Old Dirt in old bottles

[johnnyd620]

[X(]I have found a lot of old bottles from my great great grand parents land and I am having trouble cleaning them. I have washed, boiled, and left them in water for days. Still I have dirt left in them. Im sure that these med. bottles are very old. Im just not getting interested in knowing about them, but I want to get them cleaned before I take a picture of them.

 

[TheDiggerBoy91]

I use a bottle brush on my bottles and an old toothbrush for the smaller ones.

 

[WhiteLighting]

Never boil the bottles,they will crack and somtimes explode...


If you just have dirt and no brushes,just use Hydro Peroxide,...or CLR/Limeaway,

or an old toothbrush and soap and water..........

 

[bigkitty53]

OK Johnny whatever you do stop boiling things. It has been my experience they get no more tender no matter how long you boil them.

Nice one Lobey![][][]

 

[WhiteLighting]

These is this cleaner named "Zyme here in the US,it might need a permit in other states to get but in NY you can get it at a Janatorial supply store"....
I used this stuff and plastic beads to clean befroe a tumbler,It worked as good as clorax,degreasers,mur acid "watch out with that stuff" or soap and water.....


but never mix and match chemicals either or youll end up brain dead....like me...lol

 

[S.C. Warner]

Great suggestions! I believe Idid use Zyme out on West Coast job once. Good stuff, if it's what i'm thinking.
Somethings I find work well and pretty inexpensive is the end of coat hanger wire wrapped around a piece of old tee-shirt. It gets down thru narrow openings and then you can give it the slight bend to reach stubborn stuff on sides. Good lighting and keeping a good grip is important. Also, B.B.'s for a BB gun work very well for really gunky stuff. Pour then into the bottle add moderately hot soapy water and shake the heck out of it. I used to open up the old man's shotgun shell's which he wasn't to happy about. But steel BB's are better anyway.[] Thanks for the tips, I'm giving the peroxide a try today.

 

[CanadianBoy]

I've had really good luck with Household Amonia & Water.I let them soak for about 3 days,then use a bottle brush and wire hanger like SC was saying.
I wrap either a piece of metal pot sbrubber or SOS pad around it.I also use SOS for the outside which works well.
And I don't need gloves for this stuff.
I've tried all kinds of chemical mixes,some of them probably near lethal,but if I have to go it might as well be cleaning bottles.
Unless your slightly Brain Dead......................................

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME