# to clean or not to clean???



## spunkup (Jul 5, 2007)

I'm getting ready to sell 70+ hutch & pre-hutch bottles, and would like to have them in better condition.  I did the warm soapy water thing, but feel that I should do more.  Do you recommend a further cleaning with CLR or lime-away etc?  I know for sure that professional cleaning is not an option for me.  Will cleaning them any further be a bad thing?
 All advise & comments are welcome!  Thanks friends
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 Here's a good example of what I have (but the bottles are embossed)...


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## Bottle tumbler (Jul 5, 2007)

Ok here is my opinion.
 I clean bottles and have been for 6 years now or a little longer. Finding the rarer bottles and having them cleaned is the right thing to do.
 if you go to http://seattlehistorycompany.com/ and have the embossing that is on the bottle ready. this guy can help. i would get a list together for him first.
 look for things like flags, harps,birds,any thing that is like a picture on the bottles, color is key also. pull your green, amber, blues all out and set aside.they should be cleaned, they are the ones with the most value, color is king, then where it's from, city state, and whos names is on it.
 I would clean any amount you want in trade for some, my home email is ricjkern@ptd.net


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## stinger haut (Jul 6, 2007)

I have tumbled a lot of bottles as well as restored them. I have posted some before and after shots of a few of my tumbled and restored bottles.
 I think the first thing you should do is simply find out the value of each one of your bottles. Then consider what it would cost to tumble them. Then just compare the cost of tumbling them verses what you will be able to sell them.
 Most collectors like their bottles tumbled and usually you will get a higher price for a tumbled bottle (done properly).
 Stinger


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## spunkup (Jul 6, 2007)

Thanks for the responses and offer to clean for trade on some, but professional cleaning is not an option for me on these bottles.  I would really like to clean them up a bit myself...CLR, lime away or other????  Any comments are appreciated.  Of course, I would really like the collectors from this forum to have a look at my whole collection and allow for offers or auction before I list them on Ebay, but I really want to clean them up a bit.  I have over 70 bottles to clean up and need to get going on it soon.  I posted some bottles on my myspace site as a sampling:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=106961105
 Thanks in advance for any advice as to CLR or lime away or other. Anyone????


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## Bottle tumbler (Jul 6, 2007)

you can use clr. but it won't help much, if you take oxalic acid or muratic acid and mix it 50/50 in a bucket and soak them for 24 hours it will help more then clr. 
   But. hutch sodas are one of the softest glass i have run across and it shows by the ware and scratches that show on them.
   the ones on your myspace look good and I don't think cleaning them any more will help, unless they are tumbled, I say that because that's the only thing that will help them at this stage,
  I am not trying to get you to do this. tumbling is costly and then the shipping would take alot also.
   I had a nice collection of hutch sodas about 3 years ago, over 50 and needed some cash, I sold them and got nothing near what they are worth, I regret it to this day, they have a certain appeal about them. If you have  a price in mind on any of them i would like to know before you ebay them.

 rick


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## spunkup (Jul 6, 2007)

Hi Rick,  Good enough for me, I will sell them as is.  Let me get them all photgraphed and get some pricing together for you.  Thanks again.


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## stinger haut (Jul 6, 2007)

Hi Spunkup,
 Please post what you have for sale on this forum. There are a lot of hutch collectors on this forum.
 Do you have any from Hawaii?
 Thanks,
 Stinger


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## spunkup (Jul 6, 2007)

Stinger,  I don't see any from Hawaii, but there is 1 more box coming over today.  Where should I post...?  Members forum auctions?


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## stinger haut (Jul 6, 2007)

Spunkup,
 Look up under ALL FORUMS and you'll see a header that says TRADE. That is where members post all their bottles for sale.
 You get the most action on this part of the forum. Members have recently sold their entire collections using this section.
 Hope to see your hutches soon and good luck,
 Stinger


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## Tony14 (Jul 6, 2007)

If you have any from wisconsin i could help(maybe even take a few off your hands[])


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## spunkup (Jul 6, 2007)

Thanks Stinger, that's where I'll start.  Tony:  nothing from Wisconsin yet.  I want everyone from this site to have 1st option before Ebay because I have received wonderful advice from many.  Thanks again and will post the collection soon.


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