# black gunk removal after tumbling



## willieboy (Oct 31, 2013)

I am relatively new to bottle tumbling but slowly getting the hang of it.  There is definity an "art" to it if your goal is to acheive excellent results.  I am finding that whatever the black gunk is that forms when tumbling using a fine polish abrasive gets in small dings and is tough to remove from in hole chips or damage. I am guessing the black gunk is some compound formed by the abrasive or copper wire pellets and should be subject to dissolving with some sort of chemical.  Scrubbing with soap and water works to some degree but not all that good.  Does anyone have the secrete to easy removal of the black gunk from tiny picks in the glass?


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## chosi (Oct 31, 2013)

I use a product called "lime-a-way".  It's intended to clean lime, calcium & rust, but I find it works on cleaning the blackness off of bottles I tumble.   I usually squirt a little on the inside and swish it around, let it sit for a minute or two, then clean the bottle with a bottle brush.  I use the bottle brush on the outside too, but I find that most of the black gunk is on the inside of the bottle.  Then I rinse the bottle out, and clean it again with soap & water. If the blackness has seeped into a crack, I will soak the bottle in lime-a-way for a day or two, and it usually clears it up. But I've mentioned lime-a-way on this forum in the past, and some people don't seem to get the same results I do.  I don't know if they're doing something different, or if their black gunk is somehow different from my black gunk.


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## hemihampton (Nov 1, 2013)

I soak my in a Diluted Hyrdocloric acid or Sulphoric acid solution.  Works good for me. LEON.


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## FitSandTic (Nov 2, 2013)

I have always used ammonia and a bottle brush.


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## bamabottles (Feb 7, 2014)

Muriatic acid dip works best.  Use gloves an goggles.


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## buzzkutt033 (Feb 8, 2014)

fairly safe to use, affordable, easy to find and very effective. The Works toilet cleaner. it's about a buck and a half at Wally World. jim


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## hemihampton (Feb 10, 2014)

bamabottles said:
			
		

> Muriatic acid dip works best. Use gloves an goggles.



 Yeah, Just checked my Acid jug.  Thats the same thing I use. I'd recomend using it highly diluted, It's strong. LEON.


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## lblackvelvet (Feb 10, 2014)

Hi Leon,   What do you dilute it with ??  Thanks, Kevin...


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## hemihampton (Feb 11, 2014)

Dilute with water, really all you need is 25% acid & 75% water. Thats what I do & it works good for me. LEON.


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## Bumpa66 (Feb 13, 2014)

Has anyone tried using Arm and Hammer washing powder, found with the laundry detergent? I have used this with stubborn bottles, to include bottles that have that brownish/black sticky tar residue, and it comes out crystal clear. Anyone else try this?


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