My Pins

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Hard to Clean Bottles/Decanters

Bottle brushes are very useful for cleaning bottles but sometimes it's hard to get the brush effectively into the bowl of the bottle.
This little bottle I acquired is about the size of my hand and though pretty in shape and a beautiful emerald glass, had residue on the inside from many years ago. I was tempted at first glance to toss it. Sometimes these cleaning jobs look improbable.
I used a couple of teaspoons of uncooked rice in the bottom of the bottle as gentle abrasive. For good measure I also added a couple of teaspoons each of bi-carb soda and vinegar.
Holding my thumb over the neck, I swished and swirled and shook the rice around the bowl.
Within a few minutes, as you can clearly see, success.
Some of you will know this method well but I think it is helpful to keep passing these simple well known household tips along.
Now the jug will take on a new role as an oil/vinegar bottle.
This method works well with decanters and awkward vases. They can take a while to dry out completely but placing a roll of absorbent paper or cloth into the bottle neck creating a "wick" will help it dry in no time.

8 comments:

  1. Thanks for the tip - I have found that Napisan powder also removes grime from inside bottles like this. Bi-carb and vinegar would be a greener alternative. :)

    Joolz

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the tip!
    I have a decanter like that.
    Do you have a green tip for cleaning silverware?
    Chris

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm afraid that I have been guilty of getting rid of bottles because I couldn't get them clean. Thank you very much for the tip Tanya.


    p.s. I will be in touch re soaps and sunflowers tomorrow x

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is great! I recall this the next time I try to clean a difficult shape container.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'll give this a go on some old glass bottles that I unearthed in the garden. I've haven't had much success in cleaning them so far.

    ReplyDelete
  6. You're right about passing around well known household tips. I've used this method in the past but had forgotten about it. Thanks for the reminder.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you for the tip! I've always avoided bottles like this in the past but no more.

    ReplyDelete
  8. ahha! Thankyou, you have solved a dilema for me :)

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.