# Simple cleaning that worked for me.



## HeadBasher77 (Jan 7, 2020)

I bought the cleaner at the Dollar tree for a buck. And bought some copper wire at Home Depot for 0.66 cents a foot. Cut the wire up into little pieces. I put some cleaner in the bottle along with the copper pieces and shook it for about 20 minutes.


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## Screwtop (Jan 7, 2020)

That's really cool! I'll have to try that. For getting dirt out, I use cleaning vinegar, and play sand. This would definitely work better for getting calcium buildup off. Most of t anyway.


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## BottleDragon (Jan 7, 2020)

That's a good price. I use a product called Lime OUT which costs significantly more.

It never occurred to me to mix anything with it, but I usually follow up with a slurry of coarse salt and vinegar.  Shake vigorously, let it rest for a while, then shake some more. I usually do this for about 30 minutes, or longer depending on how dirty the insides are. The leftover slurry can be reused on multiple bottles.


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## Robby Raccoon (Jan 7, 2020)

HeadBasher77 said:


> I bought the cleaner at the Dollar tree for a buck. And bought some copper wire at Home Depot for 0.66 cents a foot. Cut the wire up into little pieces. I put some cleaner in the bottle along with the copper pieces and shook it for about 20 minutes.


If you are mechanically savvy, take a small motor and devise a pully system to make a small tumbler. You're doing what tumblers do, except you're doing it by hand. Gear it down, of course!


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## slugplate (Jan 8, 2020)

Been using copper wire pellets for hand cleaning my bottles too. Sometimes is use soap, other times vinegar, sometimes bleach, or the go-to CLR. Depends on what I see. If the glass isn't sick, badly weathered or the integrity of the glass hasn't been compromised, that product is a great way to go. Of course your RLC is the generic for CLR and much cheaper. Good post!


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## Screwtop (Jan 8, 2020)

Robby Raccoon said:


> If you are mechanically savvy, take a small motor and devise a pully system to make a small tumbler. You're doing what tumblers do, except you're doing it by hand. Gear it down, of course!




I saw a YouTube video by Adventure Archaeology, and they took an old dual barrel rock tumbler, and put the bottle they wanted cleaned inside an old Clorox wipe bottle, with copper and cutter, and put it on the tumbler. It seems to work wonders for them! I'll have to find the video.


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## slugplate (Jan 8, 2020)

Screwtop said:


> I saw a YouTube video by Adventure Archaeology, and they took an old dual barrel rock tumbler, and put the bottle they wanted cleaned inside an old Clorox wipe bottle, with copper and cutter, and put it on the tumbler. It seems to work wonders for them! I'll have to find the video.


I have less than a handful of bottles I'd tumble. Of course I'm a relative purist when it comes to bottles and I have hand cleaned every one of them. Sure, they're not museum looking pieces without a tumble, but I love a rustic, natural look. I do clean them by hand as best as I can and they mostly come out great.


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## slugplate (Jan 8, 2020)

slugplate said:


> I have less than a handful of bottles I'd tumble. Of course I'm a relative purist when it comes to bottles and I have hand cleaned every one of them. Sure, they're not museum looking pieces without a tumble, but I love a rustic, natural look. I do clean them by hand as best as I can and they mostly come out great.


The only drawback is that it really smells bad when doing it.


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## Robby Raccoon (Jan 8, 2020)

slugplate said:


> I have less than a handful of bottles I'd tumble. Of course I'm a relative purist when it comes to bottles and I have hand cleaned every one of them. Sure, they're not museum looking pieces without a tumble, but I love a rustic, natural look. I do clean them by hand as best as I can and they mostly come out great.


The thing I don't much care for in tumbled bottles is how they look overly cleaned.


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## slugplate (Jan 9, 2020)

Robby Raccoon said:


> The thing I don't much care for in tumbled bottles is how they look overly cleaned.


I'm with you. I have never tumbled a bottle. I like them as they are with only a good hand cleaning. The very few I'd tumble would be center pieces in my home, much like fine art would be.


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## WesternPA-collector (Jan 9, 2020)

HeadBasher77 said:


> I bought the cleaner at the Dollar tree for a buck. And bought some copper wire at Home Depot for 0.66 cents a foot. Cut the wire up into little pieces. I put some cleaner in the bottle along with the copper pieces and shook it for about 20 minutes.


Nice idea. I'll have to look for that at Dollar Tree. I also like their Oxygen Orange Cleaner.


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## HeadBasher77 (Jan 10, 2020)

Great ideas and perspectives. I like the clean look for some and a very for others. I just started collecting Bottles a month ago or so.


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## HeadBasher77 (Jan 15, 2020)

I tried baking soda on a bottle with an iridescent coating on it. I soaked it in Distilled vinegar for an entire day. Then rubbed baking soda in it and on the surface. It worked out rather well I think. I'm very new at this. Any advice is very welcomed!


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## jimlahman (Jan 15, 2020)

I need educated. What causes 'sick' glass? I have several that soap and water cleaning has no effect. What does the copper do?
Thanks.


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## relic rescuer (Jan 15, 2020)

HeadBasher77 said:


> I bought the cleaner at the Dollar tree for a buck. And bought some copper wire at Home Depot for 0.66 cents a foot. Cut the wire up into little pieces. I put some cleaner in the bottle along with the copper pieces and shook it for about 20 minutes.


I made a little pouch out of Scotch Brite filled with BBs, and stapled it together, and a stack of 5 or 6 Neodymium disc magnets, with  piece of velcro stuck to the ends. With just a drop of Dawn dish 

soap, and it removes all but the most stubborn etching, which you can't do anything about anyway.


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## embe (Jan 15, 2020)

What is the purpose of magnets and velcro (if you don't mind  a question)?


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## iggyworf (Jan 16, 2020)

I have also cut up electric wire in little bits to do this but never got those kind of results. I will have to try again! Nice work!


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