# Old Dirt in old bottles



## johnnyd620 (Oct 30, 2004)

[X(]I have found a lot of old bottles from my great great grand parents land and I am having trouble cleaning them.  I have washed, boiled, and left them in water for days.  Still I have dirt left in them.  Im sure that these med. bottles are very old.  Im just not getting interested in knowing about them, but I want to get them cleaned before I take a picture of them.


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## TheDiggerBoy91 (Oct 31, 2004)

I use a bottle brush on my bottles and an old toothbrush for the smaller  ones.


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## WhiteLighting (Jan 17, 2005)

Never boil the bottles,they will crack and somtimes explode...


  If you just have dirt and no brushes,just use Hydro Peroxide,...or CLR/Limeaway,

 or an old toothbrush and soap and water..........


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## bigkitty53 (Jan 17, 2005)

> OK Johnny whatever you do stop boiling things. It has been my experience they get no more tender no matter how long you boil them.


 
 Nice one Lobey![][][]


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## WhiteLighting (Jan 22, 2005)

These is this cleaner named "Zyme here in the US,it might need a permit in other states to get but in NY you can get it at a Janatorial supply store"....
  I used this stuff and plastic beads to clean befroe a tumbler,It worked as good as clorax,degreasers,mur acid "watch out with that stuff" or soap and water.....


  but never mix and match chemicals either or youll end up brain dead....like me...lol


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## S.C. Warner (Jan 22, 2005)

Great suggestions! I believe Idid use Zyme out on West Coast job once. Good stuff, if it's what i'm thinking. 
   Somethings I find work well and pretty inexpensive is the end of coat hanger wire wrapped around a piece of old tee-shirt. It gets down thru narrow openings and then you can give it the slight bend to reach stubborn stuff on sides. Good lighting and keeping a good grip is important. Also, B.B.'s for a BB gun work very well for really gunky stuff. Pour then into the bottle add moderately hot soapy water and shake the heck out of it. I used to open up the old man's shotgun shell's which he wasn't to happy about. But steel BB's are better anyway.[] Thanks for the tips, I'm giving the peroxide a try today.


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## CanadianBoy (Jan 23, 2005)

I've had really good luck with Household Amonia & Water.I let them soak for about 3 days,then use a bottle brush and wire hanger like SC was saying.
 I wrap either a piece of metal  pot sbrubber or SOS pad around it.I also use SOS for the outside which works well.
 And I don't need gloves for this stuff.
 I've tried all kinds of chemical mixes,some of them probably near lethal,but if I have to go it might as well be cleaning bottles.
    Unless your slightly Brain Dead......................................

                                          DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME


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