# Cleaning ACL with "Bar Keepers Friend"



## glopf43 (Feb 9, 2005)

I read about cleaning ACL bottle labels with Bar Keepers Friend in this forum. It works great on white and sturdy printing but, BE CAREFUL when cleaning fragile or worn print. It also seems to damage RED if you don't watch out...It also does real well at cleaning the surface (outside and in) on all my bottles even embosed. Makes them really shine and removes ALL dirt and stains. Use with caution! 
 Keep Digging, glopf43


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## Trying not to break it (Feb 9, 2005)

hi glapf43, i have very good success with cleaning my acl labels with a baking soda paste and rub gentley with my fingers. i don't think it is as harsh as barkeepes friend which i use on my bottles also.  ck out my dug raff' and uncle ben's under soda bottle listing. the baking soda seems to clean as well.  good luck cleaning   rhona


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## glopf43 (Feb 10, 2005)

Hey T.N.T.B.I. Thanks for the imput on cleaning. Baking soda, thats a good idea. I also have found that rubbing gently with a finger is better than using a cloth, gives you better control, you can see the progress and guage the effect cleaning is having on the paint. I've been digging up alot of ACLs in a dump (from about 1970) I'm working on my property. I've learned to ALWAYS let the bottle sit in the sun for several days before cleaning to allow the lables to stabilize (dry).  I washed the paint clean off a just-dug brown "Orange Crush" with only a light stream of water, NO rubbing at all!...keep those fingernails dirty, glopf43


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## Trying not to break it (Feb 10, 2005)

hi glopf43,  i didn't know about leting then sit in the sun for a couple of days.  good information.  i have about 20 sitting in my basement i haven't cleaned yet. maybe that's long enought with out sitting them in the sun.  thanks   rhona


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## glopf43 (Feb 11, 2005)

Hey all, I thought I would post a couple of photos of what can be don with some warm water, Bar Keepers Friend, and alot of patience. See more great ACL pics on the Coke and ABM forum under "ACL"


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## carobran (Oct 26, 2011)

heres a couple of before and after pics using Bar Keppers Friend[]...............before


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## carobran (Oct 26, 2011)

and after[]


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## epackage (Oct 26, 2011)

Looks good junior.....[:-]


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## carobran (Oct 26, 2011)

i just realized this was from 2005................_no wonder i couldnt find the "ACL" thread..[&:][&:][8D][]_


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## Wheelah23 (Oct 26, 2011)

I've only dug one ACL, and I didn't even mean to... it was pretty faded, but Bar Keeper's Friend made all the difference in cleaning it. The label that's left is completely mint. I definitely recommend this product for cleaning ACL's. It has a less dramatic impact on glass, but still it helps.


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## jblaylock (Oct 26, 2011)

Does this method of bar keepers friend/tooth brush work with Pepsi bottles?


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## carobran (Oct 26, 2011)

you mean painted label PEPSIs?..............if so,then yes,it works on all ACLs................i make a thick paste(about the consistency of peanut butter) with BAR KEEPERS FRIEND and a little water..............then a cover the label with it and let it sit for a little while,then then vigorously rub the paste onto the label untill the stain dissapears(sometimes you can just wipe the paste off and the stain will be gone depending on how bad its stained).........just make sure the label is in good condition and is not deteriorated,and if the white paste starts to turn the color of the label sinse off emmediately...[]


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## carobran (Oct 26, 2011)

oh,and i just use my fingers to rub the label with and not a toothbrush .......P.S...where are you from?theres some Blaylocks that live down the road from me..[]


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## jblaylock (Oct 26, 2011)

Yes, I was talking about the Red/White & RWB acl Pepsi bottles.  I have several that have good labels (not faded) but are dirty and I would love to clean them.  I'll get some and try it out.

 I'm from Kentucky, I don't hear of many other Blaylocks...especially with it being spelled the same.  Some are spelled Blalocks.  I know of some Blaylocks in Georgia too.


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## chosi (Oct 26, 2011)

> ...just make sure the label is in good condition and is not deteriorated,and if the white paste starts to turn the color of the label sinse off emmediately


 
 I can vouch for this (ignoring the typos).  I recently got 2 ACL bottles that needed cleaning.  The first one came out great, but when I started on the second one, the coloring started to come off.  I recommend rubbing a small, out of the way portion of the colored label first, and if it holds up, then clean the rest.


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## carobran (Oct 26, 2011)

yeah,i had a DR,PEPPER bottle i used it on,the label looked like it was in good condition................then the white paste turned red[8|][]


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## T D (Oct 26, 2011)

I have rubbed a hole in a non-dug ACL.  Especially on white, if the paint is thin, you can definitely mess up.  Wet the bottle, sprinkle Bar Keepers Friend on it and gently rub with your finger.  Do this in good light so you can keep a good visual check on things.   Look at the label through the bottles from the backside also.   If you are trying to get a spot out- be careful- let well enough alone...Wash off and repeat several times.  Bar Keepers Friend is cheap compared to a really nice ACL


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## jblaylock (Oct 27, 2011)

ok, so now I'm a little scared.  I have a Pepsi ACL with the '2 full glasses' on the neck.  The label is in good shape, but the white color has browned.  This is the only one like this I have and I don't want to ruin it.


