to trying to scrub the inside walls. I just can't do it nor have I any idea what tools to use. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Did you try a bottle brush? If you check the baby section in most stores you will find bottle and even nipple brushes. They should fit into the bottles you bought. Good luck.

Answer 2

After the bottle brush, go to the Dollar Store and buy a one dollar packet of denture cleaning tablets. My mother used to use then to clean jewelry and dirty glass and ceramic vases and all sorts of things. Use hot water and let the solution sit in there for a while and "scrub" the interior bottle walls. You'll have clear and minty fresh bottles!



Best of luck.

Answer 3

Try putting dry rice inside with a bit of soapy water or glass cleaner then shake, shake, shake. The idea is to put an abrasive inside. So you might try small marbles, gravel, etc.



You might also try bathroom tile cleaner made to get the scum off. Or oven cleaner,



Patti

Answer 4

After using a bottle brush, put them in your dishwasher. Keep them far enough apart so they wont come in contact with each other.