To clean or not to clean?

[lasvegasestatesales]

My bottle collection is currently at about 100+ bottles. Some I have found and some were given to me by my uncle. My question is, how do you know which ones to clean and which ones to leave alone? I know this probably comes with experience, but are there any guidelines? I did not clean any of my bottles. I kind of like the rustic look. Does cleaning take away from their collectivity? I would say yes.

 

[OsiaBoyce]

Dirty and rustic are two different things.

So, do you shower often or do the women or men [not that there is anything wrong w/ that] in your life prefer the 'rustic' smell of the 'old west' [][]?

Clean bottles.............how do ya figure it takes away from their collectibilty?

 

[glass man]

Personally I like mine claned..if you took them to a bottle show to sell..I know cleaned would be the way to go cause it shows the beauty of the bottle more of course...but your choice..I know some on here like the "dug" look.JAMIE

 

[chosi]

Here's my 2 cents: unless you dug the bottles out of the ground, it's likely that they've been cleaned already.

Simple cleaning with soap & water removes most loose dirt & some stains, but won't do a thing to a cloudy looking "sick" bottle. People without a lot of bottle cleaning experience usually figure this cloudiness will come off if they scrub a little harder, but cleaning a sick bottle requires one of the more drastic methods discussed in this forum such as using a tumbler.

So I recommend you always at least try to clean your bottles with soap & water. If that doesn't work, then either leave it rustic looking or explore some of the cleaning methods discussed in this forum.

 

[antlerman23]

if they are sick or cloudy, and you're feeling lazy, soak a paper towel with mineral oil (baby oil) and rub it on the bottles. it hides case wear and scratches well too. but be careful, because the oil makes the bottles slippery!

 

[AntiqueMeds]

mineral oil (baby oil)

yes, important to use mineral oil , not vegetable oils which yellow and can go rancid.
Also dont sell a bottle with oil on it unless you inform the buyer.

 

[bikegoon]

A thing I do to clean the inside is fill it 1/4 of the way with dry rice, add a little water, cap the top with your finger and shake..like..mad...It breaks loose alot of the gunk.

Alot of my bottles are river finds, and as such they can be very "mucked up"
I like mine as clean as I can get em, they really glistening in a light box/curio.

 

[RICKJJ59W]

I like that filthy look. Never tumble!

 

[Wheelah23]

ORIGINAL: RICKJJ59W

I like that filthy look. Never tumble!

I second that. Except I clean the dirt off the bottles... I guess Rick's a real purist []

 

[JarDoctor]

Most collectors want their bottle clean - even die-hard diggers. It adds to their value. How many people do you know that complain about the white buid up inside drinking glasses, vases? Same principle. Coating them might make them look better, but, hasn't changed the fact that they are dirting and this can be stain and/or etching.
I am always available to talk to if you like.
Good luck.