Cleaning Old Treasures

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

24 Jan 2011 12:02 AM

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.

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger