One man’s trash is another’s treasure. Or so say avid garage sale fans. I’m not good at finding treasures in trash, but my neighbor is a yard sale-aholic, and often comes home with mountains of odds and ends that she snatches up for practically nothing.
Every so often I see her unloading her van. She hauls everything inside her kitchen and I know what comes next—cleaning. The woman wipes down everything she purchases with a warm soapy cloth, except for old bottles. My neighbor collects unique bottles in a variety of shapes and sizes.
I’ve chatted with her while she has cleaned some of them in her driveway. Her favorite washing methods are:
Soaking: Old bottles sold at flea markets or garage sales should be relatively clean. However, it doesn’t hurt to soak them in a mixture of hot water and dishwashing soap. Just make sure the water is not too hot, as you don’t want the glass to crack. Allow the bottles to soak for a few hours or overnight in the soapy water mixture, then rinse the bottles with clean, cool water. This method should remove dirt, debris and mildew.
Scrub: Bottles that have stored liquids for long periods of time often contain mineral stains. This build-up of white crusty material is usually found as a ring or rings at the bottom of the bottle. In most cases, you will need to use a bit of elbow grease to remove mineral stains. Apply a commercial lime remover to the bottle and scrub the stains for a bit. The products should remove the stains.
Scrape: Bottles that have spent years in storage or underground often contain rust stains. To remove these tough stains from bottles you may have to scrape the rust with a piece of copper. The copper will not compromise the integrity of the glass bottle. Another option is to remove the stain using a solution of muriatic acid and water. If you use this method be sure to use eye protection and rubber gloves in case the acid splashes.