What is the procedure to stop bruises and cracks ?

[nhpharm]

You don't want to use water any warmer than the air to wash your bottles. In my experience, even a few degrees can have an impact. I leave a bucket in the garage sometimes to acclimate. You also don't want to use water that is much colder than the air, as that will cool off the bottle and when you set it out to dry it will warm up. You also want to be careful about putting bottles in windows, especially in older houses, as they often see significant temperature swings from a cold winter night to a day when the sun is shining in. Like I noted before, there is a specific subset of bottles that are especially susceptible to this that seem to date from 1900-1920; I have not had a problem with most bottles older than that or newer than that unless they had a potstone or other discontinuity in the glass.

 

[EdsFinds]

How hot was the water I used? Regular hot water from the sink. But it is the colder time of the year. I had found the bottle around the middle of November. I let it sit in my backyard for about a week, then moved it into my garage. A week ago I brought it in to clean it in my utility sink using hot water from the sink. I think it was just bound to happen no matter how well we try to prevent it. I think it was still just too cold and the temperature difference was just enough.

 

[EdsFinds]

You don't want to use water any warmer than the air to wash your bottles. In my experience, even a few degrees can have an impact. I leave a bucket in the garage sometimes to acclimate. You also don't want to use water that is much colder than the air, as that will cool off the bottle and when you set it out to dry it will warm up. You also want to be careful about putting bottles in windows, especially in older houses, as they often see significant temperature swings from a cold winter night to a day when the sun is shining in. Like I noted before, there is a specific subset of bottles that are especially susceptible to this that seem to date from 1900-1920; I have not had a problem with most bottles older than that or newer than that unless they had a potstone or other discontinuity in the glass.

 

[EdsFinds]

Great advice, thanks!