How To Clean Old Glass Bottles With Vinegar

How to clean old bottles

Hey Friends! 🙂

I love to decorate with old antique bottles! Usually I can score some cheap old bottles at the local flea markets. Unfortunately, when it comes to flea market finds, "cheap" is usually synonymous with "not clean." And trying to clean old bottles with bottle brushes is a pain in the you-know-what.

I've found an easy way on how to clean old bottles without wanting to shatter the bottles on my kitchen floor out of frustration by combining a few tips I've heard over the years. It also uses stuff you probably already have around your house. I've found doing this way achieves great results without a lot of time and effort!

How To Clean Old Bottles The Quick And Easy Way!

Here's what you'll need:

Dishwashing Soap
Vinegar
Salt
Water

Here's what you do:

Rinse out any dirt or other debris out of the bottles that will easily come out with water, then fill the bottles with vinegar. If the bottles have a lot of calcium buildup, water spots, or just plain something you can't get off on the outside as well, and completely submerge the bottles in a bowl or bucket filled with vinegar.

and completely submerge the bottles

Soak the bottles for at least an hour in the vinegar to really loosen up any calcium buildup or whatever else that's in the bottles.

and completely submerge the bottles

Once you've let the bottles soak for a while, dump the vinegar out and then fill the bottle with enough salt to cover around 1/2 inch of the bottom of the bottle. Add enough dish soap to get the salt a little wet on top.

and completely submerge the bottles

Now, put your thumb over the bottle opening and shake, shake, shake! 🙂 The idea here is to shake the salt around inside the bottle to make a scrubbing action. If the salt seems to be stuck on the bottom, add a bit more soap or even a little water, but not too much- just enough to get the salt moving around when you shake it. If you add too much soap or water, the salt will not be as abrasive when you shake it around.

Shake the bottle for a couple of minutes (or just until you get tired) and then rinse it out well with water and dry with a soft cloth. Repeat with the rest of your bottles. You may have to repeat the process if the bottles are super grimy or have a lot of calcium reside, but usually once does a really nice job, as you can see from the before and after pics below.

How to clean old bottles