I LOVE old glass. I have collected all sorts of glass. I recently aquired some old bottles. Some were from a thrift store and one from an old dump site uncovered when a porch was taken off a 1920's Craftsman house and a very deep hole was dug. My son has been helping with the project and knew when the bottle was uncovered that I would love it.
Old bottles, especially those that have been buried for ages, are a challenge to clean. Years of standing water leaves mineral deposits that are very hard to remove. Sometimes there is rust. I clean the outside with warm water (hot may crack or break old glass)and Dawn dishwashing liquid. Scrubbing with a copper scrubbie will not scratch the glass and will help take off the stubborn stuff...even rust. Many people swear by many different methods of cleaning the inside of vintage bottles. The easiest way that I have found is to drop a tablet of denture cleaner into the bottle with water, being careful to protect any label on the bottle and let the denture cleaner do its work. Brush well with a bottle brush. Rinse, and repeat as needed. Another thing that is very effective is dropping some sand or fish tank gravel in with some water and dishwashing liquid and swish around allowing the abrasiveness of the sand or gravel to remove the build up. If there is still deposits on the inside of the bottle you can try using a little lime-away or CLR to remove. Since I am not an expert, I try to stick with cleaning methods that require little chemicals. There are methods I've seen on the internet that recommend harsh chemicals like muriatic acid and tumbling with copper shot but I stick to the home methods that don't require safety equipment.
I love the look of these old bottles holding some purple petunias from my flower bed but ultimately I plan to use them for Homemade Vanilla.
Sharing at a new party, Stephanie Lynn's Sunday Showcase Party and Susan's Met Monday....these are great events and VERY inspiring!
Editing to add to Who Hoo Wednesday over at Marla's Always Nesting. Thanks for hosting Marla! I LOVE the motto on her button....Celebrating Home & Life! I like that!!