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## carobran (Oct 27, 2011)

i figured we were sounding kinda negative.................but ive done 20 or so ACLs with BKF and only one messed up,the paste started turning red,i washed it off,let it dry and you can hardly tell anything happened,id put the paste on a lowere corner,rub it good onto the ACL,and if it holds up do the whole thing,i just did a 40s ROYAL CROWN and it did great,i was afraid to do it at first but decided to try and now its all minty..[][][]


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## jblaylock (Oct 27, 2011)

ok...what's the best method here........I rubbed for a few minutes with no results....


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## Wheelah23 (Oct 27, 2011)

Probably a dumb question, hope you don't think I think you're stupid for me asking, did you use water? [8D] Other than that, I think you just rub it with a sponge...


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## jblaylock (Oct 27, 2011)

Yeah, I made a paste with water and bar keepers....rubbed with my finger for a bit and it didn't seem to do anything.


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## jblaylock (Oct 27, 2011)

I just tried it on my 2 Full glasses bottle....WOW, what a difference.


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## carobran (Oct 27, 2011)

> ORIGINAL: jblaylock
> 
> Yeah, I made a paste with water and bar keepers....rubbed with my finger for a bit and it didn't seem to do anything.


 liker i said.you need to put it on the label and let it sit for a while...........works much better[][][]


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## jblaylock (Oct 28, 2011)

> ORIGINAL: jblaylock
> 
> Yeah, I made a paste with water and bar keepers....rubbed with my finger for a bit and it didn't seem to do anything.


 
 The bottle it didn't seem to do anything with was a Red/White/Blue Pepsi bottle.  Are these labels different?


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## carobran (Oct 28, 2011)

i wouldnt think so............probably just has a tougher stain on it,sometimes the stain comes off easy and sometimes you have to really work on it...[]


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## captcadillac (Nov 4, 2011)

I was wondering if this stuff would have effect on the iron on the pontil? I don't mean rubbing it on the pontil itself, but say your working on the bottle and some of it gets on the iron.
 Thanks,
 captcadillac


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## carobran (Nov 4, 2011)

i doubt it,you usually have to let it sit for good while before it really does anything to rust,so as long as you rinse it off immediately it should be ok[]


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## captcadillac (Nov 4, 2011)

Hi Carobran,
 That is good to know because I bought the stuff and was already to start scrubbing away. Then I started to wonder if it would like wipe off my iron immediately.
 Do you think it might be a good idea to use something like duct tape to help protect my pontil area. I can get pretty into what I am doing and not be that careful.
 You mentioned how it works on rust. I was thinking of using it on my chrome truck rims. What do you think about that idea? If its a good for my rims then how long should I leave it on?
 Thanks,
 Captcadillac


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## carobran (Nov 6, 2011)

if you are going to use it on the rims id say however long youve got to wait..........but at least an hour and you may have to repeat it a coupe of times depending on how bad the rust is..[]


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## ms.gal (Nov 7, 2011)

Hi..to clean rust from chrome..use tin foil and coke..wad up foil..dip in coke..scrub away..works great..
 Msgal..who knows a lot of trivia..some useful..some not..


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## carobran (Nov 7, 2011)

to bad my useful to non-useful ratio is about 10/80[&:][8D][8D]


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## Wheelah23 (Nov 7, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  carobran
> 
> to bad my useful to non-useful ratio is about 10/80[&:][8D][8D]


 
 Clearly, you're of no use in a math class... [8D][>:]


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## carobran (Nov 8, 2011)

_stupid fractions.[].........or is that a ratio??[8|]........i think ill stick to bottles..[][8D]_


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## Longhunter (Dec 15, 2011)

You guys are talking about making a paste out of Barkeepers Friend and some water. I found some liquid Barkeepers Friend at Lowes yesterday. I am wondering if it might be a little milder than the powder. Anyone know? 
 I cleaned a couple of really dirty bottles with it and it seems to work good.
 I guess I need to try it on an ACL and see what happens.


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## Longhunter (Dec 15, 2011)

Same bottle after cleaning:


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## Longhunter (Dec 15, 2011)

The orange color on the right side of the bottle is some stain in a crack in the bottle I found after I got the surface stain off.

 I have some CLR..... Do you think I can soak out that stain with that stuff?


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## Longhunter (Dec 15, 2011)

OK, now that I realize this is an ACL cleaning thread. I concur.... the Barkeepers friend and a rag got this one nice and clean. I cleaned the inside with the copper wire and BKF. The bottle brush wouldn't touch the inside nasty but the copper wire got it clean. Thanks for the advice everyone!


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## glass man (Dec 16, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  jblaylock
> 
> Yes, I was talking about the Red/White & RWB acl Pepsi bottles.Â  I have several that have good labels (not faded) but are dirty and I would love to clean them.Â  I'll get some and try it out.
> 
> I'm from Kentucky, I don't hear of many other Blaylocks...especially with it being spelled the same.Â  Some are spelled Blalocks.Â  I know of some Blaylocks in Georgia too.


 

   WOW!I used to do alot of work for "BUDDY" Blaylock from Atlanta GA.JAMIE


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