Steel Wool for River Bottles

[Sand_pontil]

I use fine steel wool (grade 00) with a bit of water and dish soap. It takes those incredibly resistant black river deposits and mostly anything else right off the bottle in a matter of seconds. If needed for the inside I use some sort of rod like a coat hanger covered in thick tape and rub the steel wool around. I read somewhere that copper wool would not scratch the bottle so I tried that and it left copper colored scratches. Then I read about the steel wool and it works amazingly well. I have not cleaned any rare bottles with this method but I may in the future especially since you can buy two grades finer... Extra Fine (000) and Finest (0000). Before this I had been submerging bottles in buckets of straight bleach which works fairly well but the fumes are strong and its rough sticking your hand in when all your fingertips are sliced up. Never had any luck with ammonia. Another method I use is to put rice into the bottle with some dish soap and water and shake it up, another method I had read somewhere. A friend of mine who dives uses this same method except with lead shot not rice.
Hope this helps those having difficulties. Cheers.

 

[MaineMtnDigger]

I dive alot my self and know what you mean when you say black river scum on the bottle. I personally wouldn't use still wool just because it might be abrasive with softer glass bottles. Try using wood acid. You can buy this at your local hardware store. It will eat though any scum or biological stuff in the bottle and all you do is soak for a couple of hours. Try that and see how that works, you cant go wrong.

 

[Sand_pontil]

Thanks Ill have to try it. Sounds like it would make cleaning inside a whole lot easier.

 

[Bixel]

I have used wood bleach in the past with good results. Also know as Oxalic acid. I think that must be what MaineMtnDigger is talking about.

I prefer the powdered variety, but I know there is a liquid variety as well on the market.

It is a fairly gentle acid, but still take safety precautions when using it(gloves, face protection, etc)

 

[riverdiver]

Hi guys,

I would like to throw my two cents in and say that I clean mine as I find them...I have the sponges with the abrasive scrubbing pad on one side and I have found that the black organic covering which is called" River Ick" here in New England and is a form of algae, comes off great while still wet and living. I carry two of the sponges inside of the smalls containers in my salvage crate set-up. If the cleaning of the outside does not reveal any damage and shows embossing I will give a gentle shake with bottom sand to remove the Ick on the inside.

In the event the Ick is multi layered and difficult to clean underwater, I will set the bottles outside in the sun and the Ick generally will dry out and flake off of the bottles.

 

[Sand_pontil]

River diver I tried your method the other day. Not with a sponge but with a clump of moss from the bank and the black comes right off. Great info.